May 2025 Fishing Report, Southern California (#301)
Southern California Lobster — Lobster season is now closed! No hooping and no keeping lobsters accidentally caught on rod and reel.
San Diego County Piers
Imperial Beach Pier – No report. We need a reporter. The last report we had was in March when there was a report from Ghost of a large 7-gill shark being caught. Perch and croakers should be available but water quality could still be poor so it’s an ongoing debate among anglers on if they should eat pier caught fish. [Imperial Beach waters were reopened in September ’24 after being closed to swimmers for 1,018 days; a closure caused by sewage flowing into the ocean from the nearby Tijuana River.] How To Get There: From I-5 take the Palm Ave. (Hwy. 75) exit and follow it to where Palm Ave. and Hwy. 75 divide. Follow Palm Ave. to Seacoast Dr., turn left and it will take you right to the pier.
Ocean Beach Pier — The bad news is that the pier is closed. The good news is that the pier, one almost annually damaged by winter storms during the past few years, will eventually be replaced with a new improved pier, one better able to withstand the winter storms (and hopefully last for 75 years). How To Get There: From the north, take I-5 to the Sea World Dr. exit and follow it until it turns off to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. From the south, take I- 5 to the Nimitz Blvd. exit, then follow that road to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to Newport Ave., turn right and follow the road to the pier parking lot.
Crystal Pier – The pier should be open but no report, need a reporter. Expect to catch mainly surfperch, a few croakers, and an occasional sharay—round stingrays, thornback rays, shovelnose guitarfish and bat rays. How To get There: Take I-5 to Garnet Ave. then take Garnet west to the foot of the pier.
Pepper Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter! Traditionally some kelp bass on the bottom should be available. How To Get There: From I-5 take the 24th Street off-ramp west to Tidelands Avenue and go left (south) on Tidelands to the end.
Bayside Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave.; turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way; turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, turn left and follow the road to the park.
Embarcadero Marina Pier — We need a reporter. Expect some bass, croaker and sharays (sharks and rays) on the bottom as well as halibut (most caught on soft plastic lures). And, it sounds like a few mackerel are also hitting. Got a report from ghost1234 on 4/26 that said, “Hit the pier in the AM, 6am was a bit late for the high tide, got around 5 mackerel. Came back in afternoon from maybe 4-7 and landed another 8 mackerel; fairly slow. Using mackerel for bait, on a bobber rig with about 6ft of leader egg weight and hook to sink it as the drift is very fast.” How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), take Market west to Harbor Dr. Turn left on Harbor Dr. and take it to 8th Ave., turn right onto Convention Way (formerly Harbor St.). Follow it a short block to 5th Ave. and the pier. It seems that with the new Convention Center the city is constantly working on these streets near the pier and renaming them; if you get confused remember that the park and pier are immediately to the southwest of the Convention Center. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.
Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although the pier should continue to kick out sharays (mainly round stingrays or bat rays) and an occasional bass (kelp, sand and spotted) or halibut. How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing — the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex.
Shelter Island Pier — A report from Ghost on 3/12 said, “Stopped by the pier after the rain to try and catch some mackerel. Ideally was planning to use my ghost shrimp but wind was too strong. Threw a Sabiki and first cast instant bite into three, then it slowed. Set up another rod and Sabiki tangled with thee more macks and that was it. Not a bad day of fishing for like 2 hours in the afternoon.” How To Get There: Take I-5 or I-8 to Rosecrans (Hwy. 209) and go west, turn left at Shelter Island Dr. and follow the road until you see the pier and the entrance to the parking lot.
Oceanside Pier — Bill Litchfield said things have really slowed since April when many spotfin croakers were being caught and bait was plentiful. April even saw three great white sharks hooked, one estimated at 9-feet long, and all released. However, with the rain and run-off from San Luis Rey River the water turned very murky and finally red tide showed up which has slowed the fishing. Current conditions show a few perch inshore, slow fishing for croakers, and an occasional halibut being caught mid-pier. No mackerel or other bait have been seen and even the sharkers are finding they have to buy bait (but to little avail given that the end, the prime shark area for the larger sharks) remains closed while being rebuilt. What sharks and rays (sharays) that are caught are typically either bat rays, thornback rays, or shovelnose sharks (guitarfish). Now the city is pumping sand onto the beach which also affects the water so it many be a while before prime fishing starts up again. How To Get There: From I-5 take Mission Blvd. west to Pacific, turn left and follow it to the pier.
