October 2022 Fishing Report, Central California (#279)
San Luis Obispo County Piers
Pismo Beach Pier — No report but some surfperch should be available on the bottom and jacksmelt, sardines or mackerel (maybe) on top. How To Get There: From the north, take Hwy. 101 to the Five Cities Dr. exit; follow Dolliver into the middle of town, then turn west on Pomeroy and follow it to the pier and parking lot. From the south, take the Pismo Beach Exit (Price St.), follow it to Pomeroy; turn west and follow it to the pier.
San Luis (Harford) Pier — Debbie at the Patriot Sportfishing says it’s the usual action. Most anglers are fishing for the big jacksmelt using Sabikis and a float while anchovies are available along with kingfish (white croaker) and perch (a variety) She did say one angel shark was caught, a small one about 30 inches in length. We also had a nice talk about all the juvenile great white sharks that have shown up this year. Many, many small whites both around the pier and following the boats as they were cleaning fish and throwing them over the side. She said she had never seen so many of them. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to the Avila Rd. turnoff and head west; follow the road to the end and the pier.
Morro Bay T-Piers – A variety of perch and small rockfish should still be available—blackperch, pileperch, and striped perch along with grass, brown, copper, blue and black rockfish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 turn south onto Main Street, follow it to Morro Bay Boulevard, turn left toward the bay and follow it to Embarcadero, turn right and follow Embarcadero to the end of the public parking which adjoins the piers.
Cayucos Pier — October should see some surfperch inshore, both barred and calico, using worms or shrimp as bait. Walleye surfperch should be caught under the pier, mid-pier to the end, using small hooks or a Sabiki baited with pieces of worms or other bait. White croaker should be on the bottom (cast out from the pier using pieces of worm, anchovy or strips of squid). Jacksmelt, and sometimes mackerel or sardine, should be in the top-waters all along the pier and most people use Sabikis for the pelagics. Shark action at night should be tapering off but a few should stull be around. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to either Ocean Boulevard, which is the main street and will take you past the pier, or take the Cayucos Drive exit which will take you straight to the pier.
San Simeon Pier — Expect the usual, a variety of perch inshore (I’ve caught nine different varieties) while mid-pier to the end may see some pelagic action on top—mainly jacksmelt but sometimes large schools of mackerel and/or sardines, or both. How To Get There: Highway 1 to the entrance to the park.
Monterey-Santa Cruz-San Mateo County Piers
Monterey Coast Guard Pier — No report although the usual mix of rockfish, perch, and cabezon should be available. At the same time the chances of catching a lingcod should be increasing as they move into the shallows to spawn. How To Get There: From Hwy 1 going north: Take the Aguajito Road exit, turn left at the first traffic signal intersection, which is Aguajito Road, and continue under Highway 1 and cross Fremont Street. At the next traffic signal intersection, which is Del Monte Avenue, turn left. Continue down Del Monte Avenue and under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot. From Hwy 1 going south: Take the Del Monte Avenue exit, continue down Del Monte Avenue for several blocks and go under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot.
Monterey Wharf #2 — No reports and hard to predict. The pier is usually very good or very bad depending upon the availability of the pelagic species, i.e., Pacific mackerel, so it’s kind of a crap shoot. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the central Monterey exit and follow Del Monte Avenue to Figueroa Street, turn right and follow to the wharf.
Seacliff State Beach Pier — No report; still closed? How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the State Park Drive exit; follow the road west to the park entrance.
Capitola Wharf — Ed at the Capitola Boat & Bait, on the pier, said mainly it’s the usual—kingfish (white croaker), jacksmelt, and a ton of bullheads (staghorn sculpin). He also said the mackerel fishing has been decent with some good-sized fish showing up. One 12-pound striped bass was taken but it’s been a slow year on the wharf for stripers. He did say anchovies continue in good numbers although most are pinheads, not good to catch for bait bit still attracting in some fish to the wharf. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the Bay Avenue exit west until it hits Capitola Avenue where you turn right; stay on this to Cliff Drive, turn right and park wherever you can find a spot.
