Striped Bass Archives - Pier Fishing in California

Judge John Sutter Pier — Oakland

The Judge John Sutter Pier, part of the larger Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline Park and Pier, is one of the newest piers in the state opening in October 2020. I’ve only fished it once so these are preliminary notes/recommendations mainly based on reports from…

Chevys Pier — Emeryville

Public Access Area — Status Unclear — Fishing License May Be Required There are many small piers scattered along the shoreline of the East Bay, many not technically built for fishing but offering platforms for those who chose the piscatorial arts. This is one such…

Redondo Beach Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required The Redondo Beach Pier seems far more than just a pier, it’s part of a huge complex that contains shops, restaurants, fresh fish markets, amusement games, a large underground parking lot, areas reserved for viewing, and our favorite…

Seal Beach Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required I’ve known several people over the years that considered themselves experts at everything. In common vernacular they were know-it-alls. Rarely did their knowledge actually match their egos. However, I have also known a couple of people whose knowledge…

Seacliff State Beach Pier — Aptos

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Only a few piers have truly unique features and this pier is/was one of them. The end of this wooden 500-foot-long pier connects to the old cement ship Palo Alto, a bad idea turned good that has now…

Capitola Wharf

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required While some piers along the coast (such as Seacliff) have characteristics that help define and give identity to the pier, here it is the area itself that makes the pier special. Supposedly the oldest seaside resort along the…

San Clemente Pier

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Sit back and imagine, if you will, the following scenes: Scene One — The hooking of a giant (black) sea bass was not that unusual given that the San Clemente Pier is one of the main piers that…

Johnson Pier — Pillar Point Harbor — Half Moon Bay

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required There are two public piers in the Half Moon Bay/Princeton area and both are located in Pillar Point Harbor. For many years the larger pier, the Johnson Pier, was open to fisherman and heavily used. Then, with the…

Fort Baker Pier — Sausalito

Public Pier — No Fishing License Required Like its counterpart across the bay, the Fort Point Pier, this pier offers not only decent fishing but one of the world’s most interesting and beautiful views. Look up to your right and you are looking into the…

Redondo Sportfishing Pier — King Harbor — Redondo Beach — Gone But Not Forgotten

Currently closed but the city says it plans to construct a new pier (although no plans have been finalized or dates given). The small (250-foot-long) Redondo Sportfishing Pier that served as the center for Redondo’s Sportfishing fleet since being built in 1969, was declared unsafe and…