Some unofficial records —gathered from published reports

62 ¼ lbs. — Los Angeles Long Wharf, August 17, 1917 — Source: Port of Los Angeles, A Phenomenon of the Railroad Era, Ernest Marquez, 1975

58 Lbs. 11 Oz — Santa Monica Pier, Darrell Barry, March 10, 2001 — Source: Several including Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop, PFIC and Western Outdoor News, March 23, 2001

57 Lbs. 3 Oz. — Port Hueneme Pier, Joseph C, Groth, Sr., February 28, 1965 — Source: Pasadena Independent, March 4, 1965

54 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, W. S. Keith & H. C. Carmichael, May 4, 1939— Source: Santa Ana Register, May 5, 1939

≈ 50 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Wharf, Unknown angler, January 4, 1940 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 5, 1940

49 ½ Lbs. — Seacliff Pier, Unknown angler, July 2, 1948 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 4, 1949

45 ¾ lbs. — Balboa Pier, Harry Campbell, May 20, 1927 — Source: Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1927

45 ½ Lbs. — Redondo Beach Pier, Virginia Lively, June 24, 1975 — Source: Long Beach Independent, July 2, 1975

45 Lbs. — Seacliff Pier (Aptos), Jack Elliott, July 1, 1946 —Source: Santa Cruz sentinel, July 2, 1946

44 Lbs. — Newport Pier, R. O. Stull, July 29, 1931—Source: Santa Ana Register, July 29, 1931

44 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Seymore Wilson, June 1933—Source: Santa Ana Register, June 5, 1933

43 Lbs. — Capitola Wharf, Wilbur Boyea, May 14, 1934 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 16, 1934

41 lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, Hoyt Holdridge, March 1957 — Source: San Bernardino County Sun, March 5, 1957

40 Lbs. — Seacliff Pier (Aptos), August 1942 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 6, 1942

40 Lbs. — Redondo Sportfishing Pier, August 2010—Source: Redondo Sportfishing

40 Lbs. — Monstad Pier (Redondo Beach), Dick Weddington, May 2, 1930— Source: Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1930

40 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, July 22, 1942 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 23, 1942

40 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Pleasure Pier, E. J. Owens, August 5, 1932 — Source: Santa Cruz Evening News, August 5, 1932

≈ 40 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, September 2004— Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

39 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, July 1949 —  Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 31, 1949

38 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, May 1953 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 6, 1953

38 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, August 1998— Source: Ocean Beach Pier Bait Shop

38 Lbs. — Newport Pier, May 2001—Source: PFIC

37 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf — Clarence Hegewood, July 22, 1942 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 23, 1942

35 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier, F. A. Buchanan, May 1908 — Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 31, 1908

35 Lbs. — Newport Pier, August 1940 — Source: Santa Ana Register, August 2, 1940

35 Lbs. — Paradise Cove Pier (Malibu), William Cambier, January 1967 — Source: Valley News, January 26, 1967

33 /12 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 3, August 24, 1910—Source: Santa Ana Register, August 25, 1910

33 Lbs. — Point Mugu Fish Camp Pier, W. J. Stuart, August 1935 — Source: Oxnard Daily Courier, August 3, 1935

32 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, June 23, 1948 — Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 24, 1948

30 Lbs. — Balboa Pier, Maybelle Davis, May 1934 — Source: Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1934

30 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Earl Nelson, October 2, 1908—Source: Santa Ana Register, October 3, 1908

30 Lbs. — Port Hueneme Pier, January 2000—Source: PFIC

30 Lbs. — Redondo Pier No. 3, J. K. Richardson, February 17, 1916—Source: Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1916

 Some unofficial records —gathered from published reports

48.5 Pound Yellowtail — Tony Troncale, Crystal Pier 2012

55 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), Montre Somsukcharean, September 21, 2006—Source: Source: James Barrick, Crystal Pier Bait Shop & Peggi Straker

50 Lbs. — Pine Ave. Pier (Long Beach), Al Decker, July 1894—Source: Los Angeles Herald, July 3, 1894

48.5 Lbs. —Crystal Pier, Tony Troncale, August 6, 2012 — Source: James Barrick, Crystal Pier Bait Shop & PFIC

46 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), Thomas Shinsato, August 2015—Source: Source: Crystal Pier Bait Shop & Thomas Shinsato

42 Lb. 1 Oz. — Oceanside Pier, Elmo Nealoff, July 1955—Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

42 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), October 2004—Source: James Barrick, Crystal Pier Bait Shop

40 Lbs. — Avalon wharf, Mrs. Boyce, June 9, 1897—Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 10, 1897

40 Lbs. — Avalon wharf, W. M. LeFavor, May 21, 1908—Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 22, 1908

40 Lbs. — Pier No. 3, Redondo Beach, August 1907— Source: Los Angeles Times, August 18, 1907

≈ 40 Lbs. — Redondo Beach Pier, October 2008—Source: bloodydecks.com

≈ 40 Lbs. — Hotel del Coronado Pier, September 21, 1899—Source: Los Angeles Times, September 22, 1899

36 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), August 2016Source: Crystal Pier Bait Shop\

35 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), August 2012—Source: James Barrick, Crystal Pier Bait Shop

35 Lbs. — Balboa Pier, Aaron, November 1, 2003— Source: PFIC

34 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), Angel Hernandez, August 2016—Source: Angel Hernandez

34 Lbs. — Crystal Pier (San Diego), Hallman, August 2012 Source: James Barrick, Crystal Pier Bait Shop

33 ½ Lbs. — Wharf #3 (Redondo Beach), August 24, 1910 — Source: Santa Ana Register, August 25, 1910

33 Lbs. — Newport Wharf, E. P. Deffley, May 1909—Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 22, 1909

32 ½ Lbs. — Avalon Wharf, W. M. LeFavor, May 20, 1908— Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 22, 1908

32 ½ Lbs. — Redondo Wharf, August 23, 1891— Source: Los Angeles Herald, August 24, 1891

30 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Earl Nelson, May 7, 1934 — Source: Santa Ana Register, May 8, 1934

 Some unofficial records —gathered from published reports

 50 Pound White Seabass — Imperial Beach Pier

83 Lbs. — Newport Pier, 1920s—Source: Personal communication, Patrick Kennedy, Baldy’s Tackle (1990)

61 LBS. — Newport Pier, Roger Jackson, December 1, 1927 — Source: Santa Ana Register, December 1, 1927

50 LBS. — Imperial Beach Pier,  “Oyuki”, October 2014 — Source: sdfish.com (October 28, 2014) and Oceanic Angler (oceanicangler.com), November 11, 2014

48 LBS. — Newport Pier, June 1, 1934 — Source: Santa Ana Register, June 2, 1934

45 Lbs. — Capitola Wharf, September 2000—Source: Capitola Wharf Bait Shop

45 Lbs. — Avalon Pleasure Pier, Pat Casey, May 5, 1936—Source: Catalina Islander, May 14, 1936

42 Lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, 1957—Source: Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop? Newspaper> DF&G

41 ¼ Lb. — Pacifica Pier, July 1992—Source: Pacific Bait Shop

41 Lbs. — Point Mugu Pier, Charles S. Leonard, August, 1959 — Source: Oxnard Press-Courier, August 5, 1959

40 Lbs. — Avalon Pleasure Pier, A. E. Eaton, July 3, 1916—Source: Catalina Islander, July 4, 1916

40 Lbs. — Hueneme Wharf, Charlie Chambers, October 1895—Source: Los Angeles Herald, October 27, 1895

≈ 40 Lbs. — Monterey Wharf No.2, October 2009— Source: PFIC

36 ½ Lbs — Balboa Pier, Ed Steif, May 30, 1928 — Source: Santa Ana Register, May 31, 1928

35 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 1, Harold Rempe, June 3, 1909— Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 6, 1909

32 Lbs. — Hueneme Wharf, Charlie Chambers, October 1895— Source: Los Angeles Herald, October 27, 1895

30 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 3, A. J. Bell, May 25, 1909—Source: Los Angeles Times, May 26, 1909

A large spider crab taken by SanClementeEric at the Redondo Beach Pier in 2005

Date: September 4, 1999
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Sarcastic Fringehead
Subject: If it’s edible, somebody will eat it….

People eat anything and everything…I’ve seen guys catch turtles out of dirty inner-city ponds and take them home…and I’ll bet ya it wasn’t for a pet. I once saw this guy catch this stinking, ugly looking spider crab. The thing looked like the grandfather of spider crabs…. it was covered with some kind of slimy algae and barnacles…the guy was soooo happy cause it’s legs were like three feet long each… he told me he was going to break out the lemon and butter. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they were hollow. I’m sure mullet is edible… they sell em in Asian fish markets. Let us know how they taste…. couldn’t be any worse than sardines or anchovies.

Posted by Snookie

Dear Sarcastic Fringehead, The big crab you mentioned is quite edible especially that size. Of course you won’t be eating that outer area with the growth on it. Boil the legs for about 10 -20 minutes. You will need an anvil or something similar and of course a hammer. Do not do this in the house. The meat from those legs is delicious and plentiful. When there is a red tide in the area it is wise not to eat the crab or any other shellfish until the tide has dissipated, and the shellfish has had a chance to filter out the dinoflagellates—Just in case. Snookie

A nice spider crab taken by Daniel at the Redondo Sportfishing Pier in 2007

Posted by finkelstien on October 19, 2000
Subject: Balboa Pier

I fished from 6pm till midnight and boy were the small mack’s hitting at one point it took five seconds after the bait hit the water to get a bite — yippee! I put most back but i did have a crab net down and caught 10 spider crabs !!! One was so big that with the legs extended it was bigger than the hoop net (36″) There is going to be a feast tonight !!!

Posted by ghsu

What are the regulations for Spider Crabs? Or can they be caught all year? The ones I ran into are often very dirty looking. Are they any good eating? Thanks.

