Headed out from San Diego early hoping to avoid traffic (which amazingly I did) and to hit a few piers. I hit the piers but the action at the piers was slow.
HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER - 8-9:45. The weather was nice but not the fishing. I only caught 3 walleye surfperch, 1 large queenfish, and 1 topsmelt. Did not see another fish on the pier. Parking rates have gone up — $3 an hour.
SEAL BEACH PIER — 10:45-1:00. I had high hopes given recent reports but the action was dead. The pier was crowded with people using the pier to view the eclipse. All I caught was 1 mid-sized corbina and 2 large jacksmelt. Only other fish I saw were some jacksmelt caught by one angler and 2 thornback rays caught by another angler.
LONG BEACH SHORELINE PIER #3 — 3:10-5:10 — I thought about stopping at Belmont Pier but hadn't eaten so decided on a late lunch and headed to the Shoreline restaurants. Had a pound of crawdads (a crawdad boil) at Louisiana Charlies. Since the Shoreline piers are just a few minutes away I headed there next. The two hours produced 7 white croaker. Had a great time meeting and fishing with two anglers (Sal Mercado and Blake Mitchell) that were familiar with PFIC including the YouTube videos. i asked if they had ever visited PFIC and Sal says "wow you're Ken Jones." Turned out both had watched many of the YouTube videos and they said they had learned a lot from the site. Both were good anglers, really seemed to know the local piers, and we may have found a reporter for those piers. Interesting was the bait Sal was using, pieces of shrimp soaked in secret ingredients that produced green pieces of very effective bait. Great meeting new anglers, especially those familiar with PFIC. Finally headed to my motel and the championship BB game.
Day's Total: 6 Hours fishing — 7 white croaker, 3 walleye surfperch, 2 jacksmelt, 1 corbina, 1 queenfish, 1 topsmelt. Slow!
Tomorrow headed to Pier J, the Cabrillo Beach Pier and maybe back to Belmont.
HUNTINGTON BEACH PIER - 8-9:45. The weather was nice but not the fishing. I only caught 3 walleye surfperch, 1 large queenfish, and 1 topsmelt. Did not see another fish on the pier. Parking rates have gone up — $3 an hour.
SEAL BEACH PIER — 10:45-1:00. I had high hopes given recent reports but the action was dead. The pier was crowded with people using the pier to view the eclipse. All I caught was 1 mid-sized corbina and 2 large jacksmelt. Only other fish I saw were some jacksmelt caught by one angler and 2 thornback rays caught by another angler.
LONG BEACH SHORELINE PIER #3 — 3:10-5:10 — I thought about stopping at Belmont Pier but hadn't eaten so decided on a late lunch and headed to the Shoreline restaurants. Had a pound of crawdads (a crawdad boil) at Louisiana Charlies. Since the Shoreline piers are just a few minutes away I headed there next. The two hours produced 7 white croaker. Had a great time meeting and fishing with two anglers (Sal Mercado and Blake Mitchell) that were familiar with PFIC including the YouTube videos. i asked if they had ever visited PFIC and Sal says "wow you're Ken Jones." Turned out both had watched many of the YouTube videos and they said they had learned a lot from the site. Both were good anglers, really seemed to know the local piers, and we may have found a reporter for those piers. Interesting was the bait Sal was using, pieces of shrimp soaked in secret ingredients that produced green pieces of very effective bait. Great meeting new anglers, especially those familiar with PFIC. Finally headed to my motel and the championship BB game.
Day's Total: 6 Hours fishing — 7 white croaker, 3 walleye surfperch, 2 jacksmelt, 1 corbina, 1 queenfish, 1 topsmelt. Slow!
Tomorrow headed to Pier J, the Cabrillo Beach Pier and maybe back to Belmont.
Last edited:
