Date: January 29, 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: KevinFISHAHOLIC
Subject: Paradise Pier...Newbie
Hey guys I’m new to the club and plan on fishing the Paradise pier soon anyone having tips...hoping to catch anything that swims....????
Posted by mel
Crabs, crabs, crabs. Even with all this rain the crabs refuse to leave. Good luck in keeping a bait down. It’s been like that the last few years.
Date: May 14, 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: swampz707
Subject: Paradise Pier
Went out to Paradise Pier for the first time on 5/13 going for halibut but ended up coming home with a 24-inch striper with a girth of 14-inches and weighing between 6-8 pounds. The striper was caught on a live shiner floated with a bobber and a 6-ft long leader. No Halibuts were landed but a bat ray and a skate fish from local fishermen were.
Date: July 25, 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: GetThaNet!
Subject: Paradise in Marin 7-25-10
Headed out around 1pm to Paradise Cove pier for some ray action.. Being my first time at the pier I was really impressed with how fisherman friendly the pier was with the pc pipe pole holder. Beats the holes at Berkeley Pier. Well, after 20 mins my surf rod goes bendo and 5 mins. later a nice 15-lb ray. It was real nice because there was a lot of little kids who where stoked to see a ray. The next cast I set up a nice platter of a whole fat squid on a 6/0 octopus hook. Hunked it out as far as I could. 30 mins later (as I was fondling with setups and hooks my tackle box) my pole bend to the point the line snapped. I didn't have time to even pick it up. I had the drag on but I assume it was either a knot problem at the hook or the line got caught in the grove of the wood. All in all good convo, with good ppl and a few good fish equals and epic time. Left about 4 after the bites died down... seen a couple ppl fishing for halibut and striper with nothing coming over the rails.
Date: July 30 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Ken Jones
Subject: Halibut at Paradise
Marin Independent Journal — 7/30/10 — Alastair Bland — “At Paradise Beach Park, plunking live shiners continues to make the pier look like the deck of a commercial vessel. On Sunday, according to ranger Howard Miller, a handful of anglers landed two halibut each while several more each had a fish of their own. On Tuesday of last week, Miller says, 10 big fresh fish lay on the pier at one glorious moment, and on days like those, being a pier rat (and we’ve all been there) doesn't seem like such a bad lot in life after all.”
Posted by piemel
I am so tired of the local newspapers (IJ, SF Chron) and online fishing sites (USA Fishing) promoting the use of a certain live bait operation and their shiners. I like the Loch Lomond dudes like everyone else but it’s a bit over the top.
Posted by illcatchanything2
Bet that place will be a zoo this weekend....
Posted by calrat
By the time the news gets out, it's always too late. Never chase the story, be the story. As far as the Loch Lomond shiner garbage, it’s all a ruse to get you to overpay for bait in the off chance of catching something. Give it a rest.
Posted by Ken Jones
Can’t people just catch their own live shiners? They’re usually just a pest and I can’t imagine buying shiners. As for being a zoo, news always gets out (loose lips sinks ships, right?).
Posted by piemel
Shiners… not at McNears or Paradise Pier. The pests there are smelt which are usually too big and not suitable for halibut bait.
Posted by Ken Jones
I just went back and checked my records and I do show some shiners from the pier (although most were caught March-May). You’re certainly right that they aren’t the main pest. My main pest was staghorn sculpin/bullheads; way too many even if the stripers do like them.
Posted by pboy
That’s OK, bullheads will tempt a flattie any day. Just stick ‘em and flick ‘em. Hands down the most hearty bait in our system. All hail the might BULLHEAD. Sorry a little excited Fall is approaching soon ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Posted by spicytuna
No shiners at Paradise, and I have never seen a bait ball of ‘chovies show up there. People have been jigging up and killing rubberlip and various other perch, but no shiners (when they were not in season too!). One guy tried cast netting until his arm fell off and only got one shiner. You’re more likely to catch a bat ray in your cast net than a shiner there. As far as the jacksmelt go, piemel is right. Those monsters are more likely to scare your hali than make it hungry. However, there is one marine species that is very plentiful there: red rock crabs. *ughh*
Posted by calrat
The circus sideshows have already started. I heard someone had a knife pulled on him while fishing at Paradise this week. Ken... this is what I mean by “riff raff.”
Posted by spicytuna
Sad but true. *sigh* do we really have to issue a yay-hoo alert?
Posted by piemel
The bullheads don't really work on that part/side of the bay. Don’t know why.
Posted by spicytuna
Bullheads are the best bait for halibut. ^.^ now that’s some bullsh...
Posted by mel
I also heard of someone getting into it with a spot rusher at Paradise recently, which almost resulted in near blows. My friend had his girlfriend with him so the other guy was spared. I'm not going there anymore unless I know James and Julie are going to be there. Well, at least Julie...
Posted by calrat
Julie and I were just thinking, “maybe we'll go if Mel goes with us...”
Posted by Mike41
On PFIC you somewhat promote spot burning, but when it’s published in the local paper some of you seem to be displeased. Quite the double standard I'd say. If one were to google “ocean beach stripers” the first result is not a Marin IJ page...
Posted by illcatchanything2
It’s not really spot burning when it’s a public pier... I don’t think anyone was upset when they posted anything about the place being a zoo. It was merely an observation that I made, and also a place that I would avoid this weekend. As to promoting spot burning, we do encourage people to post where they fish in the spirit of community and sharing with the members, but we do not have a rule that says you must post the exact place you fished (just the general area). It is up to the individual member as to whether or not they want to give up their spot.