Posted by zen

You better watch out if ur gonna eat its orange stuff inside the shell, taste kinda good but that’s packed with cholesterol

Posted by asegoria

They are really tasty, but their shell is so thick you need a few good whacks from a respectable hammer to crack it. They also take a longer time to cook. I have never heard of any reg’s regarding them. They can also get incredibly large; I’m sure finkelstein’s description is no exaggeration.
tomba

Posted by baitfish

What part do you eat and how do you clean them? I caught one at Santa Barbara Wharf, one time when I was fishing. Reeled him right up onto the pier, guess he really wanted that squid. Anyway, when I looked at him he had a heavy algae coating on top with worms. Not to appetizing! Didn’t think to try and eat one. But when I was leaving I noticed the sold them live at the fish market right on the pier. Maybe I should have sold it to them:-)  So do you just boil them or how do you prepare them? I have a crabbing/ landing net, so I could always through it over and see what happens. any suggestions for bait, technique etc.? Tight Lines, Baitfish

Posted by ISO LUNKERS

Well, as far as cooking I am not sure, but I was told about 7-8 min per pound; the last spider crab I caught was about 8-9lbs. The technigue I used was tying just the leg of a panty house filled with sardines. Worked great! I have been told by many locals that in the winter Port Hueneme pier is a hot spot for them. Hope this helps.

Posted by finkelstien

Ok, the reason people don’t eat them is they are a lot of work to clean but this is how I do it. 1st clean as much of the “stuff” off of them (i do this while waiting for the water to boil).
2nd drop them in boiling water for 3 mins then remove them and brush them with a stiff brush and remove as much of the debris from off of them. 3rd discard the water and start another pot boiling (always change the water after the first boil); boil four mins per pound.
Be sure to get the meat from the leg joints of the body. It’s a lot of labor but the meat is the greatest oh and get the slip joint pliers to crack the legs open. As for bait I use four large hooks to keep my bait on the net (4/0 or bigger) and I use squid and anchovies mostly.

Spider crab from the Balboa Pier in 2004

Posted by fishfinder on April 16, 2001
Subject: Spider Crabs

Anyone know where I can catch some spider crabs this time of year?  Also what bait? Any DFG regs on Size or Bag Limits? I live in the L.A. area. thanks Pat

Posted by baitfish

Try Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, I’m not sure about the regs, but there is a link below to the DFG site… Adam

Posted by SurFan

Seen them at Balboa Pier. Some people use chicken as bait or cans of fish based cat food(just punch a bunch of holes in the can and use the can as the bait container). Locally caught fish will probably get you the best results as bait. I’ve also seen frozen mackerel in two pound bags at Stater Bros Market for $2.50. Plastic tie downs are useful to attach the bait to the nets. There is probably a good chance you’ll find spider crabs at just about any pier in Southern Califonia. Good luck!

Posted by Snookie

Balboa Pier is a good place for catching spider crabs. They can be all around the pier from past the surf to the end of the pier. This time of year is the best time to get them. I have always caught mine on live bait and a single hook, but your umbrella net or a somewhat flat landing net will do well too. Lace these with dead bait. Dead anything will do however. Do no keep the small crabs. They are only trouble to fix. I usually try to have crabs with a carapace size of from 7 too 9 inches in diameter. These are the tastiest. They are also the hardest to work with. The legs are surrounded with 1/4 inch thick armor, but it is worth the effort. When the crabs are caught, you can remove the legs and put them into a cooler to be cooked when you get home. Steam as you would any crab. They are deeeeelicious. Good luck. Snookie

Posted by fishfinder

Thanks guys. I think I will maybe try for them later this week. Haven’t decided where though. Tight Lines, Pat

Posted by CK

I catch loads of them at Hueneme pier. I was just there and ended up catching about two dozen but only kept the biggest three. I would literally pull up three at a time. They are all over right now.

Posted by anomaly

What type of net or contraption are you using? I have a hoop net. Will that work for me at Hueneme? Thanks Anomaly

Posted by CK

Ya, everyone else uses the hoop nets and they catch alot of crabs. You will find you catch quite a few Dungeness crabs as well. Most are small but every once in awhile you’ll get a nice one.

Posted by baitfish

How do you cook them and for how long? Adam

Posted by fishfinder

I have read that you can cook them whole. Drop them in boiling water for 3-5 min. and then scrub the shell with a wire brush or some steel wool to get all the plant matter and other little creatures off. Then start a fresh pot boiling and cook them 8-9 min. a pound. You can also just ripp off the legs and cook them for 8-9 min. a pound. The shell is very tough so they have to cook a long time. This is just what I’ve read. Never actually done it though. Hope this helps. Pat

Posted by baitfish

Thanks for the info! I have caught a couple of huge ones of of Fisherman’s Wharf in S.B. Just never ate one. I wonder how they taste/texture… Adam

Posted by CK

Baitfish, I use the Pyramid traps. You can pick them up at Big 5 for 8 bucks. They look cheap but if you replace the string they come with, they work great. You boil them for 30-45 minutes. They taste great.

Posted by baitfish

Cool deal! Thanks CK… I have a hoop net, the Big 5′s around me are pretty lame, so they don’t have much. I’ll keep an eye out for them though. TL Adam

Good-sized spider crab taken by Mike Katz at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara in 1997

Posted by mmmmfiiiish on October 20, 2002
Subject: San Clemente Pier

I got to the pier about 3:30pm and caught two jacksmelt that went to waste on a sliding rig in the first two hours. At 5:30, I walked back to my car and grabbed my hoop net, and stopped by the store for a mackerel and some squid. From 6:00-1:30, the squid never even got a nibble. As for the net, all it produced was a big ugly barnacle encrusted crab. Yes, those ARE 12″ planks. Unfamiliar with crab species and regs, I played it safe and released it. Anyone have any idea what kind that is? Also, how long does it take a barnacle to get that big(about an inch and a half wide next to the front right leg)? The only other signs of life were a small white sea bass caught by another angler and a 2′ leopard shark which I unhooked and released for a guy who landed it but was scared to touch it. Conditions were, for the most part, as baitfish described Santa Monica for the 18th. Overcast with a lot of currents and some wind. On the other hand, I think I can thank the World Series for the fact that there weren’t more than 12 people on the pier at any one time. Oh well, I’ll give it another try tonight. Hopefully it will pan out better. Tim

Posted by tombaAtwork

It’s a Sheep Crab and that is a small one. They taste really good, but one that size has very little meat. The shells are so thick you need a ‘real’ hammer to break them. Bigger ones have much meatier claws.

Posted by baitfish

Too bad the conditions were ripping for you to. BTW, it’s a spider crab.

Posted by tombaAtwork

I think Spider Crab and Sheep Crab both refer to the same species on the West Coast. I have heard people call them Spider Crabs.

Posted by baitfish

Interesting, I have never heard of it being called a sheep crab, but spider crab is also the common name for this crab. After doing some searching, it looks like both names are used, but that is a first for me. Adam

Posted by das limpet

Does kinda look like a sheep. baaaaaaaa. A SHEEP FROM HELL!

Posted by kcruise

In England, the spider’s we catch are sheep crabs. They are considered quite good and eaten in France. Lots of crabbing in the Channel for these.. The males tend to weight in between 8-15lbs, with large powerful pincers. Females will weigh up to 5lbs. Thier pincers are smaller. I keep crabs over 3.5-4lbs. The real secret to eating these monsters is in the cooking. I give them an hour minimum in boiling water. They will smell terrible while cooking, but the smell will change to a sweet smell when they are ready to crack. I use an old canning pot, the type used for boiling canning jars. You’ll want to scrub them down with wire bristle brushes before you cook them. To clean them, remove them from the pot and let cool water run on the bodies for a few minutes. Ready two bags, one for the good parts, the other for the guts and whatnot. First, remove the legs. You’ll have to twist them to get them off. Next, you need to remove the bottom flap on the shell. On the females, this is where the eggs are. It should be popped open with you remove them. The trick is to remove it and the piece of shell on the back of the top shell. Once this is off, you can wash out alot of the guts. Now use a butter knife and work your way around the shell to remove the top shell. Once this comes off, you’ll have the bottom of the crab, the mantibles, gills and other gross stuff! Remove the gills and mantibles with you hands. Be careful around the mantibles, they can be sharp. You should now see the meat, which will be an off-white color. Anything yellow or beige needs to be removed. Also, some of the carpice in side can be broken off. I also break the bottom in two, making it easier to clean. Once it’s all cracked, you should have at least 1/2-1 cup of crab meat. You may have to crack the shell with a mallet. Use a dish towel to wrap the crab and give it a few whacks! You can freeze the cooked crab and use it later, or fridge it. My favorite dish is crab pasta in alfredo sauce. Use the crab, pine nuts, alfredo sauce and any style pasta. Cook the pasta, add the crab, pine nuts and sauce, mix and serve. It also goes well with any other seafood dish. Crab salad can be made, and a 8lbs male will have enough meat to feed 5 people, with left overs. This comes from catching crabs almost every weekend in the summer of 2001.

Spider crabs from the Port Hueneme Pier in 2007

Posted by kcruise on February 23, 2003
Subject: Pier Report, Santa Monica

My daughter and I loaded up early in the morning for Santa Monica Pier, our old haunt. The sky was overcast, and the tide was out. I dropped my first crab net in and set the second one up. The first pull have three spiders in the net, and the day went like that from there. We wound up with 6 total that came home, and caught at least 18. Bait of choice was chicken drumsticks, for $3.76 at Vons. One pull came up with 5 crabs in the net at once. See the photo. Fishing was okay, but I spent more time crabbing. The end result of the day: Six well cooked crabs… I had called the wife and warned her what I was bringing home. Kel

Posted by gyozadude

I’ve never had a spider crab… but I’ve always wondered. How are they eating wise? The picture does give them a flattering red hue.

Posted by donblaze420

Are the Spider crabs good for eating? I have only tasted them once and it seemed as if the shells were harder to break and there was little meat. Looks like a nice day of crabbing though! Good fishing to ya.

Posted by anomaly

I think spider crab meat is quite good. Flesh is very firm. Not as sweet as Dungeness, but it has it’s own unique and distinct flavor. Only drawback is getting to the meat. The crab has to be fairly large to get any meat out of the legs since the shells are so thick. If you are fortunate to catch one, give it a try. That’s what I did, and now I’m hooked.

Posted by Anthony

What’s the best why to crack open the shell? They do taste good but the shell is just a pain that why I don’t catch them anymore.

