Miller Park Pier aka Nicks Cove Pier

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#1
Has anyone fished the pier at Miller Park in Tomales Bay (aka Nick's Cove Pier) or the Lawson's Landing Pier recently? Thinking about possibly going up there next Sunday or Monday. Picture is of the Miller Park Pier.

nicks-cove-dock-boatshack-evening-light.jpg
 
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Red Fish

Senior Member
#2
Okay, Ken, you've got me confused on this one. Lucas Wharf's Pier was falling apart the second to the last time I was there and I walked out and casted for no fish (Rich casted from the bank. I believe I casted from the top of Tides Wharf once years ago. Near from the lower deck out the back of the restaurant.

Now, what you are showing is what I believe to be the little pier adjoined to Nick's Restaurant. Rich and I fished off of it about an hour a few years back and caught nothing. I don't believe you can fish from it any longer (or I haven't seen anyone).

What I considering Miller Pier is the tiny rockwall that extends from the parking lot (paid parking or pass) next to small boat/kayak launch.

The area where Dustin/Monte used to fish, the deck below the Tides Restaurant seemed to get you enough in to the lagoon to catch sharks and rays.

The area at Miller up the road is VERY shallow and there is a ton of eel grass. Never really got anything and only saw a bat ray swimming around in the distance.

Personally, much better luck at Spud Point Pier. Much better shot at shiner perch, pile perch, leopard shark (off the front right if you through back out one of those perch).

Seems like people have (better) luck on the Tomales Bay side. Kayakers cross the channel and fish Hog Island for halibut (and sometimes get thresher shark too).

It's been at least two years since I have been there.
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#3
I talked to the people last week at Nick's Cove and they assured me that this new pier is a public pier. The pier that used to be at Miller's Park was built in 1959 but was damaged and has been gone for a long time. It was shorter, most of the time the water was shallow, and success was limited. However this new pier (built I think in 2007) appears to be longer so hopefully it will offer a little better fishing.
 
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Red Fish

Senior Member
#4
Ken, the travel video below gives you a good idea what you are in store for when you visit the pier. You are surrounded by vacationers that don’t really care about pierfiishing (there might be 1). It’s good to be mindful of this if you venture to Nick’s Cove Pier with fishing as your main agenda!
As you mentioned to me, the end of the pier (with the roof) is really for customers to sit. IMHO, that would be the best area of the pier to fish as the walkway is fairly narrow.
The video shows the pier from many angles including from the back porch of the cabins to the left of the pier.
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#5
Not sure if I will head up there Sunday or not. I would like to fish the pier and take some fresh pictures but as I said on the phone it might be better to do it as a loop. I need to revisit Boonville and I could do a short trip hitting this pier, Lawson's Landing, the piers in Bodega Bay, and then drive up to Point Arena before heading over the hill to Anderson Valley and seeing some old friends. Then head back down south on HY 101. The fall, when the lings come close inshore, is a good time to visit the pier at Point Arena.

As for Nick's Cove, I imagine the fishing isn't too different from the fishing that took place on the original pier. — a shallow water fishery over mud, in fact pretty much mud-flat like at low tide. Bat rays and leopards should be available when the water is right as well as jacksmelt, several perch, and some flatfish. Pretty much the normal stuff but it would be good to see what it produces.
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#6
Decided to do the Miller Park—Lawson's Landing—Bodega Bay—Point Arena loop this fall so the article on this pier will have to wait until then.