<*}}}}}}}}}>< — An educational place to take the kids sits under the pier. The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, formerly the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center, is housed on the beach under the carousel. It’s operated by Heal The Bay and is open Tuesday through Sunday most of the year. It contains wall displays, inter-active touch tanks, tide pools, shark tanks, and many types of jellyfish.
<*}}}}}}}}}>< — Although the fishing dominates the end of the pier, the inshore and mid-pier areas are dominated by a whole different type of entertainment. Mid-pier sees a return to the Amusement Pier day’s of the early 1900s (although updated technology has been used with some of the rides). Pacific Park dominates the view. Included in the park are a fairly-tame roller coaster—the West Coaster, the Pacific Plunge, bumper cars, several kid’s rides and even, at times, a live circus show. A nine-story-high, solar-powered Ferris wheel—the Pacific Wheel—used to anchor the park but was sold off and shipped East in 2008. Nearby is the famous 1916 carousel built by Charles I.D. Looff (seen in several movies, including The Sting). Close too is the Playland Arcade that has over 200 attractions, from Skeeball to a pelican kiddie ride and three-passenger merry-go-round.
In the summer, the city provides a free concert series every Thursday night (Twilight Dance Series) with some pretty decent bands. It’s nice on a summer Thursday night—fishing, watching the bright lights, and listening to the music. Tuesday nights in September sees a different entertainment—free movies—during the Santa Monica Drive-In at the Pier program (see www.santamonicapier.org for ticket information). Oh, and don’t forget the cotton candy and saltwater taffy. Not too shabby!
<*}}}}}}}}}>< — Even a pier has to have a little culture, right? So check out the following poem by Bridget O’Mara (Angel’s Flight, Vol. 7.2 (1982).
The old carrousel
Looks forlorn
In the early morning gray-lavender light.
Fishermen cast lines out
And wait.
Ancient men in torn sweaters
Look out with sun and age-faded eyes over the ocean
That perhaps once belonged to them.
The morning peace is over
Men with gull-like voices
Shout at each other
As they carry tubs
To the seafood restaurants.
Two young boys in leather jackets
Carry a gigantic radio
The spell is broken.
<*}}}}}}}}}>< — If you can have a poem about a pier, why not a song? Just a little different!
WHEN VERONICA PLAYS THE HARMONICA — (Tommy Mack / Jimmy Mulcay/Mildred Mulcay)
The Mulcays (vocal: Patricia Koren) — 1948 — Kay Kyser’s Kampus Kowboys (vocal: Gloria Wood) – 1948
You can sail around the world to see the sights — And even see the famous northern lights, —But strange as it may be — I’m sure you will agree — The greatest sight of all is by the sea
When Veronica plays the harmonica —Down on the pier at Santa Monica — When she gives out with Gershwin and Bach — The perch and barracuda come wigglin’ up to the dock — The seals and haddock get aquabatic — When she plays on her chromatic — When she plays boogie woogie, lobsters flippity flop — She even made a submarine blow it’s top — When Veronica plays her harmonica — Down on the pier at Santa Monica
When Veronica plays the harmonica — Down on the pier at Santa Monica — She plays mad jive for hepcat fish — She even plays a tune for a tuna that swims with a swish — A big fat turtle whose name was Myrtle — Shook and shivered till she broke her girdle — The whale that swallowed Jonah yelled across the bay — “’ll open up my mouth and let you go today — To hear Veronica play her hamonica — Down on the pier at Santa Monica”
A flying fish from Avalon flew out of sight — For he was smoking seaweed and was high as a kite — When Veronica raised the thermometer — Down on the pier at Santa Monica
An oyster got so stewed at an oyster spa — He stood right up and holler’d “Eat Me Eight To The Bar” — When Veronica played her harmonica — Down on the pier at Santa Monica
A fish was using Lifebuoy soap, she knew how he felt — She never smelled a smelt that smelt like that smelt smelt — So Veronica took her harmonica — And left the pier at Santa Monica
The Pier Rats Speak
Date: February 13, 2004; To: PFIC Message Board; From: kcruise; Subject: Tips and spots… Santa Monica Pier.