Posted by kcruise

Cooking and preparing spiders… Okay, the question has been asked… Here’s the skinny. Spider crab is really under enjoyed by pier fishermen. Since I’ve got a ton of these beasts before, there are some tips for them. One, I don’t keep any under 4 lbs. The ones in the sink are in the 5 lbs range. Males can come in at 15+ lbs. My rule of thumb is the shell should be as big as my hand from thumb tip to the end of my pinky stretched. The other tip is cooking. My wife tried a new way last night that she got from the Santa Barbara Shellfish Co. She cooked them for 20 mins, cleaned them, then cooked the legs and body for another 10-15 mins. When you clean them, the lower body where the legs attach is filled with meat. Not all of it’s in the legs! BTW, I watched the SBSC do this with spiny lobster, then grill them. Yum!! Cracking requires at least nutcrackers. A rolling pin may work. Also, a towel and a wooden mallet will work. The body can be broken easly to get the meat with a fork. Some markets sell crab crackers with picks. Good Cook is one brand. This meat can be used for anything that requires crab. A 5lbs crab should give you at least a cup of meat, provided you’re willing to work a little for it! The wife two favorites are crab salad and crab in alfredo sauce, pine nuts and noodles. Enjoy! Kel

Spider crabs at the Fort Baker Pier in 2003

Posted by Bent Barrel on May 19, 2003
Subject: Crabbing

Back east I would tie a chicken neck to a string and hang it off the boat or either the bank and scoop up blue crabs when you pull the line close to you slowly. I have also used the round nets that you tie or clip bait to and pull it up fast to trap them in the net. I like crabbing and was curious about the various methods employed here. I mentioned it before but I was more or less asking if anyone goes crabbing and catches anything… I’ve read through several things and there seems to not be a lot of info available for it.

Posted by geckomd

If you recently migrated to our neck of the woods up here in NorCal, Ft. Point Pier, Fort Baker Pier and Pacifica (SF locations) all offer some good crabbing action. However, the crabs here are not as “dingy” as the blue crabs. You can still use the ring net, however, you may also want to invest in a $3.00 bait cage (or make your own) to use with it as well since the seals around these parts are experts at stripping tie-on bait off these nets. Be certain to check the regulations for legal takes.

Posted by kds99

I do some crabbing at Balboa, mostly just to pass the time, Mostly it is spider crabs. I use a crab net and will catch 3-4 every time I go fishing.

Posted by Bent Barrel

I can see how the seals/sea lions would present a problem, I didn’t think about that… I like low country boil, put some cleaned crabs (clean them before you cook them) in a pot after the potatoes (whole little red new potatos), corn on the cod, and sausage are done. Put in shrimp, clams, crab legs, or crawfish or whatever you want in there after the longer cooking stuff is boiled… Old Bay or comparative seasonings are added before the water boils with a few good drinking quality beers… Great with blue crabs or Dungeoness or rock crabs (East Coast rock crabs)… Maybe one day…

Posted by joey805

Hooping at Hueneme Pier Last Night – Blah! Last night from 6pm – 9pm me and a buddy tried out our hooping skills from Huememe Pier and to much avail we ended up with a ton of small crabs. Nothing even worth keeping! Does anyone ever do any good here? I heard there are a ton of large spider crabs here. If you manage to catch one of these beasts, are they worth keeping and eating?

Posted by CK

I have taken my wife and loaded up on large spiders. They are definitely worth catching and eating.

Posted by joey805

What kinda bait do you use? Is it better to go during the day or at night? What location on the pier? How long are you leaving the hoops down for? Can you tell I’m new to this? Thanks for your help, Joey

Posted by joey805

Use a big whole cut mackerel. I tried that last night. It the bait bag we had squid, a whole cut mackerel and a handfull of sardines. All we were pulling up were small spiders and some other Dungenous-looking type crab. Everything so small though!

Small spider crab from the Malibu Pier in 2014

Posted by fishnchips

Try this for hooping… since the sharks are moving in, try using smoothhounds for crabs. Keep them in your freezer for future crab bait. I just chop the head 90% off and expose the guts. I dunno, it’s something about their scent, that works well on crabs. A huge plus is also, the sea lions have never touched my hoop net when I used sharks. If there are no sharks around, you seem to be on the right track with the fishy cut bait inside a bag. Remember, crabs will only stick around your net, if they can actually feed off of your offering. Make sure crabs can actually get to some bait too! The spiders are moving in more and more everyday it seems like. When I went to Pier II in Monterey, I could see huge spider crabs in about 10 feet or less of water. So they don’t only stay in deep water. Keep trying, you’ll get fatties soon. It seems like one night you can make a killing and the very next night, nothing. They seem to like full moons too! Hope some of this info helps!

Posted by joey805

Do you just eat the meat in the legs?

Posted by CK

Yes. The knuckle where the legs attach to the body have meat as well.

Posted by pierangler8787

Crabbing is better during the day time. Some like night time, but IMHO, the day time is better, preferebly in the afternoon hours, before sunset. Like Fishnchip said, spiders will ne in shallow water, but the best crabbing is near or at the end. The end is usually packed, but there is still good crabbing 3/4 way down. It seems the right side is a little better (west), I see a lot of mainly small crabs on the other(east). I think THE bait for humongous spider crabs, is by far, chicken legs. Relatively cheap, and last very long(non frozen is the best). You may spend a little more than what you would for a box of squid, but you will get more and bigger crabs. Mackerel is really good, as is squid. If you buy those big macks in bait shops, then it is a good idead to cut of portions of it and use those one at a time. Example, the head, guts, tail, and finally, chunked or steaked body. Try combinations of the two, and try just mackerel at one time and just chicken legs on another. The chicken legs are more effective with the skin on, but Stuffing a head of mackerel with some skin trailing out the mouth, and eyes, is really good. One more note, please lower the net in the water gently without a ruccus, I’m not saying that you did, it’s just annoying to other anglers when people do this, thanks.

Posted by fishnchips

Chicken… .of course… that used to be my bait of choice, and I never had a problem taking a good amount of crabs over by Ghiradelli Square in SF. Also, the side you fish almost always seems to matter. Like in SF, if a harbor is on one side of the pier, fish the opposite side of the harbor. For some reason, the crabs are noticably smaller on the inside as opposed to the outside of the harbor (depth difference)… might want to take that into consideration too. Also, it does not seem to matter how far you throw the net. Lowering it calmly into the water is much better, as it does scare crabs away when you throw it out and let it splash. Often people think too deep about crabbing….my point of view is: when fishing, how pesty can them crabs be?…. Pretty darn frustrating. And, they always seem to find your little piece of bait on your hook, almost right away. So, take that into consideration…. crabs are easy to attract. It’s just getting some big one’s that’s the hard part. Keep trying and don’t give up!

Posted by anomaly

Redondo Pier/Hermosa: I crab these piers several times a year with some decent results. I use mackerel, chicken wings, and raw pork for bait.

Spider crab from the Crystal Pier in San Diego in 2010

 Posted by Sheldon on February 23, 2011

My brothers and I used to make all night trips out to the Santa Monica Pier back in the 80′s. We would get the last bus on Wilshire Boulevard out to the pier and stay all night and fish. I remember on time we got there and there spider crabs all over the place incuding the trash cans. I guess they were getting hooked up by people who didn’t eat them and were tired of hooking them. We had a blast throwing them all back into the water.

 Posted by Mahigeer

If one goes to the trouble of cleaning them and only keeping the males that have arms at least 3/4″ in diameter–one can enjoy a taste similar to lobsters. That is what I have experienced.

Posted by SranW

Spider crab (Sheep crab) are much better steamed vs. cooked in boiling water. The meat taste as if pre-seasoned, with a little bit of sweetness. You need ~20 min of hot steam to fully cook the crab. The purplish roe (cooked) is very tasty, similar to sea urchin roe, except firmer but sweeter. If you which to try this steamed by a restaurant, you could try Quality Seafood at the Redondo Beach Pier (across from the arcade), 130 S International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; (310) 372-6408

 Cusk-Eels—Family Ophidiidae

Cusk-eel (Photo courtesy of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science)

Species: Ophidion scrippsae  (Hubbs, 1916); from the words otophidium (referring to the large sacklike inner ear) and scrippsae  (in honor of Ellen Browning Scripps who helped establish the Scripps Institution of Oceanography).

Alternate Names: Eel or California cusk-eel. In Mexico they’re called congriperlass or congriperla canastera, while in far off Denmark (where they could only go as tourists, they are called skæflettet slangekvabbe).

Identification: Typical elongated eel-like shape that tapers toward the rear (one identification chart says it resembles a letter opener). The head contains large eyes and a large mouth with a pair of chin whiskers. Dorsal and anal fins are pale with black margins and continuous, joining the pointed caudal fin. Adults are brown to olive above and tan below. The body is plain with no spots but the small scales on the side present a criss-cross pattern similar to a basket weave.

Size: To 10 3/4 inches although most seen at piers are less than 8 inches.

Range: From Guaymas, Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico, to Point Arguello, Central California. Found on the Pacific coast of Baja, Mexico from Todas Santos north.

Habitat: A bethnic (bottom dwelling) species typically found in nearshore, shallow-water areas, both sandy and muddy, as well as some estuarine areas. Found to a depth of about 360 feet.

Basketweave cusk-eel taken at the Newport Pier in 2003

Piers: Caught infrequently at southern California piers. Best bets: Oceanside Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier and Santa Monica Pier.

Shoreline: Rarely seen by shore anglers.

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: Cusk-eels are an incidental catch by anglers fishing on the bottom for other species. An angler has to have some luck to catch one of these fish. Generally during the day they hide in caves or crevices so most are caught at night or on overcast days. In addition, they typically will bury themselves in the sand and strike out at a passing meal. Their typical foods are small crustaceans, small clams, polychaete worms, and other invertebrates. Thus a small hook baited with worms, pieces of shrimp, or small pieces of clams will offer the best chance for these small fish.

Food Value: Not sure of their food value. Most I have seen were really too small to offer up much of a meal. The only two I have caught now reside in bottles of formaldehyde. However, the kingclip, a cusk-eel that reaches five feet in length in southern and eastern Pacific waters is considered a commercial species and its flesh is considered excellent.

