September 9, 2002
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Ken Jones
Subject: The Perfect Pier?
If you were an angler-architect, what features would you include in designing the perfect pier?
Posted by newgen
Lots of fish!
Posted by Sinker
Newgen ROFLMAO - Well of course !!!!!!
Posted by pescare
Trap Door In The Middle for dispensing “Pier Justice” to poachers. Ed
Posted by Dave.Mush
A beef jerky vending machine
Posted by Rock Hopper
I would want my pier to be fairly long (at least Berkeley size to allow for plenty of room) in a location that allowed it to cover some rocky/sandy shallows and had access to deep rocky water (>50'). I’d put in a few “wells” for dropping into the pilings. It would have a few bait cleaning stations, small restrooms at the beginning and end of the pier, a restaurant at the foot of the pier, and a nice bar out near the end...hehe, close to a killer bait shop, it would have drinking fountains with drinkable water and hot water for soup/coffee, etc. It would be near a jetty and would be well lit at night, with strong lights in a few sections pointing directly into the water. There would be measuring devices built into the railings, and fish ID and DFG limit plaques also spaced among the railings. I would like it to be in an area that was not ignored by the DFG, also. Hmmm... pre-made pole holder notches, a few power outlets, plenty of trash cans and recycle bins. While we’re at it lets throw in a beautiful view also. Plus, it will be built for fisherman. Boats and skiffs can be launched near the pier, but not from the pier like Pt. Arena. Besides the small bar there will be no shops or restaurants on the pier...at the base of it is good enough. Licenses WILL be required. There will be security with a 24-hour hotline, quick response time and phones on the pier to call them from. Benches will be provided for seating. Pier height will be just enough to cover high tide with a few more feet in case of rough weather. We'll pour through all the records and make it 5’ higher than the highest recorded water height. It would be a wood pier with both wood and concrete pilings. Let's also throw in a man made reef within casting distance of the end of the pier.
So when do we start looking for locations? RöçK HòppéR - Thë J?††? Jùnk
Posted by kcruise
Add the fish cleaning stations at Hermosa! Man, we almost stole one of those for Santa Monica... Kel
Posted by Sinker
A few things I have seen: Ok, I know this is not exactly what you were looking for but I have to add this. When I stationed in Europe I visited a pier that was probably the cleanest and nicest pier I have ever been on. Here are some of the things I found very useful and unique:
1. A well stocked Tackle Store with a knowledgeable and helpful proprietor.
2. This tackle store also rented equipment.
3. Bait dispensing machines (kinda like a Coke machine) so you could get bait when the Tackle shop was closed (3 different types of frozen bait).
4. A coin operated Photo Machine - if you got a good catch ad wanted a photo you put in your money stood on the line and it took your picture and spit out a Polaroid plus you could go back and get a better print (was computer operated somehow).
5. This pier was very well maintained, policed and the lighting was excellent.
6. The pier was built out from the pilings so they were not as much of an issue on underhand casts or on having you catch wrap around them, the down side was that it made fishing them difficult.
7. Signs were plentiful regarding the rules and regulations of the pier and they seemed to be followed very well, they were in 4 languages (luckily English being one of them)
8. During the day the beaches were crowded and topless although that was customary in all areas of Denmark at the time and only us young dumb military men with overactive glands seemed to get excited about it.
As for the actual architecture of the pier - wish I could draw. I would definitely have a reef out there (kinda like Goleta) and hopefully a nice hole as well but that would probably just get filled in with sand anyway, a kelp bed area and nice sandy area, try to get as many species as possible around that pier.
Posted by skimfisher
DFG Warden station at the end!
Posted by 2d
Poor lighting. Not poor, exactly, but well spaced. A couple of productive piers I've fished in Hawaii have longish distances between light poles. This creates distinct light and shadow areas at night, the edges of which are usually hotspots for bait (and predators following the bait). Cast a lure along these seams, and you can get some big ones.
The piers that have more consistent lighting may be safer, but they don't produce as well.
Posted by Songslinger
Berkeley Pier
Without:
Urine
Drunks
Dummies
Poachers
With:
Friends
Fish
Starbucks
Clean Rest Rooms Within Walking Distance
Posted by pescare
You'd keep the wind?
Posted by MiruGuy
Make mine a Venti Mocha.You read my mind about a Starbucks. -MiruGuy
Posted by pierhead
Live bait tanks!
Posted by sandcrab
One with!
Live bait tanks full of anchovies, sardines, squid, sand crabs, etc
No poachers, idiots, etc.
Policed, with frequent DFG warden visits.
Huge amounts of fish like halibut, sharks, squid, bass...u name it!
Cutting boards and sinks, restrooms, rod holders.
An extremely nice bait/tackle shop.
Near a jetty, submarine canyon, and natural and artificial reef.
A 7-11
Extremely well lit.
A ride home! Just in case!
Perfect fishing conditions!
Near my house!
Extremely well maintained and clean, with friends and family and fishermen/woman from this board 2 fish with me.