I fished Santa Monica Pier for two years, with a year straight every weekend. Where’s the sweet spots? Here you go.
When you walk out on the pier, the first temptation is to go to the end. Don’t bother. The whole front is a wall of snags from the lobster poachers and they’re lines of treble hooks. If you insist to fish out there, go to the very far left on the top and cast out towards Venice. Also, the winds will get you after awhile.
Some of the best fishing is found right before you get to the bathrooms and Harbor Patrol office. The last bench that sits on a section of pier (finger) goes out on the left (not the lower area) sits above an area with no snags. Sand and grass are it. Either side of that are snags from parts of the old pier, so don’t fish on the bottom if you can avoid it. The right side of the pier also has snags from about 5 feet out to 25 feet. Past that, you run the chance of getting crossed by someone else’s line. On the left, the casting trick is to walk out by the boats, cast out and then walk your rod back to the finger. This will double your casting distance.
If you’re looking for halibut, fish close into the pier. I’ve pulled 30” hallies up around the pilings, and have seen bigger fish caught there as well. Use a 2-3oz slider sinker with a leader and live bait. Frozen anchovies will also work.
Perch can be found all over around the pilings. Use fresh mussels or lug worms. Wylie’s Bait at Topanga Canyon has them, and isn’t far up the road from the pier to get bait and tackle at. In fact, it’s probably one of the better bait shops around.
The trick with the perch is to use a bobber and 4-6′ of line under it. Place a small split shot on the line to get the bait down. Big Sargo are caught right around the area under the restrooms and the restaurant.
Sharks and rays like squid, fished out from the pier. Bottom rigs or sliders will work. Leopards, shovelnose and others are seen from time to time. I’ve seen soupfin sharks caught out there as well. You can also use live bait, like anchovies, herring or sardines if you catch them.
If you get bored and have a light rod, rig up a Carolina rig with a strip of squid and cast out and retrieve. Something will go after it. You can also use grubs and do a little surf fishing down towards the amusement park. Fish in the surf, behind the breakers.
Catching bait will require a light rod and a small Sabiki rig. I like the ones with a rainbow reflection. The straight white ones don’t work as well. Wallmart, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Boating World on Lincoln sell these. If you really get stuck, I can get them here in Bakersfield and can mail them to you. It’s easy to spend 4 hours catching more bait than you can imagine. Ask Sinker about ‘chovies at Ventura…
Crabbing is another hot item, and April-May are killer for spiders. Use chicken legs and thighs, which can be had for $4 at Vons and other markets. Tie 3-4 pieces into your nets and drop them in the corners. Be careful if the water is moving a lot. One, the crabs will not be there, and Two, the nets will get snagged and you’ll loose them. I pulled 30 spiders in one day there, and brought home 6 for about 30-35 lbs of crab. Big males show up from time to time and they go up to 18lbs+. Bring an Igloo cooler and keep the water fresh.
A few words of warning. The Harbor Patrol from time to time will check that regs. are being followed. Don’t cast overhead if you can avoid it. And keep an eye on your stuff, since the people count on a summer weekend can hit 100,000 or more. Always fish with someone else out there. SM is a really bad town to get a ticket in, since you will pay the max fine for anything. Also, make sure you don’t bug the people selling stuff or performing. Chances are you’ll be asked to leave. The wind is also a factor out there. Fishing close to the buildings will cut a lot of it down, making fishing more enjoyable. It will also come up and die down around sunset.
Hope this helps. I’ve posted cooking suggestions before for spider crab in case you get one and don’t know what to do. Feel free to ask any other questions as well. And, if you see Mike Bikehead on the pier, tell him Kel, Cindy and Carrie Cruise say hi.