Posted by Steve-O
Well said.... this board used to be filled with area reports. One of the important reasons to post about areas... is so in 5 years or 10 years down the line you can search back and look at where the fishing has been productive. As for spot burning itself... It's not the number of people visiting a spot that burns it out. I can fish elbow to elbow on a packed rail and be OK (although I do not prefer it). It’s the number of inconsiderate visitors that show up... the ones that leave trash about… the ones that fish for more then they need or can even use… And those that think that they found a public spot first and claim they own it... that to me bad attitudes and bad habits is what burns out a spot.
Posted by mel
What? Huh? It's not spot burning if it’s a public pier? Wanna bet?
Posted by illcatchanything2
I just think that on a pier, its pretty much fair game, as most people are told by other people, message boards, or in this case a newspaper (BTW, must have been a slow news day in Marin). It is highly unlikely that you would see a newspaper story about a shoreline spot that someone has scouted and developed over time (although I have seen that happen as well, to be fair, but only with the permission of the person who knew about the spot.)
Posted by unclesteve
I went earlier this year to find 20 or so people with their kids fishing making it 30 or 40. The kids were really young and not fishing but their two rods were baited with adults manning more than their two rods. Simply put it’s a zoo now and McNears closing and communication hype whether its the newspaper/internet made it happen. That pier was a peaceful place for many of us, but now it stinks of over crowding. The size of the pier doesn’t help either.
Posted by FishermanDan
Mel is right on this one Brian. Doesn't matter if it’s a pier or not. There are very few fishing spots that aren’t accessible to the public, and all public spots are open to spot burn regardless of weather or not it’s a pier. If anything, small piers, rocks, and jetties are more subject to spot burn. Especially places that have low capacity for anglers and fish stock alike. On the other hand, places like large beaches or BP, that can accommodate large gatherings of fisherman, and replenish itself with new fish stock quickly, are not really susceptible to heavy reporting and spot burn. Now this idea of course is not on a large scale basis. Just a temporary “run” type situation. Basically, it doesn't matter, like Calrat already said, by the time you follow the report the fish are gone. Be the report, don't follow it. Best advise you can get when it comes to fishing. It does matter however, when a small pier like Paradise is overcrowded by “riff-raff” and the regulars (who are the report) are left to suffer. North Bay piers are the prime example of piers falling to spot burn.
Posted by spicytuna
Sometimes my dad won’t even tell me the exact location of where he fishes. Most likely because it is where his friends fish. Just one of those unwritten rules of fishing: never give out your friend’s spot. If all anglers were considerate, this would not be an issue.
Posted by FishermanDan
Personally I don't mind sharing with the inconsiderates, unless it’s a friend’s spot, or a small spot that risks over crowding and being fished out. Still, everything I know I learned through other people, and I feel obligated to share. Every situation is different.
Posted by piemel
I'll share some info about Paradise... Sunday not one fish was landed on the pier... not one (not counting smelt for the kids). nada
Posted by iamfisherman
Oh, I need my first legal butt this year, I’m heading out there with my mob this weekend... taking over the place.. j/k. are they still around?
Posted by spicytuna
They weren’t there on Sunday as pimel stated. Under constant bombardment by hundreds of flying 8-oz mortars attached to 80 lb braided lines over the weekend, its not surprising.
Posted by rock hopper
I'm honestly astonished it took this long for the pier to get hammered. We've been slaying the halis from kayaks this year there. I've caught nine keepers in seven trips. There were days when up to 16 halis were landed from the pier. Some upwards of 20lbs. Good job to most of the regulars there for keeping it quiet for so long. The only reason I even bring it up is because of this thread and due to the fact that the bite has drastically tapered off there.
Posted by FishermanDan
Good point. Its funny because back in April, Thndrr posted a report on his first keeper halibut, second of the year to Mel’s. Guess some people are just too cheap to pay $6 bridge toll to go fishing. Can’t blame them with this economy, though. Oh, and it doesn't help when you get ripped off for some live bait. Not to mention there are fish in every corner of the bay if you look hard enough.
Date: March 31, 2018
To: PFIC Message Board
From: ranger jim
Subject: Halibut!!!
The “Butts” are beginning to show up at Paradise Beach Park. Two legal Halibut were hooked and lost due to the fishermen not having a net. Also the baitfish are here so bring your Sabiki’s and throw nets. Tight lines, Ranger Jim
Date: April 9, 2018
To: PFIC Message Board
From: ranger jim
Subject: EPIC! Day at Paradise
All, We had quite the day on Sunday the 8th of April. Besides the weather being awesome, we had around a dozen keeper Halibut landed with the largest going just over 30”. Live anchovy on a 3-way set up was the bait of choice and had the most success. A few keeper stripers were also landed. The Rubberlip Perch fishermen also had good success fishing near the southern seawall. Hope to see you all soon, tight line.
Date: April 24, 2019
To: Message Board
From: Astralography
Subject: Pier Report
Finally had some luck over at Paradise Pier for Halibut last week. Got a limit using swim baits which was great (23 - 24 - 27). It was a great day with a lot of people catching. For those who were there, the bite was on, but since then it’s slowed down again as I went out yesterday and only saw a couple shakers landed.
Posted by Skyhook
Great report! Glad to see you get rewarded. What swim bait colors and lengths were working for you?
