San Leandro Marina advice please

#1
Im headed out to San Leandro Marina right now to try it out. I know theres lots of shore acess & a pier...which is better? I would like to catch a ray or shark hopefully but Im happy with whatever bites! Lol! Any bait advice too?
Please & thank you!
 

mav

Well-Known Member
#2
Don't know what's plenty (fish) locally up there but from my experience, rays n sharks readily bite what's in season. If all you got is mackerel, use that.
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#3
I'm not a regular there but I know the last two times I visted the pier I caught bat rays. I used squid for bait and a high/low although many people prefer a Carolina-type rig. However, it's a pretty shallow water pier if it's a severe low tide and I don't know what the tides are today. Best mid to high tide.
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#5
Yes, please let us know. I haven't been there for about three years. If it is open, cast into the middle of the channel that leads in from the main bay. San.Leandro)2014_Pier11.2.jpg San.Leandro_2014_Pier.15.2.jpg
 

Red Fish

Senior Member
#6
Im headed out to San Leandro Marina right now to try it out. I know theres lots of shore acess & a pier...which is better? I would like to catch a ray or shark hopefully but Im happy with whatever bites! Lol! Any bait advice too?
Please & thank you!
-Hope you made out all right on today’s trip. There is a New Sang Chong Market on Doolittle within a half mile south of the pier. You can find Monterey squid, mackerel, sardine, and market shrimp.

-The pier was closed a few years back, but was redone a couple years ago. Mostly smelt on incoming. Outgoing, they shut off like a water faucet. You can actually use chunked pieces of those smelt for sharks and rays and do well. I personally haven’t done all that good fishing on the pier itself, but if there are smelt there, batray could be there. If you want privacy, not many fish that pier and if you are too far out, that is the boat lane of traffic for the launch ramp. The video below shows people fishing off the boat ramp (to the left of the pier) and catching a batray.

-Most people fish the front parking lot at the end. You can pull right up to the rock wall and park right in front of your rod. There are about a dozen rod holders ( pipes) coming out of the ground where you can set your rod.
Standard is a sliding sinker rig and squid is probably the number one bait there. Leopard sharks and rays are the norm with small seven-gill and smelt. Low tide is actually very good off the front many times (like when you have to throw a little to even meet the water).
 
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#7
Well guys unfortunately I did not make it out in time for high tide. High tide came same time as traffic so I figured I'd hit it up later. Plus I enjoy night fishing better.
So I did head over to a little freshwater pond called Shinn Pond in Fremont (or could be Niles) & fished from the tiny fishing pier there for bass. All we caught were shakers on mini nightcrawlers. I hear there are big catfish in there but yet to catch anything but shaker LMB. I have seen big carp cruise by the dock. And word on the pond is years ago this pond had a few Stripers in it but that was years & years ago!
Thanks for all the valuable replies!
 
#8
If you're looking for rays and shark near Fremont try Dumbarton, caught two small rays there tonight and lost another...other folks were catching small shark. We were using frozen sardines. Great place to watch the sunset!

Shinn used to have striper (fact) and maybe sturgeon (urban legend) not sure if there are many left...there are definitely catfish in there but night time is the way to go (not sure if that park is technically open or if the locals are that accommodating at night). Lake Elizabeth used to put out lots of catfish at night too (fresh clams).
 
#9
If you're looking for rays and shark near Fremont try Dumbarton, caught two small rays there tonight and lost another...other folks were catching small shark. We were using frozen sardines. Great place to watch the sunset!

Shinn used to have striper (fact) and maybe sturgeon (urban legend) not sure if there are many left...there are definitely catfish in there but night time is the way to go (not sure if that park is technically open or if the locals are that accommodating at night). Lake Elizabeth used to put out lots of catfish at night too (fresh clams).
If you're looking for rays and shark near Fremont try Dumbarton, caught two small rays there tonight and lost another...other folks were catching small shark. We were using frozen sardines. Great place to watch the sunset!

Shinn used to have striper (fact) and maybe sturgeon (urban legend) not sure if there are many left...there are definitely catfish in there but night time is the way to go (not sure if that park is technically open or if the locals are that accommodating at night). Lake Elizabeth used to put out lots of catfish at night too (fresh clams).
Ya but you cant fish Dumbarton at night right?
 

Red Fish

Senior Member
#14
Yeah, they close at sunset. Someone got fined for packing up during sunset there. So make sure you are in your car before the sun goes down!
It’s more so because they don’t want vandalism at night. It’s funny because they have the spikes on the ground to let you out after they close the entrance side. So, you would think it would be 10pm like other Park curfews. But, then again, vandalism and they don’t want to pay someone to patrol the park after it closes.
I was actually at San Leandro Pier maybe 4 years ago and the police made everyone clear the pier (and I was just arriving).
If there is a disturbance, enforcement will tell everyone to go home. I have seen the parking lot cleared by the police on San Leandro waterfront, just west of the pier, where more people fish than the pier.
 
#15
Well i know some places can be dangerous like the Alameda Rockwall where people get jacked for their gear, wallets & anything else at nightj
Yeah, it's in a weird out-of-the way spot. It's a shame because it's a family-friendly place during the day. For now. As we've seen, things can change rapidly, and when it comes to public access fishing spots (or public anything really) it's usually not for the better. At least that's what my eyes and ears tell me.

It’s more so because they don’t want vandalism at night.
Just the concept of vandalizing property is so strange to me. Once again a few dummies ruin it for everybody else. Aaaand, they probably still vandalize the place while people who just want to fish can no longer fish.