Fishing
When to go, what's biting, and what to bring. Bite windows come from live NOAA tide predictions at the Golden Gate — fish the moving water around each turn, and favor the windows that land at first or last light.
Loading NOAA tide predictions for San Francisco (Golden Gate)…
What's biting in August
Peak targets first. Open each fish for the spots, technique, and the exact rod-reel-rig setup to bring.
California halibutPeak
Where: Central bay flats — Berkeley flats, Alcatraz, Treasure Island, Paradise Cay. Drift with the current over 15–40 ft of sand.
How: Drift live bait just off the bottom on a sliding-sinker rig, or slow-troll a hoochie/anchovy combo. Softest bite in the bay — feed them a three-count before swinging.
| Rod | 7' medium-light conventional, fast tip (halibut rod) |
| Reel | Small low-profile or round conventional, smooth drag |
| Line | 30–40 lb braid, 3 ft of 20–25 lb fluoro leader |
| Rig | Sliding sinker (6–12 oz) above swivel, size 2 live-bait hook or two-hook trap rig |
| Bait | Live anchovy or shiner perch; frozen 'chovy or 4–5" swimbait when live isn't around |
CDFW size and bag limits apply (currently 22" minimum); check current regs before keeping fish.
Leopard sharkPeak
Where: Mudflats and channels bay-wide — South Bay sloughs, Candlestick, Berkeley pier area, Crissy Field on the flood.
How: Soak an oily bait on the bottom in a moving tide and let them eat. The most reliable big-fish tug in the bay, great from shore.
| Rod | 8'–10' medium-heavy surf or boat rod |
| Reel | 6000-size spinning or small conventional |
| Line | 40–50 lb braid, 40 lb mono top-shot or leader |
| Rig | Fish-finder/sliding rig, 4–8 oz pyramid weight, 5/0–7/0 circle hook, short wire or 60 lb mono bite leader |
| Bait | Midshipman, mackerel chunks, squid, salmon bellies — the oilier the better |
36" minimum, bag of 3 (verify current CDFW regs).
Rockfish & lingcodPeak
Where: Outside the Golden Gate — Marin coast, Farallones (party boat), or the reefs off Pacifica. Not really an inside-the-bay fishery.
How: Vertical jigging or dropper-loop bait fishing over rocky structure. Lings eat big swimbaits and live sanddabs near the bottom.
| Rod | 6'6"–7' medium-heavy boat rod |
| Reel | Conventional 20–30 size, high retrieve |
| Line | 50 lb braid, 30–40 lb leader |
| Rig | Double dropper loop with 8–16 oz, or 4–8 oz jigs and 6–8" swimbaits |
| Bait | Squid strips, live sanddabs for lingcod, or artificials only where required |
Season, depth limits, and sub-bag limits set annually by CDFW — check before the trip.
King salmon (ocean)Peak
Where: Ocean waters off the Gate — Duxbury, the W buoy, Pacifica. Party boats out of SF, Sausalito, Emeryville and Berkeley when the season is open.
How: Troll anchovies behind a flasher at depth, or mooch/drift when the fleet finds bait. Season and quotas are set each spring and have been sharply restricted in recent years.
| Rod | 8' moderate-action salmon trolling rod |
| Reel | Conventional with line counter |
| Line | 25–30 lb mono |
| Rig | Flasher + anchovy in a crowbar head, sinker release with 1–3 lb ball, single barbless hooks required |
| Bait | Brined anchovies or herring |
Season set annually (often closed or very short) — confirm CDFW/PFMC dates before planning a trip.
Striped bassIn season
Where: Everywhere current pushes bait — Raccoon Strait, Alameda rockwall, Oyster Point, Brothers/Sisters islands, beach troughs at Ocean Beach in fall.
How: Fish the last two hours of a big ebb or flood. Toss swimbaits and topwater at dawn, or soak cut bait on the bottom. Trolling worm-tail jigs covers water fast.
| Rod | 7'–9' medium-heavy spinning |
| Reel | 4000–5000 spinning reel |
| Line | 30 lb braid, 20 lb mono or fluoro leader |
| Rig | ¾–2 oz jig heads, hard baits, or a fish-finder rig for bait |
| Bait | 6" paddle-tail swimbaits, Pencil Poppers, anchovies, bullheads, pile worms |
18" minimum, 2-fish bag (verify current CDFW regs).
Surfperch & jacksmeltIn season
Where: Ocean Beach, Baker Beach, Pacifica surf for barred perch; any bay pier for jacksmelt and walleye perch. The everyday shore option.
How: Light Carolina rig cast into the trough behind the first breaker; for jacksmelt, a sabiki or high-low rig under a float off the pier. Fast, kid-friendly action.
| Rod | 7'–9' light/medium spinning |
| Reel | 2500–4000 spinning reel |
| Line | 10–15 lb braid, 8 lb fluoro leader |
| Rig | Carolina rig with ½–1 oz egg sinker, size 4–6 hooks, or sabiki/high-low rigs |
| Bait | Sand crabs, pile worms, Gulp! sandworms, small strips of squid |
No license needed on public piers; license required on beaches. Standard finfish bag limits.
California sport fishing license required for everyone 16+ — except on public piers, where anyone can fish free. Report cards are required for sturgeon.
Seasons, sizes, and bag limits change annually — confirm current CDFW regulations before keeping anything. Tide predictions are NOAA's; wind and swell still decide whether a day is fishable.