Posted by Astralography
5 inch swimbaits. Different colors... everything was getting hit. Green, yellow, orange. Personally I’m not a big believer that Halibut care that much about the color. I think they hit the movement if it's near to them when the bite is on. There was definitely a big school in there as everyone was catching them... live bait anchovies, live smelt and shiners, and even saw cut up dead bait catching.
Date: August 21, 2019
To: PFIC Message Board
Fom: Reel Newbie
Subject: Dead bait fishing for halibut off piers?
I’m trying to get on some halibut in the SF Bay, but have almost no clue what to use in terms of bait rigging. So far I’m using frozen anchovies on a fish finder rig with a 1/0 hook and a 2-3’ 20lb leader, which has gotten me an 18 incher, but it seems I am missing a lot of bites. Live bait is out of the question, as I live a long way from the bait docks. I’m going to try using a stinger rig on a fish finder and see, but what does a halibut bite even look like? It looks like they are always just nibbling away at the bait and never committing. The one I caught hooked itself, and after that I haven’t managed to get them to take it. Any thoughts? Also, is 15lb mono enough for halibut? It’s the line that I have on my abu 6501c3, and it’s the only reel I have that has a lighter rod and a bait clicker.
Posted by Red Fish
Okay, the gear and line class are fine. I have caught dozens of halibut on 12# monofilament main line on Abu 6500’s. I have also caught 36” halibut at Paradise Pier on frozen bag anchovies on a C-rig consisting of nothing more than a ¾-ounce egg weight. The rod was sitting in a holder straight down, the anchovy was threaded (head down) on a circle hook and suspended two feet off the bottom. The fish self-hooked and loaded the rod off a couple pounds of drag. Make sure you have some good quality bag bait like the Sport with nice big jack anchovies. The Sea Wave is too beat up sometimes. I’ve out-fished people using shiners this way. Some times the fish are keyed in to smell (over vibrations). If you get to your spot it is worth taking a little time to catch some baitfish on small hooks (size 10 or 12 bait/holders) baited with small pieces of market shrimp, squid, anchovies, or pile worms. Shinerperch, smelt, and even bullheads will work for halibut. Your odds increase many times as your live bait doesn’t get consumed by crabs and big smelt while waiting for halibut. Also, you might try a slip bobber rig above your threaded anchovies or a 2-hook mooching style/trap-hook style way of baiting anchovies [one hook in the head/one hook in the tail area]. If you can set the hook when the fish is running, it’s always better because you know there is tension on the line but not necessary to set hook. After the initial pull, and possibly a short run and stop or not, the halibut is usually sitting on the hook. You can always give a medium swing upwards which many times results in head shakes in return and fish on! The more opportunities, the better you will get. I have caught many in the past ten years where I just went for my net and let the halibut load up the rod and self/hook stripping drag out on light-wire circle hooks. Good luck!
Posted by Ken Jones
Halibut are ambush predators and like nothing better than lying in a depression on the bottom of the sea and waiting for a fish to swim by. Once the victim, aka food, is seen the halibut quickly rises up and attacks the fish (generally from behind). Live bait is generally seen as best with swimbaits (representing live bait) seen as the next best alternative. What I do when I am fishing (for whatever species) is I almost always have my bait in motion. Cast out. let it sink, and a slow retrieval, it's what I do cast after cast and if using dead bait for halibut it would be the same. Just casting out, letting the bait sit on the bottom, and letting the rod sit on the railing rarely yields the same success as moving bait. It can be dead, as in frozen anchovies, but your presentation can make it seem alive.
Date: June 6, 2020
To: PFIC Message Board
From: nolandw
Subject: Paradise Pier 6/5 — Slow and full of algae
[During Covid 19] Parking finally opened up at Paradise Pier on June 1 and I decided to stop by on my day off. Got there around 10pm and the pier was actually pretty full, most people staggered about 6 ft. apart. The winds were pretty brutal but it was very quiet on the pier save for the howling winds. People actually began to leave around 11am, largely due to how slow the action was and the howling wind. It’s worth noting that the surrounding waters are now filled with algae, something I did not observe coming here last year. The algae is pretty heavy and easily gets caught... on one cast retrieve, I literally probably had 5lbs of algae on the weight and it took me about 10 min to cut it all off. Everyone's retrieve was affected by this. Ended up using a mix of live perch, live jacksmelt, live pile worms I foraged, and dead anchovy for bait. I was able to catch the perch and jacksmelt at the pier using Sabiki and worms. I was told that the perch I got at 11:30 was actually the first fish caught all day on the pier. Eventually, I did manage to hook onto 3 bat rays, 2 of which were reeled in. The other ray actually spooled me but was lost using a hi-low with too light of a test line on the dropper loop (which is what I get for using someone else’s rig I found on the pier... I’m almost positive I missed out on a halibut as one of the larger shinerperch I used had a slow bite and just a slight movement on the drag, but I moved set the hook too early out of earnest and pulled up an empty hook. Oh well, lesson learned for next time. In all, it was a slow day for the pier. I left at 5pm, and only saw two other bat rays and one striper from all the other fisherman (most were also using live anchovy; some used shiners, some shrimp, few used squid). Anyone have any insights to the affects of algae and adjusting the fishing approach, or have different luck at Paradise this year?