Posted by Snookie
Taking Balboa Pier in mind I wouldn't change too much of its construction except to have a wooden decking and no concrete. Wood is easier to maintain and always looks much better than concrete plus you don't have as much refection to cause sunburn.
There would be several more sink stations for fish cleaning and washing rods, hands, etc. One doesn't do it.
There would be a sub-station for the police department at the foot of the pier. Visibility always works well in the field of enforcement.
There should be signs attached to the outside edges of the pier to let swimmers know that they should not swim near the pier. The lifeguards don't pay attention to them unless it is a rough water day.
There should be DFG regulations and pictures of fish, solidly posted for the public's viewing preferably at the police sub station building. Any violations of the DFG code can be handled by the police.
Whatever we are given in the future we will make it work.
Snookie
Replies to a reposting of the thread in 2007 — Re: The Perfect Pier
Posted by wormdragger
If I could only have the best, This is how my pier would be.....
Easy access from the main roadway to it....
Lots of secure parking with full time security.... and wide space between the cars so we don’t scratch the car next to us when moving all of our toy’s to the pier....
A walkway to the pier that has information about the fishery and info about how to fish this area (for the kids).....
As you step onto the pier, you are greeted by a pier rep (kind of like a Walmart greeter).... (security)
A pier that runs out about 100 feet then turns to run in line with the shore for 1000 feet before making the turn out to sea....
Restrooms at both ends of the pier.....
Hot and cold water every 50 feet for cleaning the pier and ourselves....
A bait shop with cheap bait and all the other goodies we always need....
A Starbucks right at the middle of the pier next door to the place that makes those fat hotdogs just like Costco does....
Wind breaks and those tall propane heaters to sit under every 25 feet or so.....
Rod holders at these locations....
Cutting board....
Coffee cup holder....
Safe spot to lay my hotdog....
No law breaking, poaching, can't get the little fish off the hook before it dies kind of idiots....
And everyone has manners and says please and thank you!...
A state of the art fish cleaning station, out of the wind, has hot and cold water, a vacume sealer for the cleaned fish....
I Have a dream.....wd
Posted by illcatchanything
Clean
Well Lighted
Bathrooms at the front, middle and end
A good bait shop that also sells Peets coffee
Video Cameras for poachers
Posted by sandtrout
All of the above recommendations + video cameras that could record what people are doing and when poachers do what they do best...someone from DFG or the police could come out immediately and cite and/or arrest that person. Starting to sound a little like “Big Brother.” I'd also accept a pier that frequently visited by a law officer of some nature and at odd times for surprise visits.
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Ken Jones
Subject: The Perfect Pier?
If you were an angler-architect, what features would you include in designing the perfect pier?
Posted by newgen
Lots of fish!
Posted by Sinker
Newgen ROFLMAO - Well of course !!!!!!
Posted by pescare
Trap Door In The Middle for dispensing “Pier Justice” to poachers. Ed
Posted by Dave.Mush
A beef jerky vending machine
Posted by Rock Hopper
I would want my pier to be fairly long (at least Berkeley size to allow for plenty of room) in a location that allowed it to cover some rocky/sandy shallows and had access to deep rocky water (>50'). I’d put in a few “wells” for dropping into the pilings. It would have a few bait cleaning stations, small restrooms at the beginning and end of the pier, a restaurant at the foot of the pier, and a nice bar out near the end...hehe, close to a killer bait shop, it would have drinking fountains with drinkable water and hot water for soup/coffee, etc. It would be near a jetty and would be well lit at night, with strong lights in a few sections pointing directly into the water. There would be measuring devices built into the railings, and fish ID and DFG limit plaques also spaced among the railings. I would like it to be in an area that was not ignored by the DFG, also. Hmmm... pre-made pole holder notches, a few power outlets, plenty of trash cans and recycle bins. While we’re at it lets throw in a beautiful view also. Plus, it will be built for fisherman. Boats and skiffs can be launched near the pier, but not from the pier like Pt. Arena. Besides the small bar there will be no shops or restaurants on the pier...at the base of it is good enough. Licenses WILL be required. There will be security with a 24-hour hotline, quick response time and phones on the pier to call them from. Benches will be provided for seating. Pier height will be just enough to cover high tide with a few more feet in case of rough weather. We'll pour through all the records and make it 5’ higher than the highest recorded water height. It would be a wood pier with both wood and concrete pilings. Let's also throw in a man made reef within casting distance of the end of the pier.
So when do we start looking for locations? RöçK HòppéR - Thë J?††? Jùnk
Posted by kcruise
Add the fish cleaning stations at Hermosa! Man, we almost stole one of those for Santa Monica... Kel
Posted by Sinker
A few things I have seen: Ok, I know this is not exactly what you were looking for but I have to add this. When I stationed in Europe I visited a pier that was probably the cleanest and nicest pier I have ever been on. Here are some of the things I found very useful and unique:
1. A well stocked Tackle Store with a knowledgeable and helpful proprietor.
2. This tackle store also rented equipment.
3. Bait dispensing machines (kinda like a Coke machine) so you could get bait when the Tackle shop was closed (3 different types of frozen bait).
