Unofficial “pier” records — gathered from various reports. Where approximate weights are given that means they were not weighed so some weights are taken with a grain of salt. However, they’re the best or only records we’ve got. I'm sure there are hundreds not recorded but again this is what I have been able to find and document — so far.
Pacific Bonito —
11 ¾ Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, Data lost on person and date.
Source: Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle
11 Lbs. 6 oz.— Huntington Beach Pier, D. Calmus, August 27, 1967
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 3, 1967.
11 Lbs. 3 oz. — Seal Beach Pier, R, Borchert, August 27, 1967
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 3, 1967.
10 Lb. 7 oz. — Balboa Pier, Joe Imbriano, May 5, 1996
Source: Joe Imbriano, Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
10 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier (Santa Monica), I. L. Noyes, May 31, 1908
Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 31, 1908
≈ 10 Lbs. — Balboa Pier (Newport Beach), September 2018
Source: Snookie/ Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
9 Lbs. 14 oz. — Belmont Pier (Long Beach), Jerry Summerfelt, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Independent, September 11, 1966
9 Lbs. 13 oz. — Seal Beach Pier, Howard E. Laxton, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Independent, September 11, 1966
9 Lbs. 8 oz. — Seal Beach Pier, David Sorensen, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Independent, September 11, 1966
9 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, Nick Torar, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 9, 1968
8 Lbs. 8 oz. — Seal Breach Pier, Doug DiDonato, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 9, 1968
Pacific (Chub) Mackerel
4 Lbs. — Santa Monica Long Wharf, Fred E. Caseres, August 12, 1915
Source: The Daily Report, August 13, 1915
Bluefin Tuna — Recorded at the Hermosa Beach Pier (summer ’74), Malibu Pier and San Clemente Pier.
Bluefin tuna recorded as hooked and lost on Manhattan Beach Pier about
October 24, 1963
Source: Bill Beebe, Gardena Valley News and Tribune, October 31, 1963
Albacore — Recorded at the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach 1905, Malibu Pier1938, and at the Balboa Pier in 1922 (caught by George Baker on August 7, 1922.
Source: Santa Ana Daily Evening Register, August 7, 1922.)
20 Lbs. — Pine Avenue Pier (Long Beach), Moses Bergman, December 27, 1906
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram, December 27, 1906
6 Lbs. — Venice Pier, Dennis Kenorio, April 18, 1981
Source: San Bernardino County Sun, July 22, 1981
Picture — Venice Pier Bait & Tackle
Skipjack —
20 Lbs. — San Clemente Pier, David Nelson, April 18, 1960
Source: San Bernardino County Sun, April 19, 1960
11+ Lbs. — Long Beach Pleasure Pier, J. U. Hutchinson, October 14, 1911
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, October 14, 1911
6 Lbs. 2 oz. — Manhattan Beach Pier, Bill Lapes, May 14, 1959
Source: Art Rogers, Los Angeles Times, May 15, 1959
Skipjack reported off the Manhattan Beach Pier in 1962 by Art Rogers
Source: Gardena Valley News and Tribune, October 31, 1963.
Skipjack reported from the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach in 1911.
Source: Long Beach Telegram, October 12, 1911. “Skipjack School — An enormous school of skipjack appeared for a short time this morning near the end of the pleasure pier and provided lively fishing to the rod and reel frequenters of that resort. The unusual environs soon scared the school off to deeper water after several six-pound beauties had been hooked.”
Skipjack recorded at the Redondo Beach Pier in 1908.
Source: Los Angeles Herald, October 18, 1908. “An unusual shore run of sardines brought schools of bonito and skipjacks inside and kept things lively on all three wharves for a day or two.
Skipjack reported from the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach in 1907.
Source: Long Beach Telegram, October 12, 1907. “Several skipjacks were caught off the pier this morning and a number of yellowtail made strikes but escaped capture.”
Black Skipjack
Reported from the Imperial Beach Pier, 2015 (Three-day run) and possibly 1996
Source: Mav/ Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
Pacific Sierra Mackerel — Imperial Beach Pier, 2015
Source: Mav/ Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
Also reported from the Hotel del Coronado pier in the early 1900s (newspapers), and both the Imperial Beach Pier on September 1, 2026 and Belmont Pier on September 4, 2026. Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
Bullet Tuna (aka bullet mackerel)— Reported off the Manhattan Beach Pier in 1962 by Art Rogers
Source: Gardena Valley News and Tribune, October 31, 1963
Frigate Tuna (aka frigate mackerel) — Reported from the Balboa Pier (Newport Beach) by Tiffany Vu on August 29, 1926
Source: Pier Fishing In California Facebook page, August 29, 2026
Tuna/Mackerel Family
Pacific Bonito —
11 ¾ Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, Data lost on person and date.
