Pier Fishing
 

Hi All,

I'm looking for a So Cal pier to take my 86-yr old dad fishing. Something where we can catch something worth barbecuing and within an hour's drive of Irvine would be best.

He used to love charter boat fishing as a younger man and we were reminiscing about it recently. I don't think a boat is a good idea any more but he can certainly handle a pier.

I really don't have much good pier fishing experience, but the fish I've seen caught from a pier, are usually rays, guitar fish, mackerel...which I wouldn't prefer to eat, BBQ'd, smoked or even baked. You *may* get lucky and catch a legal halibut or white seabass, but pretty tough to do off a pier.

I think you and your Dad may have a bit better chance fishing at the beach, as you can pick your spot away from people and move around if the bite slows. A lot of guys catch legal Halibut simply throwing 4-5" lead-head jigs on 10lb test, using luckycraft or rapala lures and casting out frozen squid or sardines with a 2-3oz sinker. The grass weed or sea weed can be a pain, but if the tide movement is less than 3' between Hi and Lo, its not usually that bad.

Anyways, my opinions. Enjoy the time with your Dad whatever type of fishing you do. He will enjoy it for sure. Nice of you to take the time to be with him.

Handle a bonito gently, kill it humanely, and bleed it in a bucket and you have some pretty good grilled eats. Easy to land a couple with the plastic bubble and fly technique.


I see corvina consistently landed by those who are practiced fishers, but if new to the pier game, bones will be easiest, with barracuda being a close second, sandies/calicos/spotties third. All pretty decent grill fare with the exception of barracuda which are much better when smoked.


Barracuda and bonito chase fast moving shiny lures, bass are slower and target bait near the bottom/pylons.


Don't worry so much about fishing success, fun with family is fun with family.

Welcome to the forum! What an awesome idea to take your dad fishing!:reel:
This site has fish pier fish reports to help get an idea of what to expect.

https://www.pierfishing.com/msgboard...rnia-279.2656/

While there are sometimes some better-eating fish taken, as Oolie mentioned, a bonito well prepared is good table fare and a more likely catch. Good luck with your trip.

As a member of pierfishing.com website since 2006, I concur that it is a great place to find information about pier fishing in California. There is a wealth of information about every pier.

There is also a monthly fish report from every pier. I would not count on it too much.

I am known there as Mahigeer same as here. Lots of posted report about Catalina.

Here are two about Catalina Island that I posted on this website.

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...=mahigeer+Mole

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...=mahigeer+Mole


I would forget about halibut fishing or even dreaming about seabass, which actually is not a bass, and it is a corker.
I just got back from Catalina Island. A great place to catch a lot of fish, though mostly small. Also, a great place to visit after a nice ride on a ferry.

If Catalina is not an option, perhaps San Clemente pier. There is a great restaurant at the foot of the pier. You can get great seafood, if you don’t catch any fish. A bit pricy though.

Balboa pier was recently good place for mackerel and bonito.

Newport pier is very close to Balboa pier. Then there is the Huntington pier.

If you cannot find answers to your questions after doing “search” on Pierfishing.com (PFIC), feel free to PM me or ask here.
Tight lines

Thanks all! I should've known to search this board and to search for pier-specific websites.

I will hit y'all up again for kayak launch advice. One of these days I'm gonna make good on my threat to bring the yak down there. (Grew up in so cal but I've been up in Nor cal for several decades.)