Posted by Paul Pierce
“Ended up using a mix of live perch, live jacksmelt, live pile worms I foraged, and dead anchovy for bait.” You should specify which species of perch because perch season is closed inside the S.F. Bay from April to August with the exception of shiners. Obviously, you know what a shinerperch is, so you should address it accordingly. There are enough poachers out there. There’s no need to put out FALSE information. I’ve seen guys who throw their cast nets out and catch walleye perch and use that for bait and they say it’s halibut candy... in the middle of May... The best fishermen check their baits OFTEN and keep their focus on their rods. If you do this religiously, then, algae shouldn't be a problem. What if you drop your bait down and a crab steals your bait just when the line hits bottom and you didn’t notice and you let your line soak for 2 hours with no bait? What are your chances of catching a fish? Very slim. Although, I have caught fish on bare hooks before. Your window of opportunity to catch a fish is very small. Maximize your opportunities! If you keep your focus on your rod tips, slight tugging usually indicates either the presence of crabs, seaweed, or the occasional sturgeon. That's when it's time to check your line. That’s weird because the best days are usually the windiest of days at Paradise. I've seen the most fish and the biggest fish on days where hats and panties are flying off of the pier. As for your report on the rays, I guess they are still there...
Posted by Astralography
I think they should just rename the pier and park Bat Ray City. Never seen so many bats coming up there recently. Last year about this time Halibut were everywhere, saw people with nearly zero fishing skills getting limits. 20 to 30 Halibut days not uncommon. It’s now crowded and slow. The kayak guys have been telling me where they are, but nothing really accessible from the shore. I know a few are being hooked up at the SF wharfs and piers but still very slow compared to last year. Hopefully things pick up soon.
Posted by StripDoc
Paradise has also been off for boaters - the algae is actually a fine seaweed carpeting the bottom out to 40 FOW - totally gunks up trolling rigs and even drifted live bait.
Posted by Red Fish
If it’s the red alga, it should pass after a few days. Knocks off the bite tremendously. Try to suspend your bait above it. There were a couple halibut caught before they opened up but only one or two per day. Course, there where only like four or five fishing then.
Date: June 27, 2020
To: PFIC Message Board
From: StripeDoc
Subject: Paradise
[During Covid 19] Despite the wind, I fished Paradise with a local friend (wearing masks + 6 feet apart) on Saturday. Finally obtained about 20 live topsmelt and had high hopes for halibut despite mediocre results in that area off the boat this season. Wind made it tough to detect bites but I missed at least one good one early on... other than that, mostly fed loads of small crabs and picked the fine green algae off my sinker. Saw one ray caught and as we were getting ready to call it around 5pm my drag started running on the left rod. Knew it was a bat and as I fought him the right rod went off, which my friend promptly grabbed. Both looked about 20-25lbs and were safely released. Wish I had a better report but we were happy to get any action on what was overall a slow, windy day. One good tip for those looking: there have been some halibut caught at Fort Baker Pier in the last two days on swim baits and live anchovies.
Date: April 10, 2021
To: PFIC Message Board
From: billzerkeley
Subject: I’m going to call out some fishermen publicly to straighten out their ways.
Met three regulars at Paradise: [1, 2 and 3] I don't personally know any of them, but I've seen them many times before at this pier. [1] told me Fish and Game made him cut his 6-hook Sabiki into 3 hooks at Ft. Baker. I asked him if Fish and Game questioned him about throwing his cast net with two lines already in the water because that was illegal. He also told me he caught 50 fish last year. I wondered how many of the fish were caught legally? [1 and 2] were both soaking two lines each while plugging pretty much the entire day. [1] landed a nice 28” on a third rod with a plug. Unfortunate because he kept the fish. He also landed a keeper striper later on his third rod on a plug. He offered me the fish. No way did I want a poached fish. Really unfortunate because [1] said he had caught two 32-inchers this year, one on a plug and one on bait. I've seen how this guy operates, and with no doubt in my mind both were caught with three rods. With two lines in the water, [2] nets a nice smelt and later lands a 29.5” with it. He was also plugging when the bite occurred... [3]? Third rod plugger confirmed, but he’s off the hook because he landed his keeper striper with only two lines in the water. Another guy pulls up a 28" on a third rod. The friend I was fishing with? Idiot third rod plugger too. Moral of the story: CALL OUT ALL POACHERS. THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND FORMS.
Posted by The Happy Warrior
You cannot stop poachers. They were poorly raised to begin with and will not be educated.
Posted by Ken Jones
I removed the names used in the original post even though I have fought against unethical angling ever since this site was started 24 years ago—and understand the frustration. I do not think it's our place to use people’s names in that manner (and I am not sure of the legal consequences). The poaching is wrong but I tend to agree with “The Happy Warrior” that the post will do little to alter their actions. What to do when poaching/illegal/unethical angling is observed is a topic we've discussed literally dozens of times with few definitive answers. Other than call Cal Tip (which is rarely successful) the answer as to what to do rests in the hands and minds of each individual. My answer is not a good one but I am not sure there is one answer that would please everyone or solve the problem.
Posted by Billzerkeley
I would have to disagree. These guys need to be called out for their wrongdoings. These guys need to be ashamed to show their faces in public. Nothing is more embarrassing than having poacher affixed to one's name. If I were fishing with more like-minded individuals yesterday and we all pointed out their mistakes, the tide might have turned.
Date: April 28, 2021
To: PFIC Message Board
From: StripeDoc
Subject: 50 Pound Halibut
A 50-pound halibut was reportedly caught from the Paradise Pier. I am thinking about fishing Paradise Pier Friday or Saturday if anyone else is going.
Posted by Ken Jones
That’s one heck of a halibut.
Posted by CatchinKelp
All I can say is wow.
Posted by MisterT
Wow! Never knew they grew that size.