Oceanside Harbor Pier — Similar to the larger oceanfront pier downshore, the harbor waters have been murky (dirty) and the fishing has been slow. Some small fish, mainly perch and small bass, are to be found by the inshore rocks but casting out from the pier isn’t showing much action. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Orange County Piers
San Clemente Pier —Brett at Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy.), said the red tide they were experiencing seems to have begun clearing up and as a result they are seeing improved croaker fishing (both yellowfin and spotfin) as a result. Most of the croakers are inshore (along with perch) out to about mid-pier. A few halibut have been reported, mostly shorts, but two legal-size fish also made an appearance. No reports of top action (i.e., mackerel) or sharay action. Biggest news recently was schoolie-size striped bass showing up in surf areas, fish to about 8-pounds, and barracuda beginning to hit off the jetty. How to Get There: From I-5 take any of several exit streets west to El Camino Real, follow it to the center of town, and from there take Del Mar down to the pier.
Dana Harbor Pier —Brett at Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy., said some bass, a variety (kelp bass, sand bass and bay bass) are being taken in the harbor along with a few halibut. How To Get There: The pier is located in the Dana Cove Park area of Dana Point Harbor. From the Pacific Coast Highway take Green Lantern Road south to the harbor, turn left on Cove Road, and follow it to the pier.
Balboa Pier —Our reporter Snookie said “Lizardfish have been the only baits that we have been able to get for some time now. They aren't getting any results (although in April she caught a 25 ½-inch halibut on a lizardfish). Have seen some mid-sized mackerel on the end. If you can get fresh mussels or sand crabs there are some barred surfperch. Now the problem is do you really want to eat them with 400 times the normal amount of domoic acid in the water? Yes, it is possible to have some effects from it. If you are unusually sensitive to this acid, I would not eat the fish. There is no cure for shellfish poisoning. Remember some people die from bee stings. My daughter and I have each written to people who should be knowledgeable in this field. We are waiting for responses. I am still going tomorrow to fish. This can't last forever (I hope!). How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Newport Blvd. which will turn into Balboa Blvd., follow it west to Palm Street. Turn right and follow it to the pier and the adjacent parking lot (which is very expensive).
[According to the Internet: “Domoic acid can be fatal to people if consumed in high doses. There is no antidote for domoic acid, which causes a condition called amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps within 24 hours of ingestion. Most Fish and Wildlife warnings are for shellfish but fish too could contain high amounts of domoic acid.]
Newport Pier — No report; need a reporter although action typically is about the same as at Balboa. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turn off and precede west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place. Metered parking is available but all the lots fill early and are full much of the day. Basically you almost have to wait until someone else leaves and there’s an empty spot.
Huntington Beach Pier — No report; need a reporter. Given reports from similar piers I would expect surfperch and croakers to still be available inshore while top action (on mackerel and sardines) probably remains slow. How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.” How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.”
Seal Beach Pier — Chris, at Big Fish Bait & Tackle. 1780-C. Pacific Coast Hwy. said mackerel are being caught at the end in the morning while croakers are biting inshore on lug worms. Leopard sharks have also been showing up in decent numbers. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Los Angeles County Piers
Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier — No report, need a reporter. Traditionally inshore waters have been decent on croaker this time of the year. How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and then go south to 7th Street, turn west (right) until you come to Ximeno Ave. and then turn left. Follow it to Livingston Dr. and go west. You will see signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier. From the south take the Pacific Coast Highway to 2nd. Street (Westminister becomes 2nd. Street when it crosses PCH), go west, follow to Livingston Dr. Follow it to signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier and parking lot.
Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish might be available—white croaker casting out from the pier and some sargo and perch when fishing the inshore waters but typically after storms and runoff the waters here are very, very dirty, filled with all kinds of stuff. Expect to pull in some flotsam and jetsom. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.
Pier J Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish should be available—white croaker, queenfish, small perch and other rock-frequenting species but again the waters may be filled with a lot of trash. How To Get There: From I-710 follow the signs saying S. Harbor Scenic Drive. From downtown Long Beach follow Queens Way past the Catalina Landing and on to the Queens Way Bridge over the water and take the S. Harbor Scenic Drive.
Cabrillo Beach Pier (San Pedro) — With the closure of the Rusty Hook bait and tackle in San Pedro we now need a new reporter. Hopefully a few croakers, sand bass, perch and an occasional halibut will show up. How To Get There: Take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south; it will turn into Gaffey St. Follow it to 22nd Street and turn left. Follow 22nd St. to Pacific Ave. and turn right. Follow Pacific Ave. to 36th Street and the entrance to Cabrillo Park.
Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – I fished the pier for 2 ½ hours mid-month and caught ocean whitefish, senorita, garibaldi, sheephead, rock wrasse and a mackerel. Amazingly the small kelp bass, that usually saturate the waters around the pier, were mostly absent. Nor did I see a single opaleye and normally large schools of opaleye hang around the pier. Strange. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.
Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — Fourteen hours of fishing mid-month produced jackmackerel, Pacific mackerel, halfmoon, sheephead, kelp bass, garibaldi, blacksmith, and rock wrasse. A few bonito also made an appearance but only a few and as often happens they were an early morning fish. How to Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon when you walk off the ferry onto the landing you are at the Mole.
Redondo Beach Pier — No report, need a reporter. Mackerel have been reported but not in the usual huge numbers. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Manhattan Beach Pier — No report, need a reporter. How To Get There: From Sepulveda Boulevard, turn west on Manhattan Beach Drive and follow it to the pier.
Hermosa Beach Pier — No report, need a reporter. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Venice Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier — Unfortunately long time reporter Ginny Wylie saw her bait and tackle shop in Malibu burn down during the Palisades Fire. So, we need a new reporter. [Go to our PFIC Youtube videos and you will see a video we made in November of her and the bait shop and see how you can contribute money to help her out]. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Paradise Cove Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Paradise Cove Dr., turn west, and follow the road back into the parking lot. Parking is very expensive unless you buy an expensive meal at the restaurant and then you are allowed to fish for, I think, three hours.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers
Port Hueneme Pier —Ludia at Hyun’s Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura reported anglers continuing to catch some perch but I visited mid-month and fishing was very, very slow. All I caught were a couple of sanddab and no one else caught a fish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take Hueneme Rd. west until it turns into Port. At Ventura Rd turn left and follow it to Surfside Dr. Turn left again and follow it to the park.
Ventura Pier —Ludia at Hyun’s Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura reported anglers catch surfperch (walleye and barred) inshore along with a few croakers. No word on the shark action. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) — Mike at the Stearns Wharf Bait Shop on the wharf reports too many crabs. He said April had seen schools of large mackerel move in around the pier and excellent fishing (including good sharay fishing for horn sharks and leopard sharks). Then wind and rain moved in and evidently pushed the fish offshore. Action on the top stopped while action on the bottom was impossible due to the crabs. Anyone trying to fish on the bottom would find that it would take a very long cast away from the pier not to find their bait attacked by crabs. Great for the crabbers but bad for fishermen. I was there mid-month and found his words to be true, nothing on top and nothing but crabs on the bottom. Meanwhile the city was replacing pilings and the LOUD pounding was hard on the ears (probably above and under the water). How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Castillo St. or State St. west to the beach and follow signs to the pier.
Goleta Pier — Ben at Hook Line & Sinker, 2259 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, said a few rockfish and bass continue to be caught near the pipe-reef while occasional sharays (including a good-sized angel shark) had been caught on the pier. I fished the pier mid-month and found the fishing slow. My day was saved by seven white seaperch while speckled sanddab were also common. Unusual was a lone onespot fringehead and a bull sculpin. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Hwy. 217/Airport exit. Follow it to Sandspit Rd. and the Goleta Beach Park turnoff. Follow this to the park and the pier.
