Finally finishing up a small book called "Growin' Up A Pier Rat," a book that I started years ago but sort of gave up on. Now I've changed my mind and am finishing it. In part, it contains stories from fellow pier rats. I loved this story: Pier Rat Name — The Fisherman’s Wife
Years Fishing: 5 years. It was nearly five years ago that I met the man of my dreams, who I fell deeply in love with. Little did I know, he was a “Portuguese Fisherman,” taught by his uncle (another great fishermen). One day to my surprise, he asked me out on a rather unusual date; he asked me to go fishing with him. In honesty, at the time I could think of few invitations LESS appealing that that one! But being absolutely crazy about him, and always eager to spend time with him: I put on a big smile, acted thrilled by the idea, and agreed to go. He told me he was taking me to the coast, but that we had to stop for bait first. I thought to myself, “Bait”...“Ok”... “How bad can bait be?” That was before I met pile worms! These ugly worms that have teeth and try to bite you the moment you pick one up. I was convinced at that point that I was going to hate everything about fishing. We pulled into Half Moon Bay and got everything set up, and for the next several hours, he fished... I watched! Bored with just watching (plus wanting him to believe I was having a good time so he would ask me out again) I promoted myself to “Bait-Girl” and started cutting him pieces of pile worm when he needed it, which made the afternoon a little more entertaining. Hours later, IT HAPPENED! The moment that would change my view of fishing, and really a part of my life forever... It all started when he simply wanted to light a cigarette, and asked me to hold his fishing pole for a minute. Shortly after he handed it to me, I felt something—a little “jiggle,” then I felt it again, then again and this time it was a good tug on the line!! It was all over from there! That was the coolest thing I had ever felt, I had no idea you could actually FEEL the fish biting, WOW! I was mesmerized by this one feeling; so much in fact, that for the rest of the evening, my would-be-sweetheart never got to hold his pole again! I mean while you're holding your fishing pole, you can actually feel the vibrations of the fish nibble and tug at your line. As if that wasn't enough, you get to reel it up too, feeling it struggle as your bringing it in, then it breaks the surface of the water and you see it on your line... THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS GREAT AS THIS, WOW, WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING ALL MY LIFE!!! A couple months later I had my very own fishing pole, could set up my line all by myself, and stood beside my beloved, reeling up one fish after the other, removing the hook from their mouth, and casting out again. From that point on I gained a nickname we both laugh at every now and then—“The Portuguese Fisherman's Wife,” and fishing has become one of our favorite things to do together.
First Memories of Fishing: My very first memories of fishing would have to be as a little girl, lake fishing with my mom, using little red fish eggs in a jar as bait, breaking at least a dozen floating bobbers on the rocks every time we cast out, and not catching a single fish all day long; Yet still having a good time: laughing with each other about how bad we were at fishing, and enjoying the great lunches my mom would pack, just relaxing.
Favorite Piers (and Why): Pacifica Pier —I will probably always hold Pacifica Pier as my favorite. At least 90% of the time, I have good luck at Pacifica and usually catch quite a few nice fish, plus different kinds of fish. I like the underhand casting, and rarely get my line snagged or tangled. I love getting there bright and early and look out as the whole pier is blanketed in fog and mist, and while the handful of real “sunny” day I have spent in Pacifica are nice, I enjoy the crisp overcast days just as much. Sometimes I just stand there holding my pole and staring out at the rocks in the distance feeling a comfort like coming home. Besides, I have sentimental reasons too. It was the first pier I fished off of and where I learned almost everything I know about fishing. It’s where we took my mother when she came out to visit a few years ago and caught over 200 fish in one day.
Most Memorable Pier Fishing Trips (and Why): My fiancée and I were fishing off Pacifica Pier last summer, he was going for striper and I was going for my usual smaller ones like surfperch. It was a normal day, the water was pretty calm and we had already caught a few perch and a couple jacksmelt. My fiancée asked me to watch his pole while he ran to the bathroom. While he was gone I kept glancing at his line, and all of a sudden something huge slams into the line, at first I thought it had to be a bird that flew into the line or maybe a seal, but before long I knew it had to be a fish, just then I see my fiancée walking back down the pier toward me, and I started jumping up and down and the guys next to me were yelling for him to run, he rushes to his line just in time to feel whatever it was break free and fall off. So we were both a little disappointed, but no big deal. Not even an hour later, I see that I have a little tiny nibble on my line, but it so small, I figure I will just leave it there until I finish eating and then it will have either fallen off or I will get to reel up two at a time. I never would have expected what happened next. All of a sudden my fishing pole bows clear over and looked like it was going to fold in half, I drop everything and grab, trying my hardest to reel up this strong, heavy monster on the end of my 8-lb. test line (because keep in mind, I was going for little fish, perch, etc.). I had no clue what to do, so I start screaming for my fiancée to come help me (which was a tiny kick to my ego because ever since he taught me how to fish, I have never needed help reeling up a fish) but I was trying my hardest to reel it in and just could not bring it up, or even in closer to the pier. So I hand my fishing pole to him and he’s battling this thing and unbelievably starting to tire the fish out to where he's getting it closer and closer to the pier, until we finally glimpse it’s body break the surface of the water, and both our jaws just drop, all we can see is this huge white stomach of one of the biggest fish I’ve seen caught on the pier (no exaggeration) and despite our best efforts, he manages to swim under the pier where the line finally snaps before we can gather a net to lower to him. That was the most exciting experience fishing yet I think. To this day I am still amazed he could ever get it to the surface with 8-lb. test line for us to see it at all.