Cusk-eel (Photo courtesy of Mex-Fish)

Comments: I caught my first cusk-eel when I was a neophyte angler fishing from the Newport Pier in the fall of 1962. Since I already fancied myself an amateur ichthyologist, I was determined to identify what this strange fish was, especially since no one I asked had a clue as to its identity. After an exhaustive search through antiquated reference books, I identified the fish. According to Marine Fishes of Southern California by Percy Spencer Barnhart (University of Californiua Press, 1936) it was a Southern California Cusk Eel (Otophidium Scrippsi) [Common and scientific names since changed]. Next, the fish was pickled in formaldehyde for my biology class at Newport Harbor High School. It may, for all I know, still be there. In December of 2002, I caught another of these little cusk-eels out at the end of the Newport Pier and it too was destined for preservation. However, it resides with the Fish and Game Department and is used by them to train game wardens in fish identification. By the way, the fish now has a new common name—basketweave cusk-eel. This fish has a closely related relative called the spotted cusk-eel (Chilara taylori). It is similar in shape to the basketweave cusk-eel but covered with dark blotches on its upper body. It is slightly larger, ranges all the way to Oregon, and is actually more common in California than the basketweave cusk-eel. But, it is also more of a deep-water fish and encountered less often at piers. However, I have seen several caught at the Balboa Pier and Newport Pier, piers that are located near deep-water canyons.

Yellow snake eel caught by Fishy at the Balboa Pier in 2007

Species: Ophichthus zophochir (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882); Ophichthus, from two Greek words meaning serpent and fish, and the Greek zophochir, for darkness and hand (dark pectoral fins).

Alternate Names: Eww, a snake!  Eww, a snake!  In Mexico called Tieso Amarillo; in Peru called Anguila amarilla or Culebra marina.

Identification: Typical eel-like shape with a spike-like tail, the dorsal fin starts above the pectoral fin and ends before reaching the tail; no fin rays.  A barbel between the front and rear nostrils and usually two barbels behind the rear nostril. Reddish-olive, purplish, brown, yellowish-brown or yellow above; lighter below; no spots.

 Yellow snake eel taken at the Dana Harbor Pier in 2006

Size: Up to 39 inches.

Range:  From Huacho, Peru, to Eureka, Humboldt Bay; also seen in the Gulf of California. First reported in California by Hubbs in 1916 from a specimen collected off Long Beach and once considered rare (California Fish Bulletin Number 157, Miller and Lea, 1972 — with under 20 ever reported in California). However, PFIC has had many reports of these eels, most commonly from Newport Bay and Huntington Harbor and they are now considered fairly common north to Long Beach.

Habitat: Found in both sandy and rocky areas down to a 60-foot depth (although one source, Wintersteen, 1975, says 210 feet).

Yellow snake eel taken from the Dana Harbor Pier by fishsouthcounty in 2010

Piers: PFIC has had reports from quite a few piers. Best bets: Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Point Harbor Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Belmont Pier, Venice Pier and the small piers inside of Newport Bay and Huntington Harbor. Science records show an Ophichthus zophochir being taken from the Del Mar Pier in 1960 (although the pier was demolished in 1959) and from the Berkeley Pier in 1964. PFIC regular “Mel” caught, photographed and released a yellow snake eel from the Berkeley Pier in 2006. I photographed one that was caught by a fellow angler one night out at the end of the Newport Pier. That fish, taken in 2002 was given to the DF&G.

Yellow snake eel (top) and basketweave cusk-eel (bottom) taken at the Newport Pier in 2002

Soreline: A rare catch by southern California shore anglers.

Boats: An inshore species rarely seen on boats.

Bait and Tackle: Taken incidentally by anglers fishing on the bottom for other species. Most commonly taken at night and with squid as bait (although their preferred food is supposedly fish and clams). I would also think saltwater worms such as bloodworms and lug worms would be excellent baits. Tackle should be kept simple: a medium-sized outfit with light line and a size 6 to 2 hook. Be prepared for a surprisingly spirited tassel.

Food Value:  Don’t know anyone who has eaten one although most eels are considered fair to good eating.

Comments: An unusual, gnarly catch that enjoys twisting its limber body around your arm (and scaring the bejeebers out of you) when you try to unhook it.

A yellow snake eel taken from the San Clemente Pier in 2016 (Photo courtest Hashem Nahid)

Yellow snake eel taken in Huntington Harbor by Tobias Lopez in 2013

Yellow snake eel taken from the Dana Harbor Pier in 2002 by John Coll

Yellow snake eel taken in the Huntington Harbor in 2006 by Jimboijack

Another shot of the yellow snake eel taken at the Dana Harbor Pier in 2010 by fishsouthcounty

Yes they can get a little gnarly. Yellow snake eel taken by Mel at the Berkeley Pier in 2006

Yellow snake eel taken in Huntington Harbor by Tobias Lopez in 2013

Close up view of a yellow snake eel’s mouth —  Huntington Harbor 2003

Yellow snake eel taken at the Oceanside Pier in 2010

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Bonefish caught at Spanish Landing in San Diego Bay by jkim

Species: Albula gilberti Pfeiler & Van der Heiden, 2011. Previously referred to as Albula vulpes and “Albula sp. A” (Pfeiler and Van der Heiden 2011). From the Latin Albula (meaning fox).

Alternate Names: Ladyfish, mullet, silver ghost, silver shuttle, sanducha and macabi. There are hundreds of local names for the fish worldwide. My favorites: banana or bananafish (many countries), sorte de mullet (New Caladonia; and it does sort of look like a mullet), salmon peel (Barbados) and Zorro (Spain and Peru). Called macabi in Mexico.

Identification: Snout conical and cartilaginous with a small mouth. One dorsal fin located at the middle of the back. Generally gray, bluish or greenish above, silvery below; base of fins yellowish. Sometimes bars at side, usually in younger fish; bars fade at death. Often confused with mullet by anglers  who see mullet milling down around the pilings of piers.

Bonefish from the Balboa Pier in 2007

Size: Length in the eastern Pacific to 14.2 inches (Pfeiler and Van der Heiden 2011). Typical size from California piers is 10-12 inches.

Range: San Francisco, northern California, along west coast of Baja California, and into the Gulf of California (Pfeiler and Van der Heiden 2011) to Acapulco, Mexico (Palacios-Salgado et al. 2014). Increasing number have been seen in southern California in the past twenty years with a regular fishery developing in San Diego Bay.

Habitat: Shallow waters, in bays, lagoons, estuaries and along sandy-beach shores.

Bonefish taken by anadomous at a “secret” spot in south San Diego Bay

Piers: In California, In California, most often encountered at piers inside of bays but occasionally found at ocean-front piers.  Best bets are the Ferry Landing Pier (Coronado), Bayshore Park Pier (Chula Vista), L.M. “Pep” Pepper Park Pier  (National City), and the Embarcadero Marina Park Pier—all located in San Diego Bay. Also reported from the Oceanside Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Seal Beach Pier. Unconfirmed reports from the Imperial Beach Pier, Belmont Pier and San Francisco Bay.

Shoreline: An occasional catch by anglers at SoCal bays and harbors—San Diego Bay, Mission Bay, Newport Bay, Huntington Harbor, Alamitos Bay and Marina Del Rey Harbor.

Two bonefish taken from the Newport Pier in 2001

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken from boats unless fishing in bays. South San Diego Bay is considered an excellent area for bonefish.

Bait and Tackle: Light to medium tackle, size 6 or 4 hooks, and ghost shrimp, bloodworms, clams, fresh mussels, or cut shrimp as bait.

Food Value: Reported to be good eating but they also supposedly contain many small bones. Perhaps that’s why they are called bonefish?

Comments: Bonefish are a highly sought out fish in many parts of the world (especially in the Caribbean). However, the more prized fish are a different sub-species reaching a much larger size. The Cortez bonefish found in California is a smaller sized bonefish and  an incidental  catch for most California anglers. I’ve only caught two, both in 1999, and both from the Embarcadero Marina Park Pier in San Diego Bay (on ghost shrimp) and while they put up a good fight, the fight didn’t equal the stories I had heard over the years regarding the “silver ghost.” But, to be fair, the fish I caught were relatively small and were caught on medium tackle, not on a fly rod.

A bonefish taken near the boat docks in Coronado (San Diego Bay) by pEsCaDoR619 in 2003.

“While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.” Oops, whoa Nellie, stop, stop, stop the press, that’s the wrong vision! This vision was more pescatorial, one of big game fish being caught at the SoCal piers, fish such as yellowtail, shortfin corvina, bonefish and more exotic species rarely seen at the piers. The reports of great fishing and unusual species that began to show up in boat reports in the spring and summer of 2015 were amazing. Bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, dorado, wahoo, unbelievable numbers of yellowtail, marlin, spearfish and others were seemingly being caught throughout southern California’s offshore waters. Even half day boats and kayaks fishing fairly close to land were catching the big game species.

For the piers the main difference, at least into July and August, was the arrival of bonito, one of the hardest fighting fish in the sea, and the boneheads were being reported from San Diego up to Goleta. Every warm-water year sees some bonito but by the end of August yellowtail were also being reported at many piers. Then came reports of the aforementioned corvina and bonefish. September seemed like it might be an epic month, perhaps even rivaling the 1957 season when so many big game fish were caught from piers.

The result was an almost mandatory trip to southern California; a five-day trip to eight southland piers. But, it was a trip that would earn the nickname “Sauna Tour.”

Why that title? One initial hope for the trip was to escape the 100-104 degree weather that was taking place in Fresno. There’s nothing like a cool 75-degree day at the beach to alleviate the scorching valley heat. Hurricane Linda, sitting off of Baja, and the effects from that storm, would change the entire picture, both the weather and the fishing.

The temperature at the beach cities for the five-day trip was basically the same—92 to 98 degree heat along with very high humidity. It felt more like Mississippi or Louisiana than SoCal.  It was scorching in the sun and shirts were sweat soaked after a short time.

