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Hi all, I’ve been cruising the forums for a while, and have just joined. I’m mostly a freshwater angler, but I’ve been heading out to the coast this year to beat the heat and learn how to fish the salt. I’ve been fishing in the surf and from the rocks. For the last several weekends, I’ve made my way to Point Arena Pier.
Fishing has been very slow every time I’ve gone. Sometimes there are a handful of others fishing, and I haven’t seen anybody do well - mostly skunked in fact. Most people using a high low rig or a carolina rig. Seen some fishing jigs and swimbaits, still other throwing jerkbaits and such. Seen people using squid, shrimp, anchovy, herring, sand crabs, shellfish, gulp baits.
I usually fish the few hours before and after high tide, but I’ve also fished around low tide, neap and spring tides, at dawn, dusk, all day and into the night. I have done well pulling rock crab with a hoop net, but usually only see 1 keeper greenling come out in an all day session, by only 1 angler on the pier. Not even perch. I saw a guy pull out a good cabezon exactly once in several trips. So thats the report. Slow as molasses!
So here is the advice request part - does anybody have success here? Is it the wrong time of year? I’ve read Mr. Jones say Point Arena is outstanding “at certain times of the year”. A young commercial guy said he thinks the commercial guys pick the cove clean from their boats. Another guy speculates that the creek isn’t running to deliver food, so fish aren’t coming. Old timers say they used to catch barrels full in the old days, but they always say that. Not even seeing people get bites.
Any ideas? Where are all the fish?
Fishing has been very slow every time I’ve gone. Sometimes there are a handful of others fishing, and I haven’t seen anybody do well - mostly skunked in fact. Most people using a high low rig or a carolina rig. Seen some fishing jigs and swimbaits, still other throwing jerkbaits and such. Seen people using squid, shrimp, anchovy, herring, sand crabs, shellfish, gulp baits.
I usually fish the few hours before and after high tide, but I’ve also fished around low tide, neap and spring tides, at dawn, dusk, all day and into the night. I have done well pulling rock crab with a hoop net, but usually only see 1 keeper greenling come out in an all day session, by only 1 angler on the pier. Not even perch. I saw a guy pull out a good cabezon exactly once in several trips. So thats the report. Slow as molasses!
So here is the advice request part - does anybody have success here? Is it the wrong time of year? I’ve read Mr. Jones say Point Arena is outstanding “at certain times of the year”. A young commercial guy said he thinks the commercial guys pick the cove clean from their boats. Another guy speculates that the creek isn’t running to deliver food, so fish aren’t coming. Old timers say they used to catch barrels full in the old days, but they always say that. Not even seeing people get bites.
Any ideas? Where are all the fish?
