Pacifica Pier
Sharp Park, Pacifica — open ocean south of the Gate.
When: Light beats tide here — first light through mid-morning. Any moving water works; a morning high tide adds casting reach over the surf line.
How: Crab snares ocean-side from November's Dungeness opener; salmon rigs under floats when the season is open and anchovies are thick. Stripers blitz the surf line in fall.
Free public pier, no license needed. Street parking fills early on crab openers.
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What to target at Pacifica Pier
Peak targets first. Open each fish for the spots, technique, and the exact rod-reel-rig setup to bring.
King salmon (ocean)Peak
Best time: First light through mid-morning on the ocean; finding the bait matters more than the tide.
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
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.