Hello everyone,
I went on a walk down Huntington Beach Pier this past Thursday, 3/26. I wasn't able to do any fishing, but from the looks of the pier, it did not seem like I missed much.
I saw the tide was very low and gradually increasing. The beach was thriving with activity despite the wind, which made the pier very cold. The water was very clear from the lifeguard tower to the restrooms, but there was little life in the water. I did not see any anglers inshore.
Midway through the pier, I noticed that the former Let's Go Fishing shop was completely tented over, with construction workers hard at work. The entire portion of the pier was blocked off, and shipping pallets lined the pier. I'm not sure what will become of the building.
Across from the fish cleaning stations, I noticed a pair of anglers using homemade metal rod holders to secure their rods to the railing. The holders were expertly welded together, and their rods were fairly large. They had 3 Topsmelt in their bucket, which were caught on cut squid. Looking down, the water was peppered with small smelt. Had it not been for the wind, these smelt would have been easy targets for a dip net. The anglers complained of the small smelt stealing their bait and cleaning their hooks. Looking onward, I witnessed a cormorant snatching a smelt from the water, only to have its catch nabbed by a pelican. Unfortunately, I did not see any fish chasing these smelt.
At the end, by the Broad Street Oyster Company (formerly Ruby's Diner), I was relieved not to hear the loud music from the restaurant, but saddened at the loss of convenient, take-out food. Nobody was fishing the south side of the building, which surprised me, given the shelter from the wind and abundance of small smelt in the water. I noticed two pairs of anglers fishing the north side of the building using squid, but with no luck.
As I walked back, I noticed what I am going to guess was a Corbina cruising through the surf across from the lifeguard tower. I was surprised no anglers were attempting to target it, especially since few people were swimming near the pier.
Fish Count:
6 Anglers
-4 Topsmelt (Including 1 caught by a bird)
4 Total Fish
I went on a walk down Huntington Beach Pier this past Thursday, 3/26. I wasn't able to do any fishing, but from the looks of the pier, it did not seem like I missed much.
I saw the tide was very low and gradually increasing. The beach was thriving with activity despite the wind, which made the pier very cold. The water was very clear from the lifeguard tower to the restrooms, but there was little life in the water. I did not see any anglers inshore.
Midway through the pier, I noticed that the former Let's Go Fishing shop was completely tented over, with construction workers hard at work. The entire portion of the pier was blocked off, and shipping pallets lined the pier. I'm not sure what will become of the building.
Across from the fish cleaning stations, I noticed a pair of anglers using homemade metal rod holders to secure their rods to the railing. The holders were expertly welded together, and their rods were fairly large. They had 3 Topsmelt in their bucket, which were caught on cut squid. Looking down, the water was peppered with small smelt. Had it not been for the wind, these smelt would have been easy targets for a dip net. The anglers complained of the small smelt stealing their bait and cleaning their hooks. Looking onward, I witnessed a cormorant snatching a smelt from the water, only to have its catch nabbed by a pelican. Unfortunately, I did not see any fish chasing these smelt.
At the end, by the Broad Street Oyster Company (formerly Ruby's Diner), I was relieved not to hear the loud music from the restaurant, but saddened at the loss of convenient, take-out food. Nobody was fishing the south side of the building, which surprised me, given the shelter from the wind and abundance of small smelt in the water. I noticed two pairs of anglers fishing the north side of the building using squid, but with no luck.
As I walked back, I noticed what I am going to guess was a Corbina cruising through the surf across from the lifeguard tower. I was surprised no anglers were attempting to target it, especially since few people were swimming near the pier.
Fish Count:
6 Anglers
-4 Topsmelt (Including 1 caught by a bird)
4 Total Fish