Gaviota Pier — Ongoing report— Government efficiency seems to be a true oxymoronic word in California. The pier, managed by the State Department of Parks (State Parks), has been closed since a winter storm in 2014 (yes, more than a decade ago). Reports over the years have given hope for repair but funding as well as division and disagreement between various groups including the State Parks and the Coastal Commission, have slowed down the needed repairs. There seems to finally be room for optimism but it’s a story we’ve heard before, we will wait and hope (with fingers crossed). How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.
Southern California Lobster — Lobster season is now closed! No hooping and no keeping lobsters accidentally caught on rod and reel.
San Diego County Piers
Imperial Beach Pier – No report. We need a reporter. The last report we had was in March when there was a report from Ghost of a large 7-gill shark being caught. Perch and croakers should be available but water quality could still be poor so it’s an ongoing debate among anglers on if they should eat pier caught fish. [Imperial Beach waters were reopened in September ’24 after being closed to swimmers for 1,018 days; a closure caused by sewage flowing into the ocean from the nearby Tijuana River.] How To Get There: From I-5 take the Palm Ave. (Hwy. 75) exit and follow it to where Palm Ave. and Hwy. 75 divide. Follow Palm Ave. to Seacoast Dr., turn left and it will take you right to the pier.
Ocean Beach Pier — The bad news is that the pier is closed. The good news is that the pier, one almost annually damaged by winter storms during the past few years, will eventually be replaced with a new improved pier, one better able to withstand the winter storms (and hopefully last for 75 years). How To Get There: From the north, take I-5 to the Sea World Dr. exit and follow it until it turns off to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. From the south, take I- 5 to the Nimitz Blvd. exit, then follow that road to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Follow Sunset Cliffs Blvd. to Newport Ave., turn right and follow the road to the pier parking lot.
Crystal Pier – The pier should be open but no report, need a reporter. Expect to catch mainly surfperch, a few croakers, and an occasional sharay—round stingrays, thornback rays, shovelnose guitarfish and bat rays. How To get There: Take I-5 to Garnet Ave. then take Garnet west to the foot of the pier.
Pepper Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter! Traditionally some kelp bass on the bottom should be available. How To Get There: From I-5 take the 24th Street off-ramp west to Tidelands Avenue and go left (south) on Tidelands to the end.
Bayside Park Pier — No report. We need a reporter. How To Get There: From I-5 take the J Street off ramp and go west. Take J Street to Tidelands Ave.; turn right. Take Tidelands to Sandpiper Way; turn right. Take Sandpiper to Bayside Parkway, turn left and follow the road to the park.
Embarcadero Marina Pier — We need a reporter. Expect some bass, croaker and sharays (sharks and rays) on the bottom as well as halibut (most caught on soft plastic lures). And, it sounds like a few mackerel are also hitting. Got a report from ghost1234 on 4/26 that said, “Hit the pier in the AM, 6am was a bit late for the high tide, got around 5 mackerel. Came back in afternoon from maybe 4-7 and landed another 8 mackerel; fairly slow. Using mackerel for bait, on a bobber rig with about 6ft of leader egg weight and hook to sink it as the drift is very fast.” How To Get There: From the I-5 south, take the Front Street exit south to Market (just stay on Front Street, it runs into Market), take Market west to Harbor Dr. Turn left on Harbor Dr. and take it to 8th Ave., turn right onto Convention Way (formerly Harbor St.). Follow it a short block to 5th Ave. and the pier. It seems that with the new Convention Center the city is constantly working on these streets near the pier and renaming them; if you get confused remember that the park and pier are immediately to the southwest of the Convention Center. From I-5 North, approaching from the south, take the J Street exit, then go straight, three blocks up to Market, turn left and take it from there.
Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado) — Need a reporter although the pier should continue to kick out sharays (mainly round stingrays or bat rays) and an occasional bass (kelp, sand and spotted) or halibut. How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing — the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex.
