September 2018 Fishing Report, Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay and West Delta (#240)
Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep.
Eckley Pier — Angler’s Edge reports “Eckley fishing is still slow.” How To Get There: From I80, take the Crockett exit, turn east on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the Bull Valley Staging area entrance to the park. From I680 take Hwy 4 to the Cummings Skyway. Take the Crockett Blvd. exit and turn right on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the entrance of the park.
Martinez Pier — Eric at the Martinez Marina Bait & Tackle, 95 Tarantino Dr., Martinez, says anglers are doing pretty good with a mix of striped bass, salmon and sturgeon. The striped bass are mainly hitting on grass shrimp while the salmon are hitting on lures and bait (both anchovies and, surprisingly, grass shrimp), while the sturgeon also like both grass shrimp and eel. Most of the sturgeon are releasable size fish under 40 inches. How To Get There: The pier is found at the foot of North Court Street. From I680, take the Marina Vista exit west off of the freeway, continue to the middle of the downtown area to Ferry Street and turn right, follow Ferry Street to Joe DiMaggio Road where you take another right, follow it a short distance to North Court Street, turn left, and follow the street through the Martinez Shoreline Park out to the pier parking lot. From Highway 4, take the Alhambra exit north and follow it to Escobar Street, turn right and follow it to Ferry Street, turn left and follow to Joe DiMaggio Drive, turn right and follow it to North Court Street, turn left and follow it out to the pier.
Benicia 9th Street Pier – Lucas, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says anglers are mainly getting striped bass with the stripers hitting on a variety of cut baits (anchovy and sardine) and live baits as well as artificial lures. Not much else. How To Get There: From I780 take the Seventh Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow to Ninth Street, turn left and follow it to the end of the street and the pier.
City of Benicia Fishing Pier/First Street — Lucas, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says anglers are mainly getting striped bass with the stripers hitting on a variety of cut baits (anchovy and sardine) and live baits as well as artificial lures. Not much else although some anglers continue to fish for sturgeon (with little success. If you do seek out the sturgeon, fish the incoming tide and fish on the left side with a cast towards the islands. That’s your best chance to avoid tangling on the bottom. As for salmon from the banks? Sounds like the run really hasn’t shown to date. Lucas said they are on both sides of Benicia but not in Benicia (but they’re waiting). How To Get There: From Interstate 780, take the Second Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow it west to First Street, turn left and then follow it south to the end of the street.
Pittsburg Pier —Trying to set up a source for information. How To Get There: From Highway 4 take the Railroad Exit north toward the center of Pittsburg; when Railroad ends, turn left on Third Street and follow it to Marina Boulevard; at Marina turn left and follow to Bay Side Drive; now turn right and follow it to Riverview Park Drive. Turn left and follow it to the parking lot.
Antioch Pier – Matt at the Gotcha! Bait Shop, 3500 18th St., Antioch, said some sturgeon have been coming off the pier along with stripers. One of his friends picked up a 46-inch sturgeon on ghost shrimp there just a couple of days before I called. How To Get There: The pier is located at the foot of H Street in downtown Antioch. From Highway 4, go north on G. Street; follow it to Second Street where you will turn left; follow Second Street about a block to the free public parking lot near the Jerome Waldie Plaza. A short walk through the park and down the hill will take you to the foot of the pier.
Antioch Marina Pier – Matt at the Gotcha! Bait Shop, 3500 18th St., Antioch, said a few sturgeon are showing on the pier while salmon are showing up for anglers casting from the shoreline and dock adjacent to the pier. Matt said the salmon are just starting but seven were reported one day to 17 pounds. Small stripers are also available. How To Get There: From Highway 4, take the G Street exit and go north to Sixth Street; turn left and follow Sixth to L Street; turn right on L Street and simply follow it to the Antioch Public Marina and Marina Plaza Drive which takes you straight to the pier. The pier is to the right of the large Humphrey's Restaurant.
Antioch Bridge Pier — Matt at the Gotcha! Bait Shop, 3500 18th St., Antioch, said most of the action is on stripers, a lot of shakers but also some keepers with most of the bigger fish being caught on sardines. Inshore a few black bass are also being caught on minnows but it’s slowed down from earlier in the year. How To Get There: Follow Highway 4 east until it turns into Highway 160; just before you get to the bridge take the Wilbur Avenue off ramp (it is the last exit before the bridge), then turn left on Bridgehead Road and follow it to the entrance to the Antioch Regional Shoreline Park - the pier is the main feature of the park.
Rio Vista Pier — Steven at Rio Vista Bait & Tackle, 510 CA-12, Rio Vista, says a ton of fishermen are out at the pier and most are catching stripers. Best baits—anchovies, sardines, shad (live or frozen), and pile worms. He said there haven’t been any sturgeon recently but anglers are waiting for the salmon that should show up in about another month. How To Get There: The pier is located near the west end of the Rio Vista Bridge (the Rio Vista side of the bridge). Going east on HY 12 take the last exit right before the bridge. Go one block until you see Front Street, turn left, and the entrance to the pier parking lot is approximately one half block on your right. Going west on HY 12 continue past the bridge until you can turn left safely. You can turn around and continue to the last exit or go through the downtown area until you hit Front Street. Turn left on Front Street and follow it to the pier parking lot.
Sturgeon regulations: Sturgeon must be between 40 and 60 inches (fork length) to keep.