The hurricane also affected the fishing. A few days before the trip, powerful waves began to slam the SoCal beaches. In response, the huge numbers of baitfish that had been reported in inshore waters disappeared. Apparently they moved offshore and that meant the number of larger fish that fed on the baitfish also largely disappeared. The story was the same at every pier. “You should have been here last week. The bonito bite was fantastic but they all disappeared.” One bait shop reported they had been selling over 50 pounds of anchovies a day before the fish left, now they were selling about four pounds a day.

It is what it is, you have to take the bad with the good and there are rarely guarantees when it comes to fishing. The trip would yield some fish but nothing like anticipated. One bonito would be caught, but no more, and none of the more exotic species.

Day one, Wednesday, September 9, would see me pick up my fishing buddy, Mike Granat, in Clovis before starting the four hour drive from Fresno to Los Angeles. We would make a stop to pick up some “Goody Bags” for our next Kid’s Fishing Derby, and then make another short stop at Best Fishing Tackle on Rosecrans in Hawthorne to pick up some lug worms. From there it was a short trip down to Costa Mesa and our motel for the night. Upon arrival in Costa Mesa it was quickly evident how hot and sticky the weather would be.

But, since there was time for a few hours fishing before dinner, we headed out to the Newport Pier. I always tell Mike that if a pier is crowded the fish are in, if the pier is deserted, fishing is slow. Given the sparse number of anglers on the pier, it was obvious that the fishing might not be as hot as the weather—and that indeed was the case.

The dozen or so anglers at the end were fishing Sabiki bait rigs and catching a few fish, a few small fish. Their main catch was little 6-inch Pacific mackerel which make great bait for halibut (or yellowtail). However, our visit would be short and it was getting a little too late in the day to be catching live bait.

Nevertheless, high-low rigs were sent out baited with lug worms and cut mackerel. Soon after, a kelp bass (aka calico bass) in love with the lug worm decided to make a trip up to the top of the pier. But, instead of 14 inches, the legal length, it was only 11 inches long. It was returned to the briny and told to grow a few more inches. Not much was biting other than a few mackerel.

Kelp Bass aka Calico Bass, Checkerboard Bass and Police Cars

Eventually the 4:15-6 PM fishing yielded three mackerel and the one bass, all fairly small. The one good bite, two large mackerel grabbing the high/low hooks at the same time, were lost when one of the three sea lions patrolling the pier waters decided the mackerel were easy pickings. The bewhiskered beast grabbed the mackerel, broke the line, and showed who was boss.

Pacific Mackerel aka Chub Mackerel, Blue Mackerel and Greenbacks

At six we packed up and headed over to one of my favorite restaurants along the California coast. The Crab Cooker sits across the street from the pier and I’ve been going to the restaurant for over 40 years. I always make sure to get some chowder, eat too many of the hard bread sticks, and I usually get some shrimp and scallops. For once I was able to park right outside the front door (parking can be a problem) and we headed in. Soon after we were stuffed and heading back to the motel.

The Crab Cooker

Day 2, Thursday, September 10, was a planned reunion with Snookie and her gang at the Balboa Pier. Expectations were high. She had reported  catching bonito, yellowtail, barracuda, numerous halibut, and a variety of other fish the prior week (including seeing an angler land a bonefish).  It did seem a little improbable based upon what we had seen at Newport the prior night but you never know.

We arrived at 8 AM and decided to fish the end area until Snookie arrived. I asked a couple of anglers who were leaving the pier how the action was and they both replied the same thing, good mackerel action from 6 until about 7 and then the bite had shut down (the typical early morning mackerel bite). We were late and by the time we got to the end there weren’t too many anglers. That’s always a bad sign and sure enough those still fishing were lamenting the slow action. They were using Sabiki rigs but not getting many fish.

The end of the Balboa Pier was relatively devoid of anglers

Mike had never caught a bonito and that was his main goal for the trip so he rigged up one of his red colored bonito balls (that he makes), attached one of his bright green feathers (that he gets from Africa), and started casting out. Lo and behold in about fifteen minutes he had a nice-sized bonito. The rest of the anglers casting for bonito, including yours truly, went fishless for bonito in Newport. What was interesting was the number of anglers who came over to check out his bonito gear, both the feather and the ball, and all seemed to think his was the best they had seen.

Mike Granat, his first bonito, and his “Granat Ball and Feather”

Pacific Bonito aka Boneheads, Flashers, Striped Tuna and (my favorite) Mr. Bojangles

I did catch a couple of nice little bass, one a kelp bass and the other a sand bass, but none of the bonehead bonito.

At about 9:30 I spotted Snookie and we headed inshore to fish with her. Unfortunately the weather had tuned hot, real hot. It would reach 98 degrees at the pier that day and we were sweating more than I thought possible.

Snookie

She said she had been at the pier Tuesday and sure enough the action had slowed. The waves had stirred up the water and the baitfish so prevalent the prior week were now largely missing. But, she went on a quest for some live bait. She had been using a variety of baitfish including small Pacific mackerel and Spanish mackerel but they just weren’t biting. She worked hard to fill the bait bucket and did manage some smelt but even the smelt weren’t cooperating (and I only got one).

Fishing was slow, in fact very slow. However, Snookie did manage to land one bonito. I on the other hand could not buy a bonito. I did though rig up a live bait rig and dropped a smelt into a depression between the pilings under the pier. The result was a flattie, a halibut that must have liked dining on smelt. As usual, it looked bigger in the water but upon bringing it to the pier it was obviously a sub-legal fish only about a guesstimated 17 inches long.

KJ and a sub-legal sized California Halibut

I also managed a smallish-sized shovelnose guitarfish while Mike caught a small yellowfin croaker but that was it. The fishing was as cold as the weather was hot. Snookie and her sister were using some kind of “cool” scarves but I think we were all red faced, sweating, uncomfortable, and getting dehydrated.

The Newport Pier sits just a short distance up the Newport Peninsula from Balboa

We fished until 12:15 and that was enough. We wanted to beat the traffic out of Orange County, Snookie needed to go to her choir practice, and everyone was beat. We had enjoyed the company but were obviously disappointed with the fishing.

We then headed south toward Oceanside but did make a short detour to Hogan’s Bait and Tackle in Dana Point. I wanted to pick up some bloodworms and managed to spend a few more bucks after seeing some things that I just couldn’t live without. It’s always good to visit that store and see its knowledgeable staff.

Back on the road, we were soon in Oceanside and checked into the motel. Mike was a little tired out from the heat and wanted to take a nap while I wanted to go fishing.  I decided to head down to the small pier in Oceanside Harbor. I usually manage to catch a few fish at the pier and this day would be much the same (although most were fairly small). I fished from 3:30 until 4:45 and managed 14 fish, 8 kelp bass (on bloodworms), 1 decent-sized spotfin croaker (on bloodworm), 1 salema, 3 smelt and a shinerperch. It wasn’t much to crow about but at least there was some action and I enjoyed the beautiful clouds while suffering through the heat.

The Oceanside Harbor Pier

Spotfin Croaker aka Golden Croaker and Roncador (the snorer)

The most interesting fish I saw was a garibaldi caught by an angler who was using bread to catch some smelt for bait. I didn’t know they liked bread.

There are almost always some birds at the pier

Dumbest move was by a girl in a kayak who decided to paddle over to a float full of sea lions. She actually paddled right up to the float and tried to pet a couple of the beasts. They bellowed at her and she seemed surprised that they might not enjoy her visit.

El Dumbo!

It was a beautiful sky that day

Next up was dinner and we headed over to the Joe’s Crab Shack that sits in the harbor. Burnt food, desultory service, and an unhappy Mr. Jones by the end of the meal.  

After dinner I walked down to Helgren’s Sportfishing to talk to some fishermen who had arrived on the Oceanside 95 Sportfisher while we were eating.  Boats had been pulling in yellowtail, bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna during an almost unheard of season of success. But the hurricane had affected their action too. The boat full of anglers had returned from the 1½ day trip with 4 fish, not exactly a crowd pleasing number. They were hoping the next day would be better.

After dinner Mike was ready for bed. I said we needed some fresh bait so headed down to the Oceanside Pier to catch some mackerel.  Anglers were catching mackerel using glow sticks and hi/lows baited with pieces of mackerel and I copied their rigs and bait. I fished from 8:30 to 10 PM and landed 15 Pacific mackerel and 1 sargo. We now had some fresh bait for the next day.

Day 3, Friday, September 11. Friday morning we planned to meet up with Ed Gonsalves who runs the Oceanside Pier Bait Shop and then do a little fishing. Ed suggested a spot midway out on the pier and his advice was good. Three hours of fishing yielded 13 Pacific Mackerel, (on cut mackerel) 10 Kelp Bass (on bloodworms), 1 Sand Bass (on a bloodworm) and 1 Topsmelt.

Mike at the “spot”

Ruby’s Restaurant sits at the end of the pier

Good sentiment!

The Oceanside Pier is one of my favorite piers

The Oceanside Pier Bait ShopA nice Shovelnose Guitarfish caught by “Bernie”

We had lunch with Ed ad his wife Pam and were soon headed to San Diego. The first stop in San Diego was at Squidco where I bought one more bag of bloodworms and would have gotten some ghost shrimp but they were out. We then checked into our motel. Mike was a little tired so decided on a nap before dinner. I, on the other hand, wanted to go fishing so headed over to the Ocean Beach Pier where action HAD been great. It was now slow. Nevertheless, fishing from 3-4:45 PM produced a plethora of fish: 7 Kelp Bass (most on blood worms), 4 Topsmelt, 2 Salema and 1 Rock Wrasse, the first I have caught at the pier.

You could see the Coronado Islands (Islas Coronados) off in the distance

The left corner of the pier

Out at the end

Salema aka Big Eye Bass and Lima Perch

Rock Wrasse aka Parrot Fish

Dinner was at the Kaiserhof Restaurant in Ocean Beach where we met up with my son Mike. It may be the best German restaurant in California and I’ve been going there for years. Once again they produced an excellent dinner.

I got a chance to visit with my son Mike for a few hours

Day 4, Saturday, September 12. Crystal Pier would be the destination Saturday morning. It had just yielded up a 40+ pound yellowtail a couple of weeks before our trip, had been producing some shortfin corvina, and might be our best chance for some good fish.