Shelter Island Pier — A report from Ghost on 3/12 said, “Stopped by the pier after the rain to try and catch some mackerel. Ideally was planning to use my ghost shrimp but wind was too strong. Threw a Sabiki and first cast instant bite into three, then it slowed. Set up another rod and Sabiki tangled with thee more macks and that was it. Not a bad day of fishing for like 2 hours in the afternoon.” How To Get There: Take I-5 or I-8 to Rosecrans (Hwy. 209) and go west, turn left at Shelter Island Dr. and follow the road until you see the pier and the entrance to the parking lot.
Oceanside Pier — Bill Litchfield said things have really slowed since April when many spotfin croakers were being caught and bait was plentiful. April even saw three great white sharks hooked, one estimated at 9-feet long, and all released. However, with the rain and run-off from San Luis Rey River the water turned very murky and finally red tide showed up which has slowed the fishing. Current conditions show a few perch inshore, slow fishing for croakers, and an occasional halibut being caught mid-pier. No mackerel or other bait have been seen and even the sharkers are finding they have to buy bait (but to little avail given that the end, the prime shark area for the larger sharks) remains closed while being rebuilt. What sharks and rays (sharays) that are caught are typically either bat rays, thornback rays, or shovelnose sharks (guitarfish). Now the city is pumping sand onto the beach which also affects the water so it many be a while before prime fishing starts up again. How To Get There: From I-5 take Mission Blvd. west to Pacific, turn left and follow it to the pier.
Oceanside Harbor Pier — Similar to the larger oceanfront pier downshore, the harbor waters have been murky (dirty) and the fishing has been slow. Some small fish, mainly perch and small bass, are to be found by the inshore rocks but casting out from the pier isn’t showing much action. How To Get There: From I-5 take the Harbor Dr. exit off the freeway, follow it and it will wind down to the harbor; where the road splits stay to the right on North Harbor Dr., and follow it to the pier.
Orange County Piers
San Clemente Pier —Brett at Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy.), said the red tide they were experiencing seems to have begun clearing up and as a result they are seeing improved croaker fishing (both yellowfin and spotfin) as a result. Most of the croakers are inshore (along with perch) out to about mid-pier. A few halibut have been reported, mostly shorts, but two legal-size fish also made an appearance. No reports of top action (i.e., mackerel) or sharay action. Biggest news recently was schoolie-size striped bass showing up in surf areas, fish to about 8-pounds, and barracuda beginning to hit off the jetty. How to Get There: From I-5 take any of several exit streets west to El Camino Real, follow it to the center of town, and from there take Del Mar down to the pier.
Dana Harbor Pier —Brett at Hogan's Bait and Tackle (34320 Pacific Coast Hwy., said some bass, a variety (kelp bass, sand bass and bay bass) are being taken in the harbor along with a few halibut. How To Get There: The pier is located in the Dana Cove Park area of Dana Point Harbor. From the Pacific Coast Highway take Green Lantern Road south to the harbor, turn left on Cove Road, and follow it to the pier.
Balboa Pier —Our reporter Snookie said “Lizardfish have been the only baits that we have been able to get for some time now. They aren't getting any results (although in April she caught a 25 ½-inch halibut on a lizardfish). Have seen some mid-sized mackerel on the end. If you can get fresh mussels or sand crabs there are some barred surfperch. Now the problem is do you really want to eat them with 400 times the normal amount of domoic acid in the water? Yes, it is possible to have some effects from it. If you are unusually sensitive to this acid, I would not eat the fish. There is no cure for shellfish poisoning. Remember some people die from bee stings. My daughter and I have each written to people who should be knowledgeable in this field. We are waiting for responses. I am still going tomorrow to fish. This can't last forever (I hope!). How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take Newport Blvd. which will turn into Balboa Blvd., follow it west to Palm Street. Turn right and follow it to the pier and the adjacent parking lot (which is very expensive).
[According to the Internet: “Domoic acid can be fatal to people if consumed in high doses. There is no antidote for domoic acid, which causes a condition called amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps within 24 hours of ingestion. Most Fish and Wildlife warnings are for shellfish but fish too could contain high amounts of domoic acid.]