Eckley Pier — Angler’s Edge reports “Eckley fishing is still slow.” How To Get There: From I80, take the Crockett exit, turn east on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the Bull Valley Staging area entrance to the park. From I680 take Hwy 4 to the Cummings Skyway. Take the Crockett Blvd. exit and turn right on Pomona Dr. which becomes Carquinez Scenic Dr., travel 1.5 miles to the entrance of the park.
Martinez Pier — Eric at the Martinez Marina Bait & Tackle, 95 Tarantino Dr., Martinez, says anglers are doing pretty good with a mix of striped bass, salmon and sturgeon. The striped bass are mainly hitting on grass shrimp while the salmon are hitting on lures and bait (both anchovies and, surprisingly, grass shrimp), while the sturgeon also like both grass shrimp and eel. Most of the sturgeon are releasable size fish under 40 inches. How To Get There: The pier is found at the foot of North Court Street. From I680, take the Marina Vista exit west off of the freeway, continue to the middle of the downtown area to Ferry Street and turn right, follow Ferry Street to Joe DiMaggio Road where you take another right, follow it a short distance to North Court Street, turn left, and follow the street through the Martinez Shoreline Park out to the pier parking lot. From Highway 4, take the Alhambra exit north and follow it to Escobar Street, turn right and follow it to Ferry Street, turn left and follow to Joe DiMaggio Drive, turn right and follow it to North Court Street, turn left and follow it out to the pier.
Benicia 9th Street Pier – Lucas, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says anglers are mainly getting striped bass with the stripers hitting on a variety of cut baits (anchovy and sardine) and live baits as well as artificial lures. Not much else. How To Get There: From I780 take the Seventh Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow to Ninth Street, turn left and follow it to the end of the street and the pier.
City of Benicia Fishing Pier/First Street — Lucas, at Benicia Bait & Tackle. 509 Claverie Way, says anglers are mainly getting striped bass with the stripers hitting on a variety of cut baits (anchovy and sardine) and live baits as well as artificial lures. Not much else although some anglers continue to fish for sturgeon (with little success. If you do seek out the sturgeon, fish the incoming tide and fish on the left side with a cast towards the islands. That’s your best chance to avoid tangling on the bottom. As for salmon from the banks? Sounds like the run really hasn’t shown to date. Lucas said they are on both sides of Benicia but not in Benicia (but they’re waiting). How To Get There: From Interstate 780, take the Second Street exit south to Military Street, turn right and follow it west to First Street, turn left and then follow it south to the end of the street.
Pittsburg Pier —Trying to set up a source for information. How To Get There: From Highway 4 take the Railroad Exit north toward the center of Pittsburg; when Railroad ends, turn left on Third Street and follow it to Marina Boulevard; at Marina turn left and follow to Bay Side Drive; now turn right and follow it to Riverview Park Drive. Turn left and follow it to the parking lot.
Antioch Pier – Matt at the Gotcha! Bait Shop, 3500 18th St., Antioch, said some sturgeon have been coming off the pier along with stripers. One of his friends picked up a 46-inch sturgeon on ghost shrimp there just a couple of days before I called. How To Get There: The pier is located at the foot of H Street in downtown Antioch. From Highway 4, go north on G. Street; follow it to Second Street where you will turn left; follow Second Street about a block to the free public parking lot near the Jerome Waldie Plaza. A short walk through the park and down the hill will take you to the foot of the pier.
Antioch Marina Pier – Matt at the Gotcha! Bait Shop, 3500 18th St., Antioch, said a few sturgeon are showing on the pier while salmon are showing up for anglers casting from the shoreline and dock adjacent to the pier. Matt said the salmon are just starting but seven were reported one day to 17 pounds. Small stripers are also available. How To Get There: From Highway 4, take the G Street exit and go north to Sixth Street; turn left and follow Sixth to L Street; turn right on L Street and simply follow it to the Antioch Public Marina and Marina Plaza Drive which takes you straight to the pier. The pier is to the right of the large Humphrey's Restaurant.
Antioch Bridge Pier — Matt at the Gotcha! Bait Shop, 3500 18th St., Antioch, said most of the action is on stripers, a lot of shakers but also some keepers with most of the bigger fish being caught on sardines. Inshore a few black bass are also being caught on minnows but it’s slowed down from earlier in the year. How To Get There: Follow Highway 4 east until it turns into Highway 160; just before you get to the bridge take the Wilbur Avenue off ramp (it is the last exit before the bridge), then turn left on Bridgehead Road and follow it to the entrance to the Antioch Regional Shoreline Park - the pier is the main feature of the park.
Rio Vista Pier — Steven at Rio Vista Bait & Tackle, 510 CA-12, Rio Vista, says a ton of fishermen are out at the pier and most are catching stripers. Best baits—anchovies, sardines, shad (live or frozen), and pile worms. He said there haven’t been any sturgeon recently but anglers are waiting for the salmon that should show up in about another month. How To Get There: The pier is located near the west end of the Rio Vista Bridge (the Rio Vista side of the bridge). Going east on HY 12 take the last exit right before the bridge. Go one block until you see Front Street, turn left, and the entrance to the pier parking lot is approximately one half block on your right. Going west on HY 12 continue past the bridge until you can turn left safely. You can turn around and continue to the last exit or go through the downtown area until you hit Front Street. Turn left on Front Street and follow it to the pier parking lot.