To: PFIC Message Board
From: KevinFISHAHOLIC
Subject: Paradise Pier...Newbie
Hey guys I’m new to the club and plan on fishing the Paradise pier soon anyone having tips...hoping to catch anything that swims....????
Posted by mel
Crabs, crabs, crabs. Even with all this rain the crabs refuse to leave. Good luck in keeping a bait down. It’s been like that the last few years.
Date: May 14, 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: swampz707
Subject: Paradise Pier
Went out to Paradise Pier for the first time on 5/13 going for halibut but ended up coming home with a 24-inch striper with a girth of 14-inches and weighing between 6-8 pounds. The striper was caught on a live shiner floated with a bobber and a 6-ft long leader. No Halibuts were landed but a bat ray and a skate fish from local fishermen were.
Date: July 25, 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: GetThaNet!
Subject: Paradise in Marin 7-25-10
Headed out around 1pm to Paradise Cove pier for some ray action.. Being my first time at the pier I was really impressed with how fisherman friendly the pier was with the pc pipe pole holder. Beats the holes at Berkeley Pier. Well, after 20 mins my surf rod goes bendo and 5 mins. later a nice 15-lb ray. It was real nice because there was a lot of little kids who where stoked to see a ray. The next cast I set up a nice platter of a whole fat squid on a 6/0 octopus hook. Hunked it out as far as I could. 30 mins later (as I was fondling with setups and hooks my tackle box) my pole bend to the point the line snapped. I didn't have time to even pick it up. I had the drag on but I assume it was either a knot problem at the hook or the line got caught in the grove of the wood. All in all good convo, with good ppl and a few good fish equals and epic time. Left about 4 after the bites died down... seen a couple ppl fishing for halibut and striper with nothing coming over the rails.
Date: July 30 2010
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Ken Jones
Subject: Halibut at Paradise
Marin Independent Journal — 7/30/10 — Alastair Bland — “At Paradise Beach Park, plunking live shiners continues to make the pier look like the deck of a commercial vessel. On Sunday, according to ranger Howard Miller, a handful of anglers landed two halibut each while several more each had a fish of their own. On Tuesday of last week, Miller says, 10 big fresh fish lay on the pier at one glorious moment, and on days like those, being a pier rat (and we’ve all been there) doesn't seem like such a bad lot in life after all.”
Posted by piemel
I am so tired of the local newspapers (IJ, SF Chron) and online fishing sites (USA Fishing) promoting the use of a certain live bait operation and their shiners. I like the Loch Lomond dudes like everyone else but it’s a bit over the top.
Posted by illcatchanything2
Bet that place will be a zoo this weekend....
Posted by calrat
By the time the news gets out, it's always too late. Never chase the story, be the story. As far as the Loch Lomond shiner garbage, it’s all a ruse to get you to overpay for bait in the off chance of catching something. Give it a rest.
Posted by Ken Jones
Can’t people just catch their own live shiners? They’re usually just a pest and I can’t imagine buying shiners. As for being a zoo, news always gets out (loose lips sinks ships, right?).
Posted by piemel
Shiners… not at McNears or Paradise Pier. The pests there are smelt which are usually too big and not suitable for halibut bait.
Posted by Ken Jones
I just went back and checked my records and I do show some shiners from the pier (although most were caught March-May). You’re certainly right that they aren’t the main pest. My main pest was staghorn sculpin/bullheads; way too many even if the stripers do like them.
Posted by pboy
That’s OK, bullheads will tempt a flattie any day. Just stick ‘em and flick ‘em. Hands down the most hearty bait in our system. All hail the might BULLHEAD. Sorry a little excited Fall is approaching soon ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Posted by spicytuna
No shiners at Paradise, and I have never seen a bait ball of ‘chovies show up there. People have been jigging up and killing rubberlip and various other perch, but no shiners (when they were not in season too!). One guy tried cast netting until his arm fell off and only got one shiner. You’re more likely to catch a bat ray in your cast net than a shiner there. As far as the jacksmelt go, piemel is right. Those monsters are more likely to scare your hali than make it hungry. However, there is one marine species that is very plentiful there: red rock crabs. *ughh*
Posted by calrat
The circus sideshows have already started. I heard someone had a knife pulled on him while fishing at Paradise this week. Ken... this is what I mean by “riff raff.”
Posted by spicytuna
Sad but true. *sigh* do we really have to issue a yay-hoo alert?
Posted by piemel
The bullheads don't really work on that part/side of the bay. Don’t know why.
Posted by spicytuna
Bullheads are the best bait for halibut. ^.^ now that’s some bullsh...
Posted by mel
I also heard of someone getting into it with a spot rusher at Paradise recently, which almost resulted in near blows. My friend had his girlfriend with him so the other guy was spared. I'm not going there anymore unless I know James and Julie are going to be there. Well, at least Julie...
Posted by calrat
Julie and I were just thinking, “maybe we'll go if Mel goes with us...”
Posted by Mike41
On PFIC you somewhat promote spot burning, but when it’s published in the local paper some of you seem to be displeased. Quite the double standard I'd say. If one were to google “ocean beach stripers” the first result is not a Marin IJ page...
Posted by illcatchanything2
It’s not really spot burning when it’s a public pier... I don’t think anyone was upset when they posted anything about the place being a zoo. It was merely an observation that I made, and also a place that I would avoid this weekend. As to promoting spot burning, we do encourage people to post where they fish in the spirit of community and sharing with the members, but we do not have a rule that says you must post the exact place you fished (just the general area). It is up to the individual member as to whether or not they want to give up their spot.
