Last week while visiting the north coast I made a short, three-hour, afternoon visit to Citizens Dock in Crescent City. As always, there was a nice variety of fish to be had by the inshore rocks and it’s a good thing because they have now restricted fishing from most of the pier. I used to always check out several areas of the pier and, on windy days, could perhaps find a little shelter from the wind. No more.

No crabbing or fishing beyond the sign.

Apparently anglers have caused problems for the commercial operation on the pier.

The area open for fishing

Most anglers now fish the small section of the pier where this angler is standing. Fish around the rocks for rockfish, cabezon, greenling, lingcod and small sculpin or cast further out and (1) fish on the bottom for fish (mainly flatfish), or (2) try a Sabiki-like rig on top for pelagics such as jacksmelt, sardines or herring.

“Pier Cart” ready

However, the rocky area can be productive.  The final tally for three hours of fishing was: 9 Copper Rockfish; 6 Brown Rockfish; 2 Pacific Sanddab; 1 Lingcod — 17-inch; 1 Cabezon; 1 Black & Yellow Rockfish; 1 Grass Rockfish; 1 Striped Seaperch and 1 Kelp Crab  — Pugettia producta. Not a bad day although most of the fish were really too small to keep.

Copper Rockfish

Copper Rockfish

Brown Rockfish

Black & Yellow Rockfish

Grass Rockfish

Lingcod

Cabezon

Striped Seaperch

Juvenile Pacific Sanddab

Juvenile Pacific Sanddab

Kelp Crab — Pugettia producta (topside view)

Kelp Crab — Pugettia producta (underside view)