We arrived fairly early because we knew parking would be a problem (it always is) but we still had to park two blocks away from the pier. Upon arrival we only found one other angler (and he was a good one). We headed out to the end and settled in for some fishing (which was slow).

Although already hot and sticky, it was a beautiful morning

Mike getting ready

Looking shoreward

I decided to set up a heavy rig on the bottom baited with mackerel and shortly thereafter hooked something strong that headed out like a bat ray. I finally got it stopped and heading into the pier (where I worried about the pilings). Sure enough it was a bat ray that took more work than it should have to get it up onto the pier. The problem was the current moving inshore and pushing the net under the pier as soon as it got into the water. It took a while but finally the fish was netted and pulled up. Then we had a new problem getting it over the boards that stick out a couple of feet.  If I was a little younger I might have hopped over the railing and simply grabbed the net but those days are over. I finally swung the net over the railing and we were able to grab it and bring it in. It wasn’t a huge bat ray but it still was fun.

KJ and a Bat Ray (aka Stingray, Mud Marlin, Flapper, NASCAR and Sea Bird)

The only two other fish I caught was a round stingray and a small mackerel, which I baited up while trying for a shortfin corvina (with no success). Mike caught a Round Stingray.

Mike and his Round Stingray (aka Stinger and Stingaree)

Live bait was needed but I couldn’t even seem to get that. And, it meant I didn’t have the right bait when a school of firecracker-sized yellowtail showed up next to the pier. Five yellowtail were caught, all small ones, but still yellowtail.

One of the local experts, Angel Hernandez, did have the right bait and he caught two yellowtail. We had a long and interesting talk and I am waiting on some pictures he has taken of recent catches of shortfin corvina. He has also hooked several Giant Sea Bass including one that he said might go two hundred pounds.

A small yellowtail caught by Angel Hernandez at Crystal Pier

Of course I also wasn’t in the right spot. I had started out at the end when yellowtail were not being caught. I then moved into the shallows fishing for corvina but none would be caught that day. While I was at the front of the pier the yellowtail were visiting the back of the pier. So it goes.

The pier became a popular spot with people as the day continued 

We had to leave at 11:00 AM to attend my granddaughter’s soccer match but I think Crystal would have been the place to be for both yellowtail and corvina (if I just had a little more time). Unfortunately, I didn’t have the additional time.

Following the soccer match we had to head north, the destination being San Clemente. This time we checked into our motel, had an early dinner, and then headed down to Dana Harbor to fish from the small pier.

It turned out the harbor area by the pier was having a festival— the “Toshiba Tall Ships Festival,” and the shoreline and pier was filled with people. Thankfully most of the activities were finished by 5 PM and we were able to find a parking spot and some room to fish.

The Pilgrim

We fished from 6:40-9:10 PM and the visit yielded the usual bay species: 6 kelp bass, 2 sand Bass, 1 sculpin (California scorpionfish), 1 sargo and 1 good-sized spotfin croaker.

Spotfin Croaker

Day 5, Sunday, September 13. The last morning I would be fishing alone since Mike was visiting his daughter. I was at the pier at 7 AM and joined several other anglers out at the end of the pier who were pulling in some fish.

The early morning at the pier

Once again I tried for bonito and once again I had no success. However, smaller species were abundant. Three and a quarter hours of fishing produced 40 fish: 18 Pacific mackerel, 6 jacksmelt, 5 salema, 5 topsmelt, 3 kelp bass, 2 grunion and 1 sand bass.

Sand Bass aka Barred Sand Bass, Sugar Bass, Johnny Verde Bass and Grumpies (large fish)

Surfers and the train

The pier, the train, and no surfers

Looking shoreward

The San Clemente Pier and one of the prettiest settings for a pier

Unfortunately the sun and heat were once again brutal and I was covered with sweat when I left the pier. Once I picked up Mike the next stop would be back home in Fresno. Surprisingly when Mike and I arrived in Fresno/Clovis the weather had cooled slightly. In fact, it was actually cooler than it had been at the beach.

In summary, the trip was somewhat disappointing, both as to the heat and humidity and the lack of large, exotic species, i.e., yellowtail, shortfin corvina and bonefish. Realistically though, you still have to have some luck to catch those species. You have to be there at the right time with the right techniques. I think we had the techniques and bait covered but the timing was off. Everyone said you should have been here last week. Big tides had moved in and rattled the inshore waters, the baitfish seemed to mostly move offshore, and many of the larger species followed them. I think things were calming by Saturday/Sunday, and fishing would start to improve, but I had to return to Fresno (darn it). You only have so much time and money.

Nevertheless, the 23.75 hours spent fishing did yield a variety of fish: 50 Pacific Mackerel, 36 Kelp Bass, 14 Topsmelt, 8 Salema, 6 Jacksmelt, 5 Sand Bass., 2 Spotfin Croaker, 2 Sargo, 2 Grunion, 1 California Halibut, 1 Shovelnose Guitarfish, 1 Bat Ray, 1 Round Stingray, 1 Sculpin (California Scorpionfish), 1 Rock Wrasse, and 1 Shinerperch

Ken Jones — Fish Taco Chronicles —Spring 2015

Maybe one day there really will be a time travel machine. It may be a “pie in the sky” hope but it’s an increasingly common thought I’ve had while researching the history of California’s piers.

The piers have changed, as has the tackle, but most interesting, or perhaps depressing, is the change to the number and size of fish. The tales of large sportfish being caught on piers (or early wharves) are sometimes amazing.

The records for the late 1800s into about 1910 show incredible amounts of fish and heavy harvesting by commercial nets. By 1910, stories began lamenting the overfishing by the commercial industry; by the 1920s, the records more resemble today’s catches with the exception that large number of yellowtail still were caught from piers, as well as large halibut, and huge giant (black) sea bass.

Today a yellowtail from a pier is a noteworthy achievement, the vast majority of halibut from piers are undersized fish, and while the giant sea bass are once again becoming common to SoCal piers, most are youngsters under 50 pound in weight.

As said, some of the stories are amazing. They give glimpse to a different world and reason why a time machine would be a handy little device to have the next time an urge to go fishing comes along. Some of the most interesting reports follow.

Giant (Black) Sea Bass at Coronado — 1905

Giant (Black) Sea Bass—the stories of giant (black) sea bass caught from wharves in the early 20^th century are amazing. Many people fished exclusively for the bass using heavy equipment and many caught huge fish. Today the fish are illegal and though an increasing number are caught from piers, none of the recent fish have been recorded at these large sizes.

• Long Beach—John Leach, an employee of the Pine Avenue Fish Market, broke a Southern California record yesterday at the end of the Pine Avenue Pier by landing a jewfish weighing 365 pounds. —Santa Ana Register, June 12, 1914

• The biggest fish story of the weekend comes from Hueneme Wharf where the five week’s old patience of a Hollywood angler was rewarded with the capture of a 400-pound jewfish yesterday. A crowd of over 100 assembled on the Hueneme Wharf to watch the landing of the monster fish, which took an hour and half of struggle. The successful fisherman was Arthur Kovalovsky of 7300 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, who has camped at the Hueneme Beach Resort for the past 5 weekends, spending most of the time trying to tempt the big fish to accept his offering of three pound mackerel used as bait… Until yesterday he was unsuccessful in landing any of the large fellows though some were nearly caught at times. —Oxnard Press-Courier, July 25, 1927

• Carl Sandino, one of the operators of a live bait stand on Balboa pier, hooked and landed the biggest fish of any kind ever caught off that pier yesterday. Sandino’s catch was a giant black sea bass, which tipped the scales at 452 pounds. The head weighed 70 pounds. —Santa Ana Register, May 13, 1930

• R. A. Hendricks brought in the biggest fish of the year late yesterday afternoon, when he landed a 453-pound black sea bass at Stearns Wharf after a hard fight that lasted nearly two hours. He was fishing on the side of the wharf opposite the pile driver when the big fish struck. He played the fish from the wharf until he had broken one of the handles on his reel and was nearly exhausted. He said this morning that the fish made forty to fifty runs out to the end of his 150 yards of line. Each time the fish apparently tired and allowed himself to be towed back to the wharf by the fisherman. Finally Mr. Hendricks jumped into a rowboat that was alongside the wharf. The fish was tied to the boat and the fight continued. Several times the big fish was worked in alongside of the boat, but would suddenly break away for another run. A small .22-caliber rifle was brought into play as the fish came alongside of the boat for the final time and five shots stopped the fight… Many Santa Barbara fishermen saw the huge fish this morning. It measured seven feet three inches from tip to tip and two feet across the tail.                —Santa Barbara Daily News, October 23, 1925

Yellowtail—As would be expected, the deep-water piers at Newport and Redondo, and the long, long, Long Wharf near Santa Monica, led the hit parade for numbers of yellowtail caught by pier anglers. However, from the late 1800s into the “Roaring Twenties” they were seen at almost every pier. Of course these fish were joined by other pelagic species including mackerel, bonito, jacksmelt and, apparently, skipjack.