Kel, Transplanted Pier Rat in Bakersfield, CA
Fathers and kids: Fishing derby nets 40
The steady crashing of the waves below, the plaintive cry of the sea gulls overhead. The young man looked out to the sea, the morning sun lighting his eyes, the wind brushing against his face. He took it all in silently before looking up to the old man.
“Are you going to catch a shark, daddy?” he asked. When you’re a 5-year-old, there isn’t anything your dad doesn’t know, so on his very first fishing expedition, Blake Condon had plenty of questions for his father Sunday morning as they bent over the ledge of the Santa Monica Pier, poles in hand. “How do we catch it?,” he asked. “You have to have patience,” said his dad, David Condon. “How do they stick?” he wondered, looking at the bait on the hook. “The fish will eat it, just like in the cartoons,” said dad. Condon and his two sons, Blake and his 8-year-old, Zachary, came to the pier Sunday for the third annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby, put on by Santa Monica Pier Bait and Tackle.
About 40 people showed up for the daylong event that gave prizes for the biggest fish caught and released and the most fish caught.
“It’s a nice experience to come out and not spend the day flicking the TV,” said Chris Volaski, co-owner of the bait shop. “It’s a nice way to spend quality time with dad on Father’s Day.” Her husband, Yosh Volaski, has been fishing on the pier since 1961. “I get a kick out of teaching someone how to pick up a fish,” he said. “Someone taught me and I’d like to return that.”
The art of fishing is the kind of thing fathers have been passing down to their children forever, but Condon had no idea what he was doing and basically was faking his way through it. “I watch everybody else and try not to screw up,” said the 39-year-old real estate broker. “I wanted the kids to experience fishing. I used to fish with my grandfather. It’s a memory the kids will have.”
Mannie Mendelson, co-owner of the small tackle shop at the end of the pier, said fishing is a good way to teach young ones responsibility and respect for nature. “We encourage them to return the fish to the water,” he said. “Our biggest prize is for catch and release.”
Manuel Lopez brought his family, including his daughter Dayanara from Las Vegas, to fish at the pier. “I like to spend time with my family,” he said. “This is nice. I hope the kids enjoy it.”…
Condon never did catch his shark, but Zachary managed to snag a croaker that would hardly have fit onto a Ritz cracker. But once he caught it, he didn’t want to have anything to do with it. When Mendelson tried to get the brothers to hold up their catch for a picture, the boys squealed, squirmed and could barely be coaxed too touch it. “I like to catch it, but not eat it,” Zachary said. “My grandmother throws them back ’cause she don’t like to kill fish, but I like to kill them.” However, after having a change of heart, he decided to toss it back into the water.
—Josh Grossberg, The Santa Monica Outlook, June 16, 1997
Did You Know? That the Santa Monica Pier is probably the number one pier to appear in movies, television shows and commercials? A partial list includes—Quicksand; Pitfall; Fallen Angel; Mildred Pierce (sound stage re-creation of the Santa Monica Pier); The Big Sleep (same stage for a fog-covered Lido Pier); Night Tide; The Son of Kong (1933); Quicksand (1950); The Glenn Miller Story (1953); Inside Daisy Clover (1965); They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (1969); The Sting (1973); Crime & Punishment; USA; Cursed; Elmer Gantry; Crazy/Beautiful; The End of Violence; Blood Beach; Funny Girl (1968); Cannonball Run (1976); Walk Proud (1979); Hot Moves (1985); Nomads (1986); Ruthless People (1986); Miracle Mile (1988); Rescue Me (1993); Beverly Hills Cop III (1994); Clean Slate (1994); Down and Out In Beverly Hills: Forrest Gump (1994); The Net (1995); Species (1995); Day of the Warrior (1996); The End of Violence (1997); Titanic (1997); The Majestic (2001); Abby Singer (2003); Cellular (2004); First Daughter (2004); Thank You for Smoking (2005); Intoxicated Demons (2005); Sueño (2005); Main Street (2005); A Coat of Snow (2006); The Pet (2006); Three Words and a Star (2006); Hannah Montana: The Movie (2008) and My Sister’s Keeper (2009).