Words of Wisdom for Pier Rats: When approaching the arena, all creatures are equal. Which means that some days will be your days to grasp victory, and others will throw you a defeat, but only your appreciation and the respect you extend to your opponent will determine weather or not you’re worthy to battle at all.
Years Fishing: 5 years. It was nearly five years ago that I met the man of my dreams, who I fell deeply in love with. Little did I know, he was a “Portuguese Fisherman,” taught by his uncle (another great fishermen). One day to my surprise, he asked me out on a rather unusual date; he asked me to go fishing with him. In honesty, at the time I could think of few invitations LESS appealing that that one! But being absolutely crazy about him, and always eager to spend time with him: I put on a big smile, acted thrilled by the idea, and agreed to go. He told me he was taking me to the coast, but that we had to stop for bait first. I thought to myself, “Bait”...“Ok”... “How bad can bait be?” That was before I met pile worms! These ugly worms that have teeth and try to bite you the moment you pick one up. I was convinced at that point that I was going to hate everything about fishing. We pulled into Half Moon Bay and got everything set up, and for the next several hours, he fished... I watched! Bored with just watching (plus wanting him to believe I was having a good time so he would ask me out again) I promoted myself to “Bait-Girl” and started cutting him pieces of pile worm when he needed it, which made the afternoon a little more entertaining. Hours later, IT HAPPENED! The moment that would change my view of fishing, and really a part of my life forever... It all started when he simply wanted to light a cigarette, and asked me to hold his fishing pole for a minute. Shortly after he handed it to me, I felt something—a little “jiggle,” then I felt it again, then again and this time it was a good tug on the line!! It was all over from there! That was the coolest thing I had ever felt, I had no idea you could actually FEEL the fish biting, WOW! I was mesmerized by this one feeling; so much in fact, that for the rest of the evening, my would-be-sweetheart never got to hold his pole again! I mean while you're holding your fishing pole, you can actually feel the vibrations of the fish nibble and tug at your line. As if that wasn't enough, you get to reel it up too, feeling it struggle as your bringing it in, then it breaks the surface of the water and you see it on your line... THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS GREAT AS THIS, WOW, WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING ALL MY LIFE!!! A couple months later I had my very own fishing pole, could set up my line all by myself, and stood beside my beloved, reeling up one fish after the other, removing the hook from their mouth, and casting out again. From that point on I gained a nickname we both laugh at every now and then—“The Portuguese Fisherman's Wife,” and fishing has become one of our favorite things to do together.
First Memories of Fishing: My very first memories of fishing would have to be as a little girl, lake fishing with my mom, using little red fish eggs in a jar as bait, breaking at least a dozen floating bobbers on the rocks every time we cast out, and not catching a single fish all day long; Yet still having a good time: laughing with each other about how bad we were at fishing, and enjoying the great lunches my mom would pack, just relaxing.
Favorite Piers (and Why): Pacifica Pier —I will probably always hold Pacifica Pier as my favorite. At least 90% of the time, I have good luck at Pacifica and usually catch quite a few nice fish, plus different kinds of fish. I like the underhand casting, and rarely get my line snagged or tangled. I love getting there bright and early and look out as the whole pier is blanketed in fog and mist, and while the handful of real “sunny” day I have spent in Pacifica are nice, I enjoy the crisp overcast days just as much. Sometimes I just stand there holding my pole and staring out at the rocks in the distance feeling a comfort like coming home. Besides, I have sentimental reasons too. It was the first pier I fished off of and where I learned almost everything I know about fishing. It’s where we took my mother when she came out to visit a few years ago and caught over 200 fish in one day.
Most Memorable Pier Fishing Trips (and Why): My fiancée and I were fishing off Pacifica Pier last summer, he was going for striper and I was going for my usual smaller ones like surfperch. It was a normal day, the water was pretty calm and we had already caught a few perch and a couple jacksmelt. My fiancée asked me to watch his pole while he ran to the bathroom. While he was gone I kept glancing at his line, and all of a sudden something huge slams into the line, at first I thought it had to be a bird that flew into the line or maybe a seal, but before long I knew it had to be a fish, just then I see my fiancée walking back down the pier toward me, and I started jumping up and down and the guys next to me were yelling for him to run, he rushes to his line just in time to feel whatever it was break free and fall off. So we were both a little disappointed, but no big deal. Not even an hour later, I see that I have a little tiny nibble on my line, but it so small, I figure I will just leave it there until I finish eating and then it will have either fallen off or I will get to reel up two at a time. I never would have expected what happened next. All of a sudden my fishing pole bows clear over and looked like it was going to fold in half, I drop everything and grab, trying my hardest to reel up this strong, heavy monster on the end of my 8-lb. test line (because keep in mind, I was going for little fish, perch, etc.). I had no clue what to do, so I start screaming for my fiancée to come help me (which was a tiny kick to my ego because ever since he taught me how to fish, I have never needed help reeling up a fish) but I was trying my hardest to reel it in and just could not bring it up, or even in closer to the pier. So I hand my fishing pole to him and he’s battling this thing and unbelievably starting to tire the fish out to where he's getting it closer and closer to the pier, until we finally glimpse it’s body break the surface of the water, and both our jaws just drop, all we can see is this huge white stomach of one of the biggest fish I’ve seen caught on the pier (no exaggeration) and despite our best efforts, he manages to swim under the pier where the line finally snaps before we can gather a net to lower to him. That was the most exciting experience fishing yet I think. To this day I am still amazed he could ever get it to the surface with 8-lb. test line for us to see it at all.
Words of Wisdom for Pier Rats: When approaching the arena, all creatures are equal. Which means that some days will be your days to grasp victory, and others will throw you a defeat, but only your appreciation and the respect you extend to your opponent will determine weather or not you’re worthy to battle at all.