Santa Cruz Wharf — Jade at the Santa Cruz Boat Rental & Bait, on the wharf, said he thinks things are starting to slow. Some halibut are still being taken mid-pier but the numbers are down. Most are taken on live bait on the bottom or by swim baits by those who know what they are doing. Kingfish (white croaker) are available but not in big numbers and it’s the same with the mackerel, some but not a lot. He does say the anchovies are still thick for anglers who want to Sabiki them up. How to Get There: Ocean Street south from Highway 1; when you get to Laurel Street turn right and follow it to Pacific Street, turn left and follow Pacific to the wharf.
Johnson Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — I fished the pier in August and pulled in a couple of white seaperch but don’t expect much action unless pelagics like sardines are around. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot.
Pillar Point Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — Fishing tends to be slow although some small rockfish and perch are available when fishing between the rocky shore area and the pier. Unfortunately my last trip there, in August, saw so many kelp flies that it was virtually impossible to fish. I stuck it out for an hour but that’s all I could take. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot. This pier is to the far right of the parking lot
Pacifica Pier — I visited the pier in the last week of August and anglers had a ton of jacksmelt; virtually everyone had them. They also had a ton of small perch. Crabbers showed fair numbers of rock crabs but no Dungeness since the season for them is closed. In checking with Coastside #2 Bait and Tackle, it sounds like nothing has changed—jacksmelt, perch and a few rock crabs. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Pacifica, take the Paloma Avenue-Francisco Boulevard exit, take Paloma west to Beach Road, turn left and proceed a short way until you see markers indicating the way to Fort Point, turn left on Long Avenue and it will take you down to the pier.
San Luis Obispo County Piers
Pismo Beach Pier — No report but some surfperch should be available on the bottom and jacksmelt, sardines or mackerel (maybe) on top. How To Get There: From the north, take Hwy. 101 to the Five Cities Dr. exit; follow Dolliver into the middle of town, then turn west on Pomeroy and follow it to the pier and parking lot. From the south, take the Pismo Beach Exit (Price St.), follow it to Pomeroy; turn west and follow it to the pier.
San Luis (Harford) Pier — Debbie at the Patriot Sportfishing says it’s the usual action. Most anglers are fishing for the big jacksmelt using Sabikis and a float while anchovies are available along with kingfish (white croaker) and perch (a variety) She did say one angel shark was caught, a small one about 30 inches in length. We also had a nice talk about all the juvenile great white sharks that have shown up this year. Many, many small whites both around the pier and following the boats as they were cleaning fish and throwing them over the side. She said she had never seen so many of them. How To Get There: Take Hwy. 101 to the Avila Rd. turnoff and head west; follow the road to the end and the pier.
Morro Bay T-Piers – A variety of perch and small rockfish should still be available—blackperch, pileperch, and striped perch along with grass, brown, copper, blue and black rockfish. How To Get There: From Highway 1 turn south onto Main Street, follow it to Morro Bay Boulevard, turn left toward the bay and follow it to Embarcadero, turn right and follow Embarcadero to the end of the public parking which adjoins the piers.
Cayucos Pier — October should see some surfperch inshore, both barred and calico, using worms or shrimp as bait. Walleye surfperch should be caught under the pier, mid-pier to the end, using small hooks or a Sabiki baited with pieces of worms or other bait. White croaker should be on the bottom (cast out from the pier using pieces of worm, anchovy or strips of squid). Jacksmelt, and sometimes mackerel or sardine, should be in the top-waters all along the pier and most people use Sabikis for the pelagics. Shark action at night should be tapering off but a few should stull be around. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to either Ocean Boulevard, which is the main street and will take you past the pier, or take the Cayucos Drive exit which will take you straight to the pier.