• Huge Yellowtail Taken From Wharf At Avalon. Terrific Struggle Is Witnessed By Highly-Excited Crowd, Ends Finally in Capture of Forty-Pound Fish — Avalon, Cal., May 21.—W. M. Le Favor of Avalon, while fishing off the wharf yesterday morning, caught a forty-pound yellowtail, which gave him a great fight. As soon as he hooked the monster it began a series of circles, going in and out among the piles, while the many onlookers watched the magnificent struggle for supremacy. Finally the yellowtail cleared the piles and Mr. Le Favor with the assistance of three other men, succeeded in landing him. The day before Le Favor succeeded in landing a thirty-two  and a half pound yellowtail off the same wharf. Fully 150 people saw the fish weighed. Yellowtail are being caught off the wharf daily. — Los Angeles Herald, May 22, 1908

• The smoothest seas of the year are now prevailing at Redondo. People are enjoying the bathing, boating and fishing. Rock cod, halibut and yellowtails are being caught from the pier. Early in the morning long strings of mackerel are pulled out. The balance of the day nothing but larger fish are caught. —Los Angeles Herald, September 4, 1890

• The usual Sunday crowd, numbering up among the thousands, invaded the beach today, enjoying the surf, listening to the Douglas military band in the hotel park or taking out a fine basket of mackerel and yellowtail from the Redondo wharf. —Los Angeles Herald, June 26, 1893

• Mr. J. M. Sare states that yesterday’s fishing at Newport wharf excelled anything he ever saw. The big yellowtail kept the water in a boil, chasing mackerel and other fish up to the very edge of the sands. His wife caught three fifteen-pounders in a few minutes. Fish were stacked on the beach like cordwood. —Los Angeles Herald, September 19, 1896

• No better fishing was ever had at Redondo than now. Numerous anglers on the wharves are catching hundreds of yellowtail, barracuda, halibut, flounder and mackerel. —Los Angeles Herald, October 14, 1898

• Newport— This week the fishing has improved considerably and the farther end of the wharf is busy with anglers. Thursday was one of the good days of the week, a large number of big yellowtail being caught, besides mackerel and halibut. Henry Moye of Santa Ana pulled out four superb yellowtails averaging about 17 pounds each. —Santa Ana Register, September 14, 1907

• Newport—Fishermen are catching yellowtails weighing as high as thirty-two pounds off the wharf. —Los Angeles Herald, May 22, 1908

• Huntington Beach—Many yellowtails have been caught here this week. Earl Nelson secured one at the wharf yesterday weighing thirty pounds. —Santa Ana Register, October 3, 1908

Redondo continued good all the week for cornfed mackerel and jacksmelt, and on two days yellowtail made their appearance and gave great sport. An unusual shore run of sardines brought schools of bonito and skipjacks inside and kept things lively on all three wharves for a day or two. —Los Angeles Herald, October 18, 1908

• Monday and Wednesday were banner days for sportsmen the past week. More than sixty yellowtail were caught from the S. P. wharf at Newport. Geo. Smith caught seven skipjacks and a bonito Wednesday. —Santa Ana Register, October 19, 1908

• Redondo—Spanish and greenback mackerel and yellowtail are running in great numbers here now. All three wharves are occupied by many fishermen. —Santa Ana Register, October 12, 1909

• Newport—Yellowtail have been very numerous around the wharf and five or six is the average number caught daily. A great many more are hooked but manage to escape either by breaking a hook or line. Some of the yellowtail are very large and require an expert to bring them to gaff. —Santa Ana Register, November 1, 1909

• Redondo—Excitement over the heavy run of mackerel has now reached the point where scores of fishermen line the wharves as early as 3 o’clock in the morning to make certain of a place from which to fish at daylight when the mackerel come to feed. At daylight yesterday morning there were no fewer than 300 fishermen on the various wharves waiting for the run… On wharf No. 3, seventeen yellowtails were landed yesterday, the largest one weighing 33 ½ pounds. —Santa Ana Register, August 25, 1910

• Redondo—Yesterday was the first day of the season that the yellowtail and barracuda began running in schools and much excitement and interest prevails along the three wharves where men, women and children are bringing in the big ones, ranging in weight from five to fifteen pounds. —Santa Ana Register, August 5, 1919

Halibut—Halibut were a common catch at all piers but the numbers were higher and the larger fish were bigger.

• Long Wharf—On August 17, 1917, a sensation was created when the biggest halibut to be caught in several years was taken. It weighed 62 ¾ pounds, measured 4 feet 2 inches across the back and 5 feet 8 inches from its snout to the end of its tail, and was 40 minutes in the catching. (It’s unclear if this halibut was actually caught from the pier.) —Ernest Marquez, Port Los Angeles, A Phenomenon of the Railroad Era, 1975

• The largest halibut ever caught with a light line and tackle from a pier on the Pacific coast was hauled in at Balboa late yesterday by Harry Campbell, Balboa fisherman and a member of the Balboa Angling Club. The fish weighed 45 ¾ pounds. Large halibut are being brought in regularly along the beach at Balboa and Newport Beach, but the one captured by Campbell is the largest ever caught in the vicinity. —Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1927

• A 44-pound halibut measuring nearly five feet from tip to tip was the catch of R. O. Stull of North Giassell this morning. Stull caught the big fish off the Newport pier at 7:30 o’clock with a three-pound grab hook… The fish put up a game fight and was landed with difficulty, the line breaking just as a net was lowered under him. —Santa Ana Register, July 29, 1931

• The largest halibut ever to be taken from the Huntington Beach pier is the 54-pound fish pictured above.  W. S. Keith of 1024 North Olive Street, Santa Ana (left), and H. C. Carmichael of Huntington Beach (right) made the catch. —Santa Ana Register, May 5, 1939

White Sea Bass—White sea bass and young sea bass called sea trout were common at many of the piers but especially at the Ocean Park Pier.

• It is reported that the big white sea bass are coming into to surf to feed again and several were hooked off the Newport pier last night, with one weighing 48 pounds being landed. —Santa Ana Register, June 2, 1934

• Can fish see at night is definitely answered by anglers frequenting the pier at Ocean Park each night to fish for sea trout under the brilliant spotlights. Ed Marshall, in charge of the tackle store and end of pier fishing, reports increasing numbers of sportsmen taking up this fascinating method of deep-sea fishing. Good catches of sea trout are reported, which should reach maximum in a week or so, reports Marshall. —Van Nuys News, May 3, 1934

• Biggest Run of Sea Trout, Bass at Pier in Years—One hundred fifty white sea bass in a single evening’s fishing from the Ocean Park Pier during the past week is positive proof of the biggest run of sea trout in years, reports Commodore Bob Oefinger. Not only are great numbers of sea trout being taken at night under the spotlights, but halibut of unusual size and in quantity are also being landed on every unit of the fleet out from this popular fishing port. A few examples of individual catches are given here: Ten sea trout by Geo. Carlson, Pasadena, end of Ocean Park Pier; Fifteen halibut by L. Weiner, Los Angeles, end of Ocean Park Pier; Thirty sea trout by Bob McKay, Venice, end of Ocean Park Pier. —Van Nuys News, June 14, 1934

• One source said pier fishing was the finest in the last 10 years. Several hundred barracuda and white sea bass were taken from the Newport wharf alone yesterday. —Santa Ana Register, May 25, 1939

Sharks and “Biggest Fish From a California Pier”—Back in the day when the giant sea bass were a commonly caught species, the equipment was heavy and the bait was big. However, you never knew what you were going to catch and this shark might have been the largest fish taken from a California pier.

• Newport Beach, Oct. 30—A genuine “man eating” shark, fourteen feet long and weighing approximately 1800 pounds, said to be the largest fish ever caught from the Newport Pier, was hauled to land shortly after 2 o’clock Monday afternoon by Frank Claudenia. The battle between the huge sea monster and Claudenia waged only for fifteen minutes when onlookers, realizing that the catch at the end of the line was of such nature that it could not probably have been landed, made for their homes for a rifle which to shoot the monster. R. J. Shaffer of this city, who had been fishing on the pier, was the first to reach shore and return with a rifle. He immediately took four shots at the monster. The last of the shots succeeded in hitting the “man eater” in a vital spot and he floated quietly on the water. A team of horses was secured to draw him upon the beach. The news of the large catch soon spread and hundreds of persons from both Balboa and Newport rushed to see the huge fish… According to the version of the catch as explained by Claudenia, the monster had tackled several hooks of other fishermen but had succeeded in breaking their lines. The fish then took his bait which consisted of a three pound mackerel and started for deep water. While he held him others ran for a rifle and the huge sea monster’s life was soon ended. —Santa Ana Register, October 30, 1923

A second version contained additional information.

•  Take Giant Shark On Hook—Sea Monster 15 Feet Long Weighed 1,800 Pounds—A shark 15 feet long, weighing about 1,800 pounds and 57 inches in circumference was caught off the Newport pier by Frank Claudenia. He had been after jewfish when the shark swallowed his hook. The big fish pounded the piling and put up a fight until he was shot with a rifle by Rube Schaffer. When the shark was finally brought into the surf a team of horses was hitched on and the fish pulled ashore. The fish is what is known as a mackerel or bone shark and is a sea scavenger. It is not of the man-eating variety. —The Evening Standard, Uniontown, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1923

• Two immense sharks were caught by Cash Ramsey yesterday from the [Huntington Beach] wharf with a jewfish hook and line, and were towed in and landed on the sand. The larger one measured nine and one-half feet in length and weighed 500 pounds, the other one being almost as large. They were very ugly looking fish, with an immense mouth. A jewfish was caught from the wharf by Mr. Warner, weighing 157 pounds, the same day. There seemed to be a school of large fish around the wharf hunting for food… A. L. Reynolds landed a twenty-two pound yellowtail from the wharf and several fine lobsters weighing five pounds each. —Santa Ana Register, November 3, 1905

Halibut from the Ventura Pier

Order Pleuronectiformes — Lefteye Flounders — Family Bothidae

Species: Paralichthys californicus (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek word paralichthys (parallel fish) and californicus (Californian)—a California fish that lies parallel to the bottom.

Alternate Names: Halibut, flounder, hali, flattie (or flatty), chicken halibut, alabato, southern halibut, Monterey halibut, bastard halibut; fly swatter or postage stamp (small halibut); door mats (large halibut); extra large halibut, rarely seen on piers, are called barn doors. Called lenguado de California in Mexico.

KJ and California Halibut caught at the Balboa Pier in 2003

Identification: California halibut are in the left-eye flounder family, although nearly half of these fish are right-eyed. Halibut are noted for their sharp teeth, a large squarish shaped mouth, and a high arch in the lateral line above the pectoral fin. Their coloring is normally white or yellowish on the blind side and a muddy brown on the colored side. Often there is splotching or even white spots on the colored side, especially in smaller fish.

Left-eyed and right-eyed halibut from the Balboa Pier

Size: To 60 inches and 72 pounds; most caught off piers are under 20 inches. The California record fish weighed 58 lb 9 oz and was caught at Santa Rosa Island in 1999.

Halibut caught by Luis at the Santa Monica Pier

Range:  Cabo Falsa, southern Baja California and Gulf of California to Quillayute River, northern Washington.

