Monterey

[StripeDoc]

Spending next weekend in Monterey with my fiancée’s family and plan to spend at least some time fishing.

We are staying on the beach so I will likely do some surf casting with lucky strike minnows / grubs but also wanted to see if there’s been any reports from the piers. I saw Coast Guard is closed but any mackerel at Wharf no. 2? Will be mobile so I could even head up to SC/capitola if action has been better up there.

Assume the move for mixed bag is like worms on 2 hook high / low but please let me know if anyone has any Monterey-specific tips!

Will be sure to file a report...

 

[Robf]

Bring a sabiki rig for wharf. You will need to go down and see if fish are around. Lots of great beach between Monterey and Santa Cruz. Probably want to be on the more west facing beaches where the water is moving rather than the little beaches right around Monterey where the water is relatively still. The beach right behind costco is a good close place to start. We usually use sabiki's in the surf with some hooks baited with gulp sandworms. Works great for perch and catches bait fish that are in the surf too. Or you can use the standard carolina rig.

 

[pinfish]

ive caught more topwater stripers at the beaches there than in frisco

 

[Sin Coast]

The CG jetty is open again. At least, it was on Sunday.
The striper bite is still decent btwn Seaside & Moss landing. I’d recommend either a kastmaster, swimbait, or rapala-style plug. Maybe even soak some bait on another rod while tossing lures (sand spike rod holder needed). The recent batch of stripers is quality size to 20+ lbs. My buddy is up to 290 surf stripers on the year so far...most caught btwn Seaside & Moss.

 

[StripeDoc]

The CG jetty is open again. At least, it was on Sunday.
The striper bite is still decent btwn Seaside & Moss landing. I’d recommend either a kastmaster, swimbait, or rapala-style plug. Maybe even soak some bait on another rod while tossing lures (sand spike rod holder needed). The recent batch of stripers is quality size to 20+ lbs. My buddy is up to 290 surf stripers on the year so far...most caught btwn Seaside & Moss.

Very helpful tip - thank you. Have gotten some very hush hush reports that they have been having an incredible bass season down there and sounds like that is right on. Will bring plenty of surf gear!

 

[BiteArray]

How's the red tide on the southerly beaches? I've only hit the northerly ones a couple times the last few weeks, and have run into red tide conditions every time. Did manage to scratch out one striper in the red tide though, but wow triple digit from the surf sounds beyond incredible.

 

[Ken Jones]

Really glad to hear the Coast Guard Pier is open again. Been holding off on a visit to Monterey but I can put it back on the agenda.

 

[Sin Coast]

How's the red tide on the southerly beaches? I've only hit the northerly ones a couple times the last few weeks, and have run into red tide conditions every time. Did manage to scratch out one striper in the red tide though, but wow triple digit from the surf sounds beyond incredible.

The red tide has been persistent for about 3 weeks down here. It’s odd though—seems to get pushed offshore (maybe half mile) certain times of the day...then it returns inshore by afternoon [and vice versa]. It seems avoidable if you keep moving up/down the beach a few miles.

 

[StripeDoc]

Monterey report:

Pretty slow guys. Fished CG (can confirm it is open), no. 2 and Marina State Beach.

Best "action" was at Marina but it was tough - big swell/strong currents (but clean water and lots of sandcrabs) made carolina rig on steelhead rod a no-go. Perch were far out (backside of outer bar) and very prone to biting short which is a tough combo. Upsized to striper rod / 4oz pyramid / 2 inch gulps on size 6 hooks + high low and got 3 smalls on Sat, but lost a lot of baits to nibblers.

No action at CG (was fishing a gulp mullet on a dropshot with a size 1 hook in holes in the kelp) - lots of pecks/nibbles but nothing big. Tons and tons of sea lions and divers and only two people fishing, neither of which had caught anything.

No. 2 was completely dead with only one fisherman and no bites.

Some spotty striper action still going at Pacifica Pier on live shiners, saw 18" caught on Thurs and friend got a 20" on Fri.