San Simeon Pier — Expect the usual, a variety of perch inshore (I’ve caught nine different varieties) while mid-pier to the end may see some pelagic action on top—mainly jacksmelt but sometimes large schools of mackerel and/or sardines, or both. How To Get There: Highway 1 to the entrance to the park.
Monterey-Santa Cruz-San Mateo County Piers
Monterey Coast Guard Pier — No report although the usual mix of rockfish, perch, and cabezon should be available. At the same time the chances of catching a lingcod should be increasing as they move into the shallows to spawn. How To Get There: From Hwy 1 going north: Take the Aguajito Road exit, turn left at the first traffic signal intersection, which is Aguajito Road, and continue under Highway 1 and cross Fremont Street. At the next traffic signal intersection, which is Del Monte Avenue, turn left. Continue down Del Monte Avenue and under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot. From Hwy 1 going south: Take the Del Monte Avenue exit, continue down Del Monte Avenue for several blocks and go under the tunnel where the street turns into Lighthouse Avenue. Get into the right-hand lane. As the street veers to the right it turns into Foam Street. Continue on Foam Street to the first right and turn into the parking lot.
Monterey Wharf #2 — No reports and hard to predict. The pier is usually very good or very bad depending upon the availability of the pelagic species, i.e., Pacific mackerel, so it’s kind of a crap shoot. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the central Monterey exit and follow Del Monte Avenue to Figueroa Street, turn right and follow to the wharf.
Seacliff State Beach Pier — No report; still closed? How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the State Park Drive exit; follow the road west to the park entrance.
Capitola Wharf — Ed at the Capitola Boat & Bait, on the pier, said mainly it’s the usual—kingfish (white croaker), jacksmelt, and a ton of bullheads (staghorn sculpin). He also said the mackerel fishing has been decent with some good-sized fish showing up. One 12-pound striped bass was taken but it’s been a slow year on the wharf for stripers. He did say anchovies continue in good numbers although most are pinheads, not good to catch for bait bit still attracting in some fish to the wharf. How To Get There: From Highway 1 take the Bay Avenue exit west until it hits Capitola Avenue where you turn right; stay on this to Cliff Drive, turn right and park wherever you can find a spot.
Santa Cruz Wharf — Jade at the Santa Cruz Boat Rental & Bait, on the wharf, said he thinks things are starting to slow. Some halibut are still being taken mid-pier but the numbers are down. Most are taken on live bait on the bottom or by swim baits by those who know what they are doing. Kingfish (white croaker) are available but not in big numbers and it’s the same with the mackerel, some but not a lot. He does say the anchovies are still thick for anglers who want to Sabiki them up. How to Get There: Ocean Street south from Highway 1; when you get to Laurel Street turn right and follow it to Pacific Street, turn left and follow Pacific to the wharf.
Johnson Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — I fished the pier in August and pulled in a couple of white seaperch but don’t expect much action unless pelagics like sardines are around. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot.
Pillar Point Pier (Pillar Point Harbor) — Fishing tends to be slow although some small rockfish and perch are available when fishing between the rocky shore area and the pier. Unfortunately my last trip there, in August, saw so many kelp flies that it was virtually impossible to fish. I stuck it out for an hour but that’s all I could take. How To Get There: From Highway 1 simply take the Pillar Point Harbor turnoff and follow the road down to the main parking lot. This pier is to the far right of the parking lot
Pacifica Pier — I visited the pier in the last week of August and anglers had a ton of jacksmelt; virtually everyone had them. They also had a ton of small perch. Crabbers showed fair numbers of rock crabs but no Dungeness since the season for them is closed. In checking with Coastside #2 Bait and Tackle, it sounds like nothing has changed—jacksmelt, perch and a few rock crabs. How To Get There: Take Highway 1 to Pacifica, take the Paloma Avenue-Francisco Boulevard exit, take Paloma west to Beach Road, turn left and proceed a short way until you see markers indicating the way to Fort Point, turn left on Long Avenue and it will take you down to the pier.