Newport Pier — No report; need a reporter although action typically is about the same as at Balboa. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway take the Newport Blvd. turn off and precede west watching for signs directing traffic to the pier. The pier sits at the foot of McFadden Place. Metered parking is available but all the lots fill early and are full much of the day. Basically you almost have to wait until someone else leaves and there’s an empty spot.
Huntington Beach Pier — No report; need a reporter. Given reports from similar piers I would expect surfperch and croakers to still be available inshore while top action (on mackerel and sardines) probably remains slow. How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.” How To Get There: Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) to Huntington Beach and the pier.”
Seal Beach Pier — Chris, at Big Fish Bait & Tackle. 1780-C. Pacific Coast Hwy. said mackerel are being caught at the end in the morning while croakers are biting inshore on lug worms. Leopard sharks have also been showing up in decent numbers. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway simply take Main St. west and follow it to the pier.
Los Angeles County Piers
Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier — No report, need a reporter. Traditionally inshore waters have been decent on croaker this time of the year. How To Get There: From the north take I-405 to the Lakewood Boulevard turnoff, and then go south to 7th Street, turn west (right) until you come to Ximeno Ave. and then turn left. Follow it to Livingston Dr. and go west. You will see signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier. From the south take the Pacific Coast Highway to 2nd. Street (Westminister becomes 2nd. Street when it crosses PCH), go west, follow to Livingston Dr. Follow it to signs by Ocean Ave. and Termino Ave. indicating the pier and parking lot.
Shoreline Aquatic Park Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish might be available—white croaker casting out from the pier and some sargo and perch when fishing the inshore waters but typically after storms and runoff the waters here are very, very dirty, filled with all kinds of stuff. Expect to pull in some flotsam and jetsom. How to Get There: From downtown Long Beach, take Pine Avenue south to Shoreline Drive. For the northernmost pier #1 follow Shoreline Avenue west and follow it around the lagoon to where the street ends. For the southernmost piers #2-#5 follow Shoreline Drive east to the markings for Shoreline Village, continue past the shopping complex, and follow the road out to near the end of the peninsula. You will see the piers.
Pier J Piers (Long Beach) — The normal fish should be available—white croaker, queenfish, small perch and other rock-frequenting species but again the waters may be filled with a lot of trash. How To Get There: From I-710 follow the signs saying S. Harbor Scenic Drive. From downtown Long Beach follow Queens Way past the Catalina Landing and on to the Queens Way Bridge over the water and take the S. Harbor Scenic Drive.
Cabrillo Beach Pier (San Pedro) — With the closure of the Rusty Hook bait and tackle in San Pedro we now need a new reporter. Hopefully a few croakers, sand bass, perch and an occasional halibut will show up. How To Get There: Take the Harbor Freeway (I-110) south; it will turn into Gaffey St. Follow it to 22nd Street and turn left. Follow 22nd St. to Pacific Ave. and turn right. Follow Pacific Ave. to 36th Street and the entrance to Cabrillo Park.
Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon, Catalina Island) – I fished the pier for 2 ½ hours mid-month and caught ocean whitefish, senorita, garibaldi, sheephead, rock wrasse and a mackerel. Amazingly the small kelp bass, that usually saturate the waters around the pier, were mostly absent. Nor did I see a single opaleye and normally large schools of opaleye hang around the pier. Strange. How To Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon there should be no problem in finding the pier, which is located at the foot of Catalina Avenue.
Cabrillo Mole (Avalon, Catalina Island) — Fourteen hours of fishing mid-month produced jackmackerel, Pacific mackerel, halfmoon, sheephead, kelp bass, garibaldi, blacksmith, and rock wrasse. A few bonito also made an appearance but only a few and as often happens they were an early morning fish. How to Get There: The trick here is to get to Catalina. Ships and helicopters make the journey several times a day from the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach (near the Balboa Pier) and Dana Harbor. Information is available on all of these by calling the Avalon Chamber of Commerce on the Pleasure Pier (213) 510-1520 or the Visitor's Information & Service Center (213) 510-2500. Once in Avalon when you walk off the ferry onto the landing you are at the Mole.
