About

January 29, 2011 by admin

Ken is an educator, writer, and former business owner. Born in Indiana (so an Indiana Jones who loves basketball), he’s fished for over 60 years and fished from Indiana and Ohio to North Carolina, Florida, Hawaii and Washington. Foreign locations have included Mexico, Canada and Denmark. Given that the majority of his life has been in California, that is where the majority of his fishing has taken place, in the surf and from rocks, on piers, and on both private boats and Sportfishing boats.

Over the years he has fished from 130 saltwater piers in California and caught 131 different species from those piers. If the Carquinez Strait/Suisun Bay/West Delta piers are included, it would be 137 piers and 142 different species.

In 1992 he published Pier Fishing In California 1st Edition, to critical acclaim and in 1997 he began the Pier Fishing In California (pierfishing.com) website. In 2004 he published Pier Fishing In California 2nd Edition which is widely considered the Bible for pier fishermen. To his friends and followers he’s earned and is honored by the title of head “Pier Rat” and “Skipper.”

As well as a book author, Ken’s written for many magazines including Western Saltwater Fisherman, California Angler, Western Outdoor News, Fish Rap Newspaper and Fish Taco Chronicles.

On the writing front he served as a member of the board of directors of the Outdoor Writers Association of California for nine years including terms as president and vice president.

He likes and has done almost all form of fishing and this site, kenjonesfishing.com, is dedicated to all of the various forms of fishing, both saltwater and freshwater. The goal is to help other anglers become better anglers and to do so in the easiest and fastest manner possible. Some of the knowledge presented is his own, some is from others who are experts in their field of angling.

When not fishing he’s often to be found working on fishing issues. He was the president of the United Pier and Shore Anglers of California for 16 years, a member of the Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp (BDSFES) Advisory Committee for five years, and served on the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) North Central Coast Stakeholders Committee and Statewide Interests Group (SIG). He has served on many different NOAA teams and committees including the California Sportfishing Action Team, California Recreational Fish Implementation Committee, and California Ocean Uses Atlas Project. He also served on the Recreational Fishing Alliance Advisory Board for five years.

At home he has been married to his wife Pat for 55+ years. High school sweethearts, she would learn early on that his significant other would be fishing when, as president of his high school fishing club, he made sure she was a member.  Away from home he has also served on the Mendocino County Grand Jury, was a board member and president of Unicorn Youth Services for a total of 26 years, and is currently a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for youth.

Ken graduated with a B.S. in Organizational Development from University of San Francisco and a M.S. in Education from Dominican College, San Rafael.

His favorite motto is “The Largest Room In The World Is The Room For Improvement.”

Selected articles written by others which reference Ken Jones.