Santa Cruz wharf

[nacho]

I went to SC wharf yesterday around 6PM. Could see some bait swimming, but they didn't take the sabiki.
I heard that mac's where biting at the end of the pier. Went there and saw many people fishing but absolutely no bites. I saw two buckets with fish. One had 1 chub mackerel, small. The other had from 6 to 10 chub mackerels, big.
I kept fishing a little bit until 7:30PM or so. Could only get some walleye perches interested in the sabiki. They were pretty small. Threw them back into the water and went home.

 

[uglystick]

Thanks for the report! What is the best way to target mackerels? Plain sabiki or attach it to a floater?

 

[pinfish]

float if you use bait. jig the sabiki if you don't have bait. they are on the top of the water column and like movement (or stinky bait)

 

[Red Fish]

I went to SC wharf yesterday around 6PM. Could see some bait swimming, but they didn't take the sabiki.
I heard that mac's where biting at the end of the pier. Went there and saw many people fishing but absolutely no bites. I saw two buckets with fish. One had 1 chub mackerel, small. The other had from 6 to 10 chub mackerels, big.
I kept fishing a little bit until 7:30PM or so. Could only get some walleye perches interested in the sabiki. They were pretty small. Threw them back into the water and went home.

My experience with Pacific mackerel at Santa Cruz/Capitola piers was that if they were not in thick, they bit better at times of less light like at sunset. You can definitely try to use a float if they are just biting in the upper third of the water column or you can just vertical jig and suspend your sabiki just under the surface (similar to a float).
Sometimes sabiki type matters. I know with sardines, they don’t like sabikis with green beads.
Also, you can use small spoons or spinners if you have them like: Mepps, Kastmaster, Krocadile.

 

[nacho]

Thanks for the report! What is the best way to target mackerels? Plain sabiki or attach it to a floater?

Hi,

I usually jig starting at the bottom and coming all the way to the top. Then, repeat.
I agree with 'red fish' that sabiki type matters. I do not have particular suggestions on which sabiki works, but if I see other fisherman fishing and/or the fish in the water and I do not get a bite, then I change my sabiki type to another one, with different colors.

 

[thewatanabe]

A friend of mine went Thursday after work 6/13 to santa Cruz pier and caught enough right away to broil and to pickle for sushi. He said everyone was catching best time morning and evening he went again last night and again today nothing. Pics too large to upload

 

[Reel Newbie]

Try cropping the image, it’s a frustrating thing to do with pictures from phones. From my experience quite a while ago at Pacifica pier, if you use a big styrofoam float and bait with the Sabiki it is best to have an additional section of line between the bobber and the top swivel of the Sabiki so the rig is slightly sub surface. I think 1- 2 feet of line was what I used. Also, anyone know if they’ll hit Pacifica pier anytime soon this summer? From what I’ve heard, white croaker are in.

 

[thewatanabe]

went to santa cruz wharf today and caught 11 mackerel. People were catching all over the pier but I was at the end. 1 guy by me must have caught 20. The bite stopped around 11:30am. In more shallow before the boat rental they were catching nice size halibut. A guy by me said he was there yesterday and caught 2 nice size halibut but was too crowded today.