Day 2 — Thursday, August 21.
The morning would see me head over to Morro Bay with high hopes. I have almost always done great on the T-Piers in Morro Bay with one exception—strong tides and heavy grass that can make it impossible to fish.
After a quick breakfast I first headed to the North T-Pier and immediately saw all the grass swiftly being carried through the water. I knew what to expect when I dropped a line into the water—grass, grass, and more grass. I’ve seen this before and knew the water would be unfishable until things changed. I quickly decided to move.
I would head up the street to the South T-Pier and see if the inshore rocks were fishable there. It’s an area where I have caught many, many fish—rockfish, perch, cabezon and others.
Unfortunately, though I found certain sections fishable it did not include the inshore rocks I like to fish. They were literally covered by about a 30-40 foot circle of grass that was just sitting there. However, some areas by the boats had somewhat clearer water and amidst less grass I gave it a short, hour and a half try. The area produced two small black and yellow rockfish but no perch and no further fish. Given that the few other fishermen, a half dozen or so had no fish, I guess I should have been satisfied.
Morro Bay South T-Pier: 10:15-11:45 a.m.
2 Black and Yellow Rockfish
I finally decided I would head over to the Cayucos Pier, try that for a few hours, and hope that by my return to Morro Bay I would see different conditions in the water.
The Cayucos Pier presented more problems. I have never had this happen before but the large, free parking lot near the front of the pier was closed (for no apparent reason). No parking spaces were available along street fronting the beach, and I would wind up parking about four blocks away. Luckily, I have my pier cart. Cayucos was discovered by travel magazine several years ago and now seems crowded whenever I go, summer or off season, weekends and weekdays. So be it.
The pier itself had about a dozen anglers and once again all the buckets were empty. What gives? The water was fairly clean but even it was filled with some grass perhaps due to the strong wind. I would decide to set up inshore because the pier can be good for surfperch, barred, calico and walleye. Alas it would not produce many fish this day even though I tried a variety of baits. Most surprising was the lack of white croaker that normally are available in big numbers in August, walleye surfperch that are almost always available, and pelagics whether they be mackerel or sardines, normally one or the other is usually there in the summertime. Interesting too was the lack of lizardfish after what I had seen at Pismo and Port San Luis. Perhaps they were in the deeper water at the end?
Cayucos Pier: 1:15-3:15 p.m.
4 Barred Sirfperch
1 Staghorn Sculpin
I finally headed back to Morro Bay and the North T-Pier. However, the water was still very dirty with grass and after a 15 minute try I gave it up. Big disappointment!
The morning would see me head over to Morro Bay with high hopes. I have almost always done great on the T-Piers in Morro Bay with one exception—strong tides and heavy grass that can make it impossible to fish.
Morro Bay North T-Pier — looking toward Morro Rock
After a quick breakfast I first headed to the North T-Pier and immediately saw all the grass swiftly being carried through the water. I knew what to expect when I dropped a line into the water—grass, grass, and more grass. I’ve seen this before and knew the water would be unfishable until things changed. I quickly decided to move.
The Morro Bay North T-Pier looking down the bay.
As usual there were several otters floating around on the water.
As usual there were several otters floating around on the water.
I would head up the street to the South T-Pier and see if the inshore rocks were fishable there. It’s an area where I have caught many, many fish—rockfish, perch, cabezon and others.
Unfortunately, though I found certain sections fishable it did not include the inshore rocks I like to fish. They were literally covered by about a 30-40 foot circle of grass that was just sitting there. However, some areas by the boats had somewhat clearer water and amidst less grass I gave it a short, hour and a half try. The area produced two small black and yellow rockfish but no perch and no further fish. Given that the few other fishermen, a half dozen or so had no fish, I guess I should have been satisfied.
Black and Yellow Rockfish
Morro Bay South T-Pier: 10:15-11:45 a.m.
2 Black and Yellow Rockfish
I finally decided I would head over to the Cayucos Pier, try that for a few hours, and hope that by my return to Morro Bay I would see different conditions in the water.
The Cayucos Pier presented more problems. I have never had this happen before but the large, free parking lot near the front of the pier was closed (for no apparent reason). No parking spaces were available along street fronting the beach, and I would wind up parking about four blocks away. Luckily, I have my pier cart. Cayucos was discovered by travel magazine several years ago and now seems crowded whenever I go, summer or off season, weekends and weekdays. So be it.
Cayucos Pier
The pier itself had about a dozen anglers and once again all the buckets were empty. What gives? The water was fairly clean but even it was filled with some grass perhaps due to the strong wind. I would decide to set up inshore because the pier can be good for surfperch, barred, calico and walleye. Alas it would not produce many fish this day even though I tried a variety of baits. Most surprising was the lack of white croaker that normally are available in big numbers in August, walleye surfperch that are almost always available, and pelagics whether they be mackerel or sardines, normally one or the other is usually there in the summertime. Interesting too was the lack of lizardfish after what I had seen at Pismo and Port San Luis. Perhaps they were in the deeper water at the end?
Barred Surfperch
Cayucos Pier: 1:15-3:15 p.m.
4 Barred Sirfperch
1 Staghorn Sculpin
Looking downshore from the pier
I finally headed back to Morro Bay and the North T-Pier. However, the water was still very dirty with grass and after a 15 minute try I gave it up. Big disappointment!
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