Santa Monica brings back some good memories, especially when I would go with my younger nephew fishing under the restaurant at the end. Always caught something, even if the day sucked for other fishermen. Under the Mariasol, I have caught my fair share of black, walleye, shiner( not common) and rainbow perch alongside sargo, black croaker, sand and calico bass. Have also caught Bonito, mackerel, halibut, turbot, sharks and rays, and the odd eel or octopus and crabs. That pier has a lot depending on the season, though I have had some good luck with Corbina and yellowfin croakers on the north side in front of the arcade facing the breaker waves. Sand crabs and mussels are key. If you fish the middle part of the pier under the pilings on either north or south sides in the spring, one can get some solid sargo action off mussels, bloodworms, or ghost shrimp.
I’m trying to find out the average height above the water for Santa Monica Pier.
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[…] games and rides, the Santa Monica Pier is a great place to catch fish. The fishing platform is in its own spot at the end of the Pier. Young people and old people love to watch the views and […]
Such a amazing and best blog so keep it up thanks!
My favorite recollections of Santa Monica are of going fishing with my younger nephew beneath the restaurant at the end of the day.
My Dad Robert Hirschmann and Versal Schuler were boy hood friends. My Dad worked for Versal on the commercial fishing boats in the 1950-s
We would go on the boat called the Scotty There was Chuck and Smoky who worked on the boat also
It was great times and lots of fun. Versal had a daughter her name was Kathy
The very good old days.
This is a fantastic start to the article! I especially appreciate the detail that no fishing license is required for public piers in California. Knowing you can rent rods and buy bait right at places like Redondo Pier makes trying out pier fishing seem easy and accessible.
Some of my fondest moments in Santa Monica are those quiet evenings spent fishing with my younger nephew under the restaurant at the end of the pier.
This post brings back great memories of my last trip to Santa Monica Pier! The fishing is so relaxing, and the surrounding attractions make it the perfect spot for a full day of fun. Highly recommend it!
Santa Monica Pier is such an iconic spot! From the vibrant boardwalk to the stunning ocean views, it’s a perfect blend of fun, relaxation, and classic seaside charm. Always a must-visit for locals and tourists alike.
The Santa Monica Pier beautifully captures the essence of California’s coastal charm. Its vibrant atmosphere, rich history, and diverse community create an unforgettable experience for visitors. Whether fishing or enjoying the lively entertainment, the pier remains a cherished landmark that embodies the spirit of Southern California. Truly a gem!
That pier has a lot depending on the season, though I have had some good luck with Corbina and yellowfin croakers on the north side in front of the arcade facing the breaker waves. Sand crabs and mussels are key.
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yellowfin croakers on the north side in front of the arcade facing the breaker waves. Sand crabs and mussels are key.
Fantastic write-up—love the mix of pier history and practical fishing notes. The mid-December session story (7 fish in under two hours) and the species list make it feel very real. Any updated tips on best baits/lures here now that live bait isn’t sold on the pier?
This captures Santa Monica Pier perfectly—tourist energy, street performers, and anglers all sharing the same space. The notes about what you can realistically catch (and not just trophy talk) are super helpful. Would you recommend fishing closer to the pilings vs the end for beginners?
Really enjoyed this write-up—love that you mix a bit of pier history with practical, on-the-ground fishing notes. The reminder that it’s a public pier (no license required) and that you can still rent tackle/buy bait on-site makes it much easier for first-timers. Any updated “best time + bait” tips for avoiding the heaviest tourist crowds?
Great read on the Santa Monica Pier experience very detailed and helpful! While planning our trip, I also started looking into Invisalign offers in London to fix my smile before heading out. If anyone knows good deals or providers, please share! Thanks for the informative post, excited to explore more here.
