Kelp Bass Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Pier Fishing in California

Cabrillo Mole — Avalon, Catalina Island

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required “But now farewell. I am going a long way With these thou seëst—if indeed I go (For all my mind is clouded with a doubt)— To the island-valley of Avilion; Where falls not hail, or rain, or any…

Oceanside Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The date was August 25, 1966, just nine days before my bride and I would tie the knot. The plans were finished and hopefully everything was ready to go. It was time to relax and this would be…

Balboa Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Piers are one of the most romantic spots on earth! If you don’t believe me, tag along on a visit to Balboa Pier on almost any summer night. By 10 P.M., darkness has enveloped the pier. But while…

Oceanside Small Craft Harbor Fishing Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Talk about a contrast. The Oceanside Pier is huge and can handle several hundred anglers at a time; this small pier can maybe handle a dozen or so anglers but it would feel crowded. The bigger Oceanside Pier…

L. M. “Pep” Pepper Park Pier — National City

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required One day I got a letter from John Lopez, an angler who had read the first edition of Pier Fishing In California. It began, “locals call it the 24th Street Pier—you may have omitted it deliberately.” The bad…

Morro Bay North T-Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Named for their shape, two mid-sized piers sit at the north end of the Embarcadero in Morro Bay. They are only a short distance apart and the environments and fishing are nearly identical. Regardless of size, they are…

Crystal Pier — San Diego

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Small though it may be, this pier has long held special affection for me for a number of reasons. Most prominent is the fact that it was the pier where my initial introduction to ocean fishing took place…

Paradise Cove Pier — Malibu

Private Pier — Fishing License Required Paradise Cove’s pier is an icon of its history. Over decades of fishing boats, strolling lovers, angry storms, determined rebuilds and fat seagulls, it’s remained a landmark for this latitude of coastline. It used to be about twice as…

Hermosa Beach Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The first time I visited this pier was in 1982; the pier was crowded, live bait was available, and anglers were catching yellowtail. That fact may seem trivial or insignificant to the uninformed, but it seemed pretty amazing…

Santa Monica Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The angling piers of California are unique. At Redondo you find a little shop at the entrance with long rods and tackle to rent, and not far away the bait man, ready to provide clams, small fish, or…