Source: Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle
11 Lbs. 6 oz.— Huntington Beach Pier, D. Calmus, August 27, 1967
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 3, 1967.
11 Lbs. 3 oz. — Seal Beach Pier, R, Borchert, August 27, 1967
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 3, 1967.
10 Lb. 7 oz. — Balboa Pier, Joe Imbriano, May 5, 1996
Source: Joe Imbriano, Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
10 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier (Santa Monica), I. L. Noyes, May 31, 1908
Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 31, 1908
≈ 10 Lbs. — Balboa Pier (Newport Beach), September 2018
Source: Snookie/ Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
9 Lbs. 14 oz. — Belmont Pier (Long Beach), Jerry Summerfelt, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Independent, September 11, 1966
9 Lbs. 13 oz. — Seal Beach Pier, Howard E. Laxton, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Independent, September 11, 1966
9 Lbs. 8 oz. — Seal Beach Pier, David Sorensen, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Independent, September 11, 1966
9 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, Nick Torar, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 9, 1968
8 Lbs. 8 oz. — Seal Breach Pier, Doug DiDonato, September 1966
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, September 9, 1968
Pacific (Chub) Mackerel
4 Lbs. — Santa Monica Long Wharf, Fred E. Caseres, August 12, 1915
Source: The Daily Report, August 13, 1915
Bluefin Tuna — Recorded at the Hermosa Beach Pier (summer ’74), Malibu Pier and San Clemente Pier.
Bluefin tuna recorded as hooked and lost on Manhattan Beach Pier about
October 24, 1963
Source: Bill Beebe, Gardena Valley News and Tribune, October 31, 1963
Albacore — Recorded at the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach 1905, Malibu Pier1938, and at the Balboa Pier in 1922 (caught by George Baker on August 7, 1922.
Source: Santa Ana Daily Evening Register, August 7, 1922.)
20 Lbs. — Pine Avenue Pier (Long Beach), Moses Bergman, December 27, 1906
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram, December 27, 1906
6 Lbs. — Venice Pier, Dennis Kenorio, April 18, 1981
Source: San Bernardino County Sun, July 22, 1981
Picture — Venice Pier Bait & Tackle
Skipjack —
20 Lbs. — San Clemente Pier, David Nelson, April 18, 1960
Source: San Bernardino County Sun, April 19, 1960
11+ Lbs. — Long Beach Pleasure Pier, J. U. Hutchinson, October 14, 1911
Source: Long Beach Press Telegram, October 14, 1911
6 Lbs. 2 oz. — Manhattan Beach Pier, Bill Lapes, May 14, 1959
Source: Art Rogers, Los Angeles Times, May 15, 1959
Skipjack reported off the Manhattan Beach Pier in 1962 by Art Rogers
Source: Gardena Valley News and Tribune, October 31, 1963.
Skipjack reported from the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach in 1911.
Source: Long Beach Telegram, October 12, 1911. “Skipjack School — An enormous school of skipjack appeared for a short time this morning near the end of the pleasure pier and provided lively fishing to the rod and reel frequenters of that resort. The unusual environs soon scared the school off to deeper water after several six-pound beauties had been hooked.”
Skipjack recorded at the Redondo Beach Pier in 1908.
Source: Los Angeles Herald, October 18, 1908. “An unusual shore run of sardines brought schools of bonito and skipjacks inside and kept things lively on all three wharves for a day or two.
Skipjack reported from the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach in 1907.
Source: Long Beach Telegram, October 12, 1907. “Several skipjacks were caught off the pier this morning and a number of yellowtail made strikes but escaped capture.”
Black Skipjack
Reported from the Imperial Beach Pier, 2015 (Three-day run) and possibly 1996
Source: Mav/ Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
Pacific Sierra Mackerel — Imperial Beach Pier, 2015
Source: Mav/ Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
Also reported from the Hotel del Coronado pier in the early 1900s (newspapers), and both the Imperial Beach Pier on September 1, 2026 and Belmont Pier on September 4, 2026. Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com)
Bullet Tuna (aka bullet mackerel)— Reported off the Manhattan Beach Pier in 1962 by Art Rogers
Source: Gardena Valley News and Tribune, October 31, 1963
Frigate Tuna (aka frigate mackerel) — Reported from the Balboa Pier (Newport Beach) by Tiffany Vu on August 29, 1926
Source: Pier Fishing In California Facebook page, August 29, 2026