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Really enjoyed your write-up on “Santa Monica Pier”. I especially liked the point about The angling piers of California are unique. At Redondo you find a little shop at the … Very helpful and easy to follow.
Great guide! I didn’t realize Santa Monica Pier doesn’t require a fishing license—that’s a nice perk for casual anglers. Have you noticed seasonal differences in what bites best there? I’m planning a trip and would love to know the best time to visit for decent catches.
Great guide! I’ve always wondered what fish you can actually catch off Santa Monica Pier. The fact that you don’t need a license is a huge plus—makes it so accessible for beginners. Have you noticed seasonal differences in what bites best? Would love to know the best times of year to visit.
What a delightful dive into the history of Southern California’s fishing piers! It’s fascinating to see how even after nearly a century, the spirit of fishing, especially at Santa Monica Pier, endures. Charles Frederick Holder’s vivid descriptions truly bring the past to life! Thank you for sharing this nostalgic glimpse.
What a fantastic dive into the history of Southern California’s fishing piers! It’s incredible to read Charles Frederick Holder’s vivid description from 1914 and then see how your 2013 experience at Santa Monica Pier connects to it. Despite the changes, the spirit of pier fishing clearly endures. It makes me want to visit and drop a line myself!
This is a fantastic dive into the history and enduring charm of Southern California’s fishing piers! It’s fascinating to see how much the Santa Monica Pier, in particular, has maintained its spirit over a century. The vivid descriptions, especially Mr. Holder’s 1914 account, really bring the experience to life. It makes me want to visit and cast a line myself!
It’s really interesting to read about the debate over rebuilding the pier after the 1983 El Niño storms. I can’t imagine Santa Monica without it now, so it’s wild to think some people actually argued against bringing it back. Glad they pushed through with the renovation!
Great post on “Santa Monica Pier”—clear and practical. I especially liked the point about The angling piers of California are unique. At Redondo you find a little shop at the .
Really enjoyed your write-up on “Santa Monica Pier”. I especially liked the point about The angling piers of California are unique.
This was a strong read on “Santa Monica Pier”. I especially liked the point about The angling piers of California are unique.
Loved this article—concise and useful. I especially liked the point
Great tips on fishing spots along the pier! I’ve always had mixed luck near the bait shop, but I’ll definitely try the deeper water by the end of the pier next time. Do you have any advice for avoiding snags when the tide is coming in?
It’s wild to think about the 1983 El Niño storms and how much damage they did to the pier. I can’t imagine anyone arguing against rebuilding it, especially seeing how much of an icon it is today. So glad they pushed through with the renovations!
It’s crazy to think about how much the pier has changed since 1914, but also how some things, like the joy of fishing there, have stayed the same. The description of the big scoop net for live bait back then is wild! I can’t imagine seeing that today.
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Great read! I’ve been thinking about trying pier fishing in California, and Santa Monica seems like a good starting point. Do you recommend any specific bait for catching mackerel there in the fall?
Great read! I’ve been thinking about trying pier fishing for a while, and your tips on bait selection for Santa Monica are really helpful. Do you find that mornings or evenings work better for catching something decent there?
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Great read! I tried pier fishing at Santa Monica last summer and had decent luck with mackerel near the end of the pier. Do you have any tips on the best times of day for surfperch there?
The contrast between California’s piers is what makes this piece interesting, especially the way Santa Monica sits apart from the more commercial feel of Venice or Long Beach. I also liked the detail that you can fish from the pier without a license, which makes it feel much more open and approachable.
Crazy how much that pier has changed since 1914, though seven fish in two hours is still a solid day regardless. You definitely had better luck than most people who just go there for the carnival rides.
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I like the comparison between Santa Monica, Redondo, Long Beach, and Venice piers, especially the detail about bait shops and tackle rentals at the entrances. The note that California public piers don’t require a fishing license is also useful for casual visitors who might not know that.
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