4. A coin operated Photo Machine - if you got a good catch ad wanted a photo you put in your money stood on the line and it took your picture and spit out a Polaroid plus you could go back and get a better print (was computer operated somehow).
5. This pier was very well maintained, policed and the lighting was excellent.
6. The pier was built out from the pilings so they were not as much of an issue on underhand casts or on having you catch wrap around them, the down side was that it made fishing them difficult.
7. Signs were plentiful regarding the rules and regulations of the pier and they seemed to be followed very well, they were in 4 languages (luckily English being one of them)
8. During the day the beaches were crowded and topless although that was customary in all areas of Denmark at the time and only us young dumb military men with overactive glands seemed to get excited about it.
As for the actual architecture of the pier - wish I could draw. I would definitely have a reef out there (kinda like Goleta) and hopefully a nice hole as well but that would probably just get filled in with sand anyway, a kelp bed area and nice sandy area, try to get as many species as possible around that pier.
Posted by skimfisher
DFG Warden station at the end!
Posted by 2d
Poor lighting. Not poor, exactly, but well spaced. A couple of productive piers I've fished in Hawaii have longish distances between light poles. This creates distinct light and shadow areas at night, the edges of which are usually hotspots for bait (and predators following the bait). Cast a lure along these seams, and you can get some big ones.
The piers that have more consistent lighting may be safer, but they don't produce as well.
Posted by Songslinger
Berkeley Pier
Without:
Urine
Drunks
Dummies
Poachers
With:
Friends
Fish
Starbucks
Clean Rest Rooms Within Walking Distance
Posted by pescare
You'd keep the wind?
Posted by MiruGuy
Make mine a Venti Mocha.You read my mind about a Starbucks. -MiruGuy
Posted by pierhead
Live bait tanks!
Posted by sandcrab
One with!
Live bait tanks full of anchovies, sardines, squid, sand crabs, etc
No poachers, idiots, etc.
Policed, with frequent DFG warden visits.
Huge amounts of fish like halibut, sharks, squid, bass...u name it!
Cutting boards and sinks, restrooms, rod holders.
An extremely nice bait/tackle shop.
Near a jetty, submarine canyon, and natural and artificial reef.
A 7-11
Extremely well lit.
A ride home! Just in case!
Perfect fishing conditions!
Near my house!
Extremely well maintained and clean, with friends and family and fishermen/woman from this board 2 fish with me.
Posted by Snookie
Taking Balboa Pier in mind I wouldn't change too much of its construction except to have a wooden decking and no concrete. Wood is easier to maintain and always looks much better than concrete plus you don't have as much refection to cause sunburn.
There would be several more sink stations for fish cleaning and washing rods, hands, etc. One doesn't do it.
There would be a sub-station for the police department at the foot of the pier. Visibility always works well in the field of enforcement.
There should be signs attached to the outside edges of the pier to let swimmers know that they should not swim near the pier. The lifeguards don't pay attention to them unless it is a rough water day.
There should be DFG regulations and pictures of fish, solidly posted for the public's viewing preferably at the police sub station building. Any violations of the DFG code can be handled by the police.
Whatever we are given in the future we will make it work.
Snookie
Replies to a reposting of the thread in 2007 — Re: The Perfect Pier
Posted by wormdragger
If I could only have the best, This is how my pier would be.....
Easy access from the main roadway to it....
Lots of secure parking with full time security.... and wide space between the cars so we don’t scratch the car next to us when moving all of our toy’s to the pier....
A walkway to the pier that has information about the fishery and info about how to fish this area (for the kids).....
As you step onto the pier, you are greeted by a pier rep (kind of like a Walmart greeter).... (security)
A pier that runs out about 100 feet then turns to run in line with the shore for 1000 feet before making the turn out to sea....
Restrooms at both ends of the pier.....
Hot and cold water every 50 feet for cleaning the pier and ourselves....
A bait shop with cheap bait and all the other goodies we always need....
A Starbucks right at the middle of the pier next door to the place that makes those fat hotdogs just like Costco does....
Wind breaks and those tall propane heaters to sit under every 25 feet or so.....
Rod holders at these locations....
Cutting board....
Coffee cup holder....
Safe spot to lay my hotdog....
No law breaking, poaching, can't get the little fish off the hook before it dies kind of idiots....
And everyone has manners and says please and thank you!...
A state of the art fish cleaning station, out of the wind, has hot and cold water, a vacume sealer for the cleaned fish....
I Have a dream.....wd
Posted by illcatchanything
Clean
Well Lighted
Bathrooms at the front, middle and end
A good bait shop that also sells Peets coffee
Video Cameras for poachers
Posted by sandtrout
All of the above recommendations + video cameras that could record what people are doing and when poachers do what they do best...someone from DFG or the police could come out immediately and cite and/or arrest that person. Starting to sound a little like “Big Brother.” I'd also accept a pier that frequently visited by a law officer of some nature and at odd times for surprise visits.