Redondo Beach Pier — No report, need a reporter. Mackerel have been reported but not in the usual huge numbers. How To Get There: From the Pacific Coast Highway, take Torrance Blvd. west to the foot of the pier and the parking lot.
Manhattan Beach Pier — No report, need a reporter. How To Get There: From Sepulveda Boulevard, turn west on Manhattan Beach Drive and follow it to the pier.
Hermosa Beach Pier — No report, need a reporter. How To Get There: Take the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) to Pier Avenue and follow Pier Avenue west to the pier.
Venice Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How Get There: Highway 1 to Washington St., turn west and follow Washington St. to the pier.
Santa Monica Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter. How to Get There: From I-405 take Santa Monica Blvd. west to Ocean Ave. Turn left, go to Colorado Ave., and turn right onto the pier.
Malibu Pier — Unfortunately long time reporter Ginny Wylie saw her bait and tackle shop in Malibu burn down during the Palisades Fire. So, we need a new reporter. [Go to our PFIC Youtube videos and you will see a video we made in November of her and the bait shop and see how you can contribute money to help her out]. How To Get There: The pier fronts on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) so just drive until you see it.
Paradise Cove Pier — No report this month. Need a reporter How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Paradise Cove Dr., turn west, and follow the road back into the parking lot. Parking is very expensive unless you buy an expensive meal at the restaurant and then you are allowed to fish for, I think, three hours.
Ventura & Santa Barbara County Piers
Port Hueneme Pier —Ludia at Hyun’s Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura reported anglers continuing to catch some perch but I visited mid-month and fishing was very, very slow. All I caught were a couple of sanddab and no one else caught a fish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take Hueneme Rd. west until it turns into Port. At Ventura Rd turn left and follow it to Surfside Dr. Turn left again and follow it to the park.
Ventura Pier —Ludia at Hyun’s Tackle, 3695 E Harbor Blvd., Ventura reported anglers catch surfperch (walleye and barred) inshore along with a few croakers. No word on the shark action. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Seaward Drive exit west to Harbor Drive, turn right and follow it to the pier.
Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) — Mike at the Stearns Wharf Bait Shop on the wharf reports too many crabs. He said April had seen schools of large mackerel move in around the pier and excellent fishing (including good sharay fishing for horn sharks and leopard sharks). Then wind and rain moved in and evidently pushed the fish offshore. Action on the top stopped while action on the bottom was impossible due to the crabs. Anyone trying to fish on the bottom would find that it would take a very long cast away from the pier not to find their bait attacked by crabs. Great for the crabbers but bad for fishermen. I was there mid-month and found his words to be true, nothing on top and nothing but crabs on the bottom. Meanwhile the city was replacing pilings and the LOUD pounding was hard on the ears (probably above and under the water). How To Get There: From Highway 101 take Castillo St. or State St. west to the beach and follow signs to the pier.
Goleta Pier — Ben at Hook Line & Sinker, 2259 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, said a few rockfish and bass continue to be caught near the pipe-reef while occasional sharays (including a good-sized angel shark) had been caught on the pier. I fished the pier mid-month and found the fishing slow. My day was saved by seven white seaperch while speckled sanddab were also common. Unusual was a lone onespot fringehead and a bull sculpin. How To Get There: From Highway 101 take the Hwy. 217/Airport exit. Follow it to Sandspit Rd. and the Goleta Beach Park turnoff. Follow this to the park and the pier.
Gaviota Pier — Ongoing report— Government efficiency seems to be a true oxymoronic word in California. The pier, managed by the State Department of Parks (State Parks), has been closed since a winter storm in 2014 (yes, more than a decade ago). Reports over the years have given hope for repair but funding as well as division and disagreement between various groups including the State Parks and the Coastal Commission, have slowed down the needed repairs. There seems to finally be room for optimism but it’s a story we’ve heard before, we will wait and hope (with fingers crossed). How To Get There: From Highway 101 simply take the Gaviota State Park turnoff down to the beach and pier.