Ocean Beach
San Francisco's ocean surf — four miles of striper and perch water.
When: Incoming tide through high in daylight for perch; fall mornings on any tide when stripers push bait through the troughs.
How: Read the beach at low tide first — fish the troughs and rip corners you marked. Never turn your back on the waves here; this surf is serious.
Shore fishing — license required. Park along the Great Highway.
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What to target at Ocean Beach
Peak targets first. Open each fish for the spots, technique, and the exact rod-reel-rig setup to bring.
Striped bassIn season
Best time: Last two hours of the ebb or flood at dawn or dusk — moving water plus low light is the whole formula.
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
Best time: Incoming tide in daylight — the two hours before high, in the trough behind the first breaker.
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.