Habitat: Shallow-water, sandy-shore areas, oceanfront, and in bays.

“Snookie” and two halibut taken from the Balboa Pier in 2003

Piers: Most common at oceanfront piers. Best bets: Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, Balboa Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Goleta Pier and Cayucos Pier. A few are caught each year at Monterey Bay piers such as Capitola and Seacliff. An increasing number since the ’90s have been caught at Pacifica and at San Francisco Bay piers such as Pier 7 in San Francisco and the Berkeley Pier. The Berkeley Pier probably ranks #1 among piers north of Point Conception and perhaps sees more large halibut than any other pier in the state.

Snookie, the “Queen of the Balboa Pier” and her mother Sunny, the original “Queen of the Pier” (Newport and Balboa Pier) — Halibut taken at the Balboa Pier in 1999.

Shoreline: An esteemed shore species from San Diego to San Francisco.

Boats: One of the favorite species for California boat anglers.

Bait and Tackle: Halibut are predatory hunters that will sometimes grab almost anything that moves. Still, they prefer other fish—anchovies, sardines, grunion, smelt, small brownbait (queenfish and white croaker), small perch (shinerperch and walleyes), Spanish and Pacific mackerel, Pacific butterfish (pompano), lizardfish and squid. If the fish will fit in their mouth they’ll go after it. Thus, by far, the best bait for California halibut is live bait, one of those fish mentioned previously. Whichever bait is used, the key is to keep it lively and keep it near the bottom. A sliding live bait leader works fine, especially with a small slip-on sinker added to get the bait near the bottom. Another approach is to use a Carolina rigging. Take an egg sinker (that has a hole through the middle of it) and run your line through the sinker. Next, tie a snap-swivel to the end of your line (after adding a couple of red beads above the snap-swivel to help attract fish and protect the knot from abrasion). Then attach a three to four foot leader with size 2 to 4 hooks to the snap. High/low leaders can also be used but are generally less effective unless the angler keeps his line in motion. Some regulars “drag” or “troll” for halibut: they put a long-shanked hook into a headless anchovy and then walk slowly along the edge of the pier pulling the line behind them. If the pier is crowded, they will cast out and retrieve slowly.  In either case, be alert for the soft mouthing of the halibut. Halibut will hit cut bait, including anchovies, mackerel, sardine and even squid; just be sure to keep the bait in motion. Halibut can also be caught on artificials. A variety of lures can also be used to take them, everything from soft plastics like Big Hammers and Scroungers, to shiny spoons like Krocadiles, and even crankbaits. Probably the most popular lure recently has been the Lucky Craft lures, expensive but good. In most cases though lures are less effective from a pier high off the water than when used by those fishing close to the water, i.e., in the surf. Halibut will often follow the lure almost to the surface before striking, so be prepared.

Halibut caught at the Berkeley Pier by Songslinger and James (calrat)

Food Value: Excellent! One of the best tasting fish in our waters. White, lean meat with a very low fat content. One of the best frying fish although considered good using almost any method of cooking.

Two fillets from each side.

Comments: Probably the most sought after fish for anglers on southern California piers. Unfortunately, most of the fish caught in the southland are illegal size and far too many people do not know, or do not care, how to handle them properly. The best way is to quickly reel in or handline in the fish without a net (if possible) and then practice C&R (catch-and-release) or CPR (catch-photograph-release) with as little handling of the fish as necessary. If you’re going to net the fish try to find a net with fine mesh. If you use the typical wide-mesh net the net will often tear up the tail of the halibut leading to infection (tail rot) and eventual death. If you have a fine-mesh net, then the best way to handle the halibut is to net it, bring it up, unhook it, place it back in the net, and lower it back down. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s worth it to preserve these fish and they can live to an age of at least 30 years. 

Halibut with “tail rot”

Do be careful of the sharp teeth of these fish! One guidebook jokingly tells the way to differentiate between small halibut and sole or sanddab: “stick your finger in its mouth. If your finger starts bleeding in a relatively short period of time (don’t keep it there for hours), you probably have a halibut.” DON’T DO THIS!

Halibut have teeth! Picture from Mike Spence (Santa)

A Plethora of Halibut Pictures

Robert (redfish) and a halibut from the Avila Pier

Julie, James, Kyoo and halibut from the Berkeley Pier

Gary Evans and a halibut from the Balboa Pier

Mel and three halibut (one’s hidden) from the Paradise Park Pier

Alabama, Chopper, and halibut from the Berkeley Pier

“Stan the Man” Low and halibut from the Candlestick Pier

Ted’s “Big One” from the Berkeley Pier

KJ and a small, illegal-size halibut caught at the Seal Beach Pier in 2015

Daniel’s fist keeper from the Redondo Beach Pier

Halibut from the Capitola Wharf

Mel and a halibut from the Paradise Park Pier

Mike Katz and a halibut from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara

Halibut from the Venice Pier

Halibut taken from the Fort Point Pier in 2010

Halibut caught by Herberto at the Newport Pier

Halibut caught at Pier 14 in San Francisco in 2009

A nice catch of halibut from the Paradise Park Pier

38-inch halibut taken at the Fort Point Pier

Halibut from the Ocean Beach Pier

Toejamb and a halibut from the Hermosa Beach Pier

“Stan the Man” Low and a halibut from the Point Pinole Pier

Halibut from the Malibu Pier

Halibut from the Capitola Wharf

California Halibut from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, 2016

Halibut from the Cayucos Pier

40-inch halibut from the Fort Point Pier

KJ and a California Halibut caught at the Paradise Cove Pier in 2009

Halibut from the Oceanside Pier

The “light” side of the halibut — Songslinger and calrat at Berkeley Pier

Halibut from the Capitola Wharf

Songslinger and a halibut from the Gaviota Pier in 2003

Rock Hopper and his first Berkeley halibut

Rockin’ Robin and a Halibut from the Point Pinole Pier

Berkeley Pier, 2008 —It can be crowded when the halibut are running

Halibut taken at the Santa Cruz Wharf in 9997

Story from Western Outdoor News regarding a halibut from the Santa Monica Pier

Some large California halibut caught from piers

62 ¼ lbs. — Long Wharf (Santa Monica), August 17, 1917 —Source: Port of Los Angeles, A Phenomenon of the Railroad Era, Ernest Marquez, 1975

58 Lbs. 11 Oz — Santa Monica Pier, Darrell Barry, March 10, 2001—Source: Several including Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop, PFIC and Western Outdoor News, March 23, 2001

57 Lbs. 3 Oz. — Port Hueneme Pier, Joseph C, Groth, Sr., February 28, 1965—Source: Pasadena Independent, March 4, 1965

54 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, W. S. Keith & H. C. Carmichael, May 4, 1939—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 5, 1939

≈ 50 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Wharf, Unknown angler, January 4, 1940—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 5, 1940

49 ½ Lbs. — Seacliff Pier, Unknown angler, July 2, 1948—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 4, 1949

48 Lbs. — Long Wharf (Santa Monica), Charles A. Sheldrick, June 26, 1902—Source: Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1902

45 ¾ lbs. — Balboa Pier, Harry Campbell, May 20, 1927—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1927

45 ½ Lbs. — Redondo Beach Pier, Virginia Lively, June 24, 1975—Source: Long Beach Independent, July 2, 1975

45 Lbs. — Seacliff Pier (Aptos), Jack Elliott, July 1, 1946—Source: Santa Cruz sentinel, July 2, 1946

44 Lbs. — Newport Pier, R. O. Stull, July 29, 1931— Source: Santa Ana Register, July 29, 1931

44 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Seymore Wilson, June 1933—Source: Santa Ana Register, June 5, 1933

43 Lbs. — Capitola Wharf, Wilbur Boyea, May 14, 1934—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 16, 1934

41 lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, Hoyt Holdridge, March 1957—Source: San Bernardino County Sun, March 5, 1957

40 Lbs. — Seacliff Pier (Aptos), August 1942—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 6, 1942

40 Lbs. — Redondo Sportfishing Pier, August 2010—Source: Redondo Sportfishing

40 Lbs. — Monstad Pier (Redondo Beach), Dick Weddington, May 2, 1930—Source: Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1930

40 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, July 22, 1942—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 23, 1942

40 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Pleasure Pier, E. J. Owens, August 5, 1932—Source: Santa Cruz Evening News, August 5, 1932

≈ 40 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, September 2004—Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

39 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, July 1949—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 31, 1949

38 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, May 1953—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 6, 1953

38 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, August 1998—Source: Ocean Beach Pier Bait Shop

38 Lbs. — Newport Pier, May 2001—Source: PFIC

37 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf — Clarence Hegewood, July 22, 1942—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 23, 1942

37 Lbs. — Venice Pier, L. McIntyre, July 1927—Source: Los Angeles Time, July 31, 1927

37 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf, W. T. Maddex, August 26, 1908—Source: Los Angeles Herald, August 26, 1908

36 Lbs. — Monstad Pier (Redondo), Billy House, May 10, 1949— Source: Los Angeles Times, May 11, 1949

35 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier, F. A. Buchanan, May 1908—Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 31, 1908

35 Lbs. — Newport Pier, August 1940—Source: Santa Ana Register, August 2, 1940

35 Lbs. — Paradise Cove Pier (Malibu), William Cambier, January 1967—Source: Valley News, January 26, 1967

33 /12 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 3, August 24, 1910—Source: Santa Ana Register, August 25, 1910

33 Lbs. — Point Mugu Fish Camp Pier, W. J. Stuart, August 1935—Source: Oxnard Daily Courier, August 3, 1935

32 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, June 23, 1948—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 24, 1948

30 Lbs. — Balboa Pier, Maybelle Davis, May 1934—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1934

30 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Earl Nelson, October 2, 1908—Source: Santa Ana Register, October 3, 1908

30 Lbs. — Port Hueneme Pier, January 2000—Source: PFIC

30 Lbs. — Redondo Pier No. 3, J. K. Richardson, February 17, 1916—Source: Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1916

30 Lbs. — Malibu Pier, Bill Segal, February 25, 1963—Source: Van Nuys Valley News, February 26, 1963