Posted by Steve-O
Well said.... this board used to be filled with area reports. One of the important reasons to post about areas... is so in 5 years or 10 years down the line you can search back and look at where the fishing has been productive. As for spot burning itself... It's not the number of people visiting a spot that burns it out. I can fish elbow to elbow on a packed rail and be OK (although I do not prefer it). It’s the number of inconsiderate visitors that show up... the ones that leave trash about… the ones that fish for more then they need or can even use… And those that think that they found a public spot first and claim they own it... that to me bad attitudes and bad habits is what burns out a spot.
Posted by mel
What? Huh? It's not spot burning if it’s a public pier? Wanna bet?
Posted by illcatchanything2
I just think that on a pier, its pretty much fair game, as most people are told by other people, message boards, or in this case a newspaper (BTW, must have been a slow news day in Marin). It is highly unlikely that you would see a newspaper story about a shoreline spot that someone has scouted and developed over time (although I have seen that happen as well, to be fair, but only with the permission of the person who knew about the spot.)
Posted by unclesteve
I went earlier this year to find 20 or so people with their kids fishing making it 30 or 40. The kids were really young and not fishing but their two rods were baited with adults manning more than their two rods. Simply put it’s a zoo now and McNears closing and communication hype whether its the newspaper/internet made it happen. That pier was a peaceful place for many of us, but now it stinks of over crowding. The size of the pier doesn’t help either.
Posted by FishermanDan
Mel is right on this one Brian. Doesn't matter if it’s a pier or not. There are very few fishing spots that aren’t accessible to the public, and all public spots are open to spot burn regardless of weather or not it’s a pier. If anything, small piers, rocks, and jetties are more subject to spot burn. Especially places that have low capacity for anglers and fish stock alike. On the other hand, places like large beaches or BP, that can accommodate large gatherings of fisherman, and replenish itself with new fish stock quickly, are not really susceptible to heavy reporting and spot burn. Now this idea of course is not on a large scale basis. Just a temporary “run” type situation. Basically, it doesn't matter, like Calrat already said, by the time you follow the report the fish are gone. Be the report, don't follow it. Best advise you can get when it comes to fishing. It does matter however, when a small pier like Paradise is overcrowded by “riff-raff” and the regulars (who are the report) are left to suffer. North Bay piers are the prime example of piers falling to spot burn.
Posted by spicytuna
Sometimes my dad won’t even tell me the exact location of where he fishes. Most likely because it is where his friends fish. Just one of those unwritten rules of fishing: never give out your friend’s spot. If all anglers were considerate, this would not be an issue.
Posted by FishermanDan
Personally I don't mind sharing with the inconsiderates, unless it’s a friend’s spot, or a small spot that risks over crowding and being fished out. Still, everything I know I learned through other people, and I feel obligated to share. Every situation is different.
Posted by piemel
I'll share some info about Paradise... Sunday not one fish was landed on the pier... not one (not counting smelt for the kids). nada
Posted by iamfisherman
Oh, I need my first legal butt this year, I’m heading out there with my mob this weekend... taking over the place.. j/k. are they still around?
Posted by spicytuna
They weren’t there on Sunday as pimel stated. Under constant bombardment by hundreds of flying 8-oz mortars attached to 80 lb braided lines over the weekend, its not surprising.
Posted by rock hopper
I'm honestly astonished it took this long for the pier to get hammered. We've been slaying the halis from kayaks this year there. I've caught nine keepers in seven trips. There were days when up to 16 halis were landed from the pier. Some upwards of 20lbs. Good job to most of the regulars there for keeping it quiet for so long. The only reason I even bring it up is because of this thread and due to the fact that the bite has drastically tapered off there.
Posted by FishermanDan
Good point. Its funny because back in April, Thndrr posted a report on his first keeper halibut, second of the year to Mel’s. Guess some people are just too cheap to pay $6 bridge toll to go fishing. Can’t blame them with this economy, though. Oh, and it doesn't help when you get ripped off for some live bait. Not to mention there are fish in every corner of the bay if you look hard enough.
Date: March 31, 2018
To: PFIC Message Board
From: ranger jim
Subject: Halibut!!!
The “Butts” are beginning to show up at Paradise Beach Park. Two legal Halibut were hooked and lost due to the fishermen not having a net. Also the baitfish are here so bring your Sabiki’s and throw nets. Tight lines, Ranger Jim
Date: April 9, 2018
To: PFIC Message Board
From: ranger jim
Subject: EPIC! Day at Paradise
All, We had quite the day on Sunday the 8th of April. Besides the weather being awesome, we had around a dozen keeper Halibut landed with the largest going just over 30”. Live anchovy on a 3-way set up was the bait of choice and had the most success. A few keeper stripers were also landed. The Rubberlip Perch fishermen also had good success fishing near the southern seawall. Hope to see you all soon, tight line.
Date: April 24, 2019
To: Message Board
From: Astralography
Subject: Pier Report
Finally had some luck over at Paradise Pier for Halibut last week. Got a limit using swim baits which was great (23 - 24 - 27). It was a great day with a lot of people catching. For those who were there, the bite was on, but since then it’s slowed down again as I went out yesterday and only saw a couple shakers landed.
Posted by Skyhook
Great report! Glad to see you get rewarded. What swim bait colors and lengths were working for you?
Posted by Astralography
5 inch swimbaits. Different colors... everything was getting hit. Green, yellow, orange. Personally I’m not a big believer that Halibut care that much about the color. I think they hit the movement if it's near to them when the bite is on. There was definitely a big school in there as everyone was catching them... live bait anchovies, live smelt and shiners, and even saw cut up dead bait catching.
Date: August 21, 2019
To: PFIC Message Board
Fom: Reel Newbie
Subject: Dead bait fishing for halibut off piers?
I’m trying to get on some halibut in the SF Bay, but have almost no clue what to use in terms of bait rigging. So far I’m using frozen anchovies on a fish finder rig with a 1/0 hook and a 2-3’ 20lb leader, which has gotten me an 18 incher, but it seems I am missing a lot of bites. Live bait is out of the question, as I live a long way from the bait docks. I’m going to try using a stinger rig on a fish finder and see, but what does a halibut bite even look like? It looks like they are always just nibbling away at the bait and never committing. The one I caught hooked itself, and after that I haven’t managed to get them to take it. Any thoughts? Also, is 15lb mono enough for halibut? It’s the line that I have on my abu 6501c3, and it’s the only reel I have that has a lighter rod and a bait clicker.
Posted by Red Fish
Okay, the gear and line class are fine. I have caught dozens of halibut on 12# monofilament main line on Abu 6500’s. I have also caught 36” halibut at Paradise Pier on frozen bag anchovies on a C-rig consisting of nothing more than a ¾-ounce egg weight. The rod was sitting in a holder straight down, the anchovy was threaded (head down) on a circle hook and suspended two feet off the bottom. The fish self-hooked and loaded the rod off a couple pounds of drag. Make sure you have some good quality bag bait like the Sport with nice big jack anchovies. The Sea Wave is too beat up sometimes. I’ve out-fished people using shiners this way. Some times the fish are keyed in to smell (over vibrations). If you get to your spot it is worth taking a little time to catch some baitfish on small hooks (size 10 or 12 bait/holders) baited with small pieces of market shrimp, squid, anchovies, or pile worms. Shinerperch, smelt, and even bullheads will work for halibut. Your odds increase many times as your live bait doesn’t get consumed by crabs and big smelt while waiting for halibut. Also, you might try a slip bobber rig above your threaded anchovies or a 2-hook mooching style/trap-hook style way of baiting anchovies [one hook in the head/one hook in the tail area]. If you can set the hook when the fish is running, it’s always better because you know there is tension on the line but not necessary to set hook. After the initial pull, and possibly a short run and stop or not, the halibut is usually sitting on the hook. You can always give a medium swing upwards which many times results in head shakes in return and fish on! The more opportunities, the better you will get. I have caught many in the past ten years where I just went for my net and let the halibut load up the rod and self/hook stripping drag out on light-wire circle hooks. Good luck!
Posted by Ken Jones
Halibut are ambush predators and like nothing better than lying in a depression on the bottom of the sea and waiting for a fish to swim by. Once the victim, aka food, is seen the halibut quickly rises up and attacks the fish (generally from behind). Live bait is generally seen as best with swimbaits (representing live bait) seen as the next best alternative. What I do when I am fishing (for whatever species) is I almost always have my bait in motion. Cast out. let it sink, and a slow retrieval, it's what I do cast after cast and if using dead bait for halibut it would be the same. Just casting out, letting the bait sit on the bottom, and letting the rod sit on the railing rarely yields the same success as moving bait. It can be dead, as in frozen anchovies, but your presentation can make it seem alive.
Date: June 6, 2020
To: PFIC Message Board
From: nolandw
Subject: Paradise Pier 6/5 — Slow and full of algae
[During Covid 19] Parking finally opened up at Paradise Pier on June 1 and I decided to stop by on my day off. Got there around 10pm and the pier was actually pretty full, most people staggered about 6 ft. apart. The winds were pretty brutal but it was very quiet on the pier save for the howling winds. People actually began to leave around 11am, largely due to how slow the action was and the howling wind. It’s worth noting that the surrounding waters are now filled with algae, something I did not observe coming here last year. The algae is pretty heavy and easily gets caught... on one cast retrieve, I literally probably had 5lbs of algae on the weight and it took me about 10 min to cut it all off. Everyone's retrieve was affected by this. Ended up using a mix of live perch, live jacksmelt, live pile worms I foraged, and dead anchovy for bait. I was able to catch the perch and jacksmelt at the pier using Sabiki and worms. I was told that the perch I got at 11:30 was actually the first fish caught all day on the pier. Eventually, I did manage to hook onto 3 bat rays, 2 of which were reeled in. The other ray actually spooled me but was lost using a hi-low with too light of a test line on the dropper loop (which is what I get for using someone else’s rig I found on the pier... I’m almost positive I missed out on a halibut as one of the larger shinerperch I used had a slow bite and just a slight movement on the drag, but I moved set the hook too early out of earnest and pulled up an empty hook. Oh well, lesson learned for next time. In all, it was a slow day for the pier. I left at 5pm, and only saw two other bat rays and one striper from all the other fisherman (most were also using live anchovy; some used shiners, some shrimp, few used squid). Anyone have any insights to the affects of algae and adjusting the fishing approach, or have different luck at Paradise this year?
Posted by Paul Pierce
“Ended up using a mix of live perch, live jacksmelt, live pile worms I foraged, and dead anchovy for bait.” You should specify which species of perch because perch season is closed inside the S.F. Bay from April to August with the exception of shiners. Obviously, you know what a shinerperch is, so you should address it accordingly. There are enough poachers out there. There’s no need to put out FALSE information. I’ve seen guys who throw their cast nets out and catch walleye perch and use that for bait and they say it’s halibut candy... in the middle of May... The best fishermen check their baits OFTEN and keep their focus on their rods. If you do this religiously, then, algae shouldn't be a problem. What if you drop your bait down and a crab steals your bait just when the line hits bottom and you didn’t notice and you let your line soak for 2 hours with no bait? What are your chances of catching a fish? Very slim. Although, I have caught fish on bare hooks before. Your window of opportunity to catch a fish is very small. Maximize your opportunities! If you keep your focus on your rod tips, slight tugging usually indicates either the presence of crabs, seaweed, or the occasional sturgeon. That's when it's time to check your line. That’s weird because the best days are usually the windiest of days at Paradise. I've seen the most fish and the biggest fish on days where hats and panties are flying off of the pier. As for your report on the rays, I guess they are still there...
Posted by Astralography
I think they should just rename the pier and park Bat Ray City. Never seen so many bats coming up there recently. Last year about this time Halibut were everywhere, saw people with nearly zero fishing skills getting limits. 20 to 30 Halibut days not uncommon. It’s now crowded and slow. The kayak guys have been telling me where they are, but nothing really accessible from the shore. I know a few are being hooked up at the SF wharfs and piers but still very slow compared to last year. Hopefully things pick up soon.
Posted by StripDoc
Paradise has also been off for boaters - the algae is actually a fine seaweed carpeting the bottom out to 40 FOW - totally gunks up trolling rigs and even drifted live bait.
Posted by Red Fish
If it’s the red alga, it should pass after a few days. Knocks off the bite tremendously. Try to suspend your bait above it. There were a couple halibut caught before they opened up but only one or two per day. Course, there where only like four or five fishing then.
Date: June 27, 2020
To: PFIC Message Board
From: StripeDoc
Subject: Paradise
[During Covid 19] Despite the wind, I fished Paradise with a local friend (wearing masks + 6 feet apart) on Saturday. Finally obtained about 20 live topsmelt and had high hopes for halibut despite mediocre results in that area off the boat this season. Wind made it tough to detect bites but I missed at least one good one early on... other than that, mostly fed loads of small crabs and picked the fine green algae off my sinker. Saw one ray caught and as we were getting ready to call it around 5pm my drag started running on the left rod. Knew it was a bat and as I fought him the right rod went off, which my friend promptly grabbed. Both looked about 20-25lbs and were safely released. Wish I had a better report but we were happy to get any action on what was overall a slow, windy day. One good tip for those looking: there have been some halibut caught at Fort Baker Pier in the last two days on swim baits and live anchovies.
Date: April 10, 2021
To: PFIC Message Board
From: billzerkeley
Subject: I’m going to call out some fishermen publicly to straighten out their ways.
Met three regulars at Paradise: [1, 2 and 3] I don't personally know any of them, but I've seen them many times before at this pier. [1] told me Fish and Game made him cut his 6-hook Sabiki into 3 hooks at Ft. Baker. I asked him if Fish and Game questioned him about throwing his cast net with two lines already in the water because that was illegal. He also told me he caught 50 fish last year. I wondered how many of the fish were caught legally? [1 and 2] were both soaking two lines each while plugging pretty much the entire day. [1] landed a nice 28” on a third rod with a plug. Unfortunate because he kept the fish. He also landed a keeper striper later on his third rod on a plug. He offered me the fish. No way did I want a poached fish. Really unfortunate because [1] said he had caught two 32-inchers this year, one on a plug and one on bait. I've seen how this guy operates, and with no doubt in my mind both were caught with three rods. With two lines in the water, [2] nets a nice smelt and later lands a 29.5” with it. He was also plugging when the bite occurred... [3]? Third rod plugger confirmed, but he’s off the hook because he landed his keeper striper with only two lines in the water. Another guy pulls up a 28" on a third rod. The friend I was fishing with? Idiot third rod plugger too. Moral of the story: CALL OUT ALL POACHERS. THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND FORMS.
Posted by The Happy Warrior
You cannot stop poachers. They were poorly raised to begin with and will not be educated.
Posted by Ken Jones
I removed the names used in the original post even though I have fought against unethical angling ever since this site was started 24 years ago—and understand the frustration. I do not think it's our place to use people’s names in that manner (and I am not sure of the legal consequences). The poaching is wrong but I tend to agree with “The Happy Warrior” that the post will do little to alter their actions. What to do when poaching/illegal/unethical angling is observed is a topic we've discussed literally dozens of times with few definitive answers. Other than call Cal Tip (which is rarely successful) the answer as to what to do rests in the hands and minds of each individual. My answer is not a good one but I am not sure there is one answer that would please everyone or solve the problem.
Posted by Billzerkeley
I would have to disagree. These guys need to be called out for their wrongdoings. These guys need to be ashamed to show their faces in public. Nothing is more embarrassing than having poacher affixed to one's name. If I were fishing with more like-minded individuals yesterday and we all pointed out their mistakes, the tide might have turned.
Date: April 28, 2021
To: PFIC Message Board
From: StripeDoc
Subject: 50 Pound Halibut
A 50-pound halibut was reportedly caught from the Paradise Pier. I am thinking about fishing Paradise Pier Friday or Saturday if anyone else is going.
Posted by Ken Jones
That’s one heck of a halibut.
Posted by CatchinKelp
All I can say is wow.
Posted by MisterT
Wow! Never knew they grew that size.
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