This page has not been updated since 2004. Expect changes at these spots!
1) THE FRONTAGE
ROAD ALONG I-80 FROM UNIVERSITY AVENUE TO
ASHBY AVENUE IN BERKELEY.
Known popularly
as Frontage Road or Ashby Avenue, this stretch of shoreline can be quite
productive, especially from early spring into midsummer. Striped
Bass, Barred Perch, Starry Flounder, Leopard Shark, Kingfish, and Jacksmelt
are common here. Best baits are pile worms, blood worms, grass shrimp,
and cut anchovies. The last two hours of the incoming tide through
the first two hours of the outgoing tide will yield the greatest results.
Exit
I-80 at University Avenue and go west towards the marina. Turn left
at the first stop sign and continue along the frontage road until you come
to the designated parking area, just before the Ashby Avenue onramp.
2) BERKELEY
MARINA.
There is
a rockwall to the left and right of Berkeley Pier, stretching from His
Lordship's restaurant to the right side of Skate's restaurant. Anywhere
along these rocks will offer a good chance of Black Perch and Pile Perch,
with seasonal chances at Striped Bass, Halibut, Cabezon, Leopard Shark,
Kingfish, and Jacksmelt. Pile worms and grass shrimp work best for
Perch and Cabezon; cut and whole anchovies for Shark and Halibut; all combinations
for Smelt and Kingfish. This, like all rocky areas, is an easy place
to lose tackle: be forewarned, and use as little weight as possible (I
use 1oz ball sinkers and work the line frequently to prevent hang-ups while
I locate the schools). Incoming tides are probably best, but since this
area has a mean depth of 8 feet of water, there's always a chance at catching
something. In summertime this can be a fantastic place for plugging.
Stripers are especially fond of Rat-L-Traps in the 3/4oz to 1oz range.
Take I-80 to University Avenue in Berkeley and drive west to the marina.
Park in designated areas.
3) POINT
ISABEL.
This is
an ugly little chunk of land across the street from Costco in El Cerrito
that can be a fast and furious fishing paradise every so often.
At high tides of 6 feet or better there are Black Perch, Pile Perch, and,
once in a great while, stray Barred Perch and rare Rubberlip Perch, but
this isn't the first choice of perch hunters. Too many snags likely,
for one good reason. It's really the place to go when there is no
water anywhere else, because for some reason angling is greatest at the
lowest tide. Striped Bass love to roam through this cove and there
are Starry Flounder, Jacksmelt, Kingfish, Bat Rays, and Leopard Sharks
to stave off boredom. Sometimes Halibut and Sturgeon are landed here,
too. Grass shrimp, pile worms, blood worms, and cut anchovies are
the top baits. In late summer, on the bottom of the tide, just before
sunset, this can be a seriously hot spot for Stripers on baits and lures.
NOTE:
parking here has been restricted. You can no longer park along the
road. Take I-80 to Central Avenue in El Cerrito,
and drive until the road comes to an end at the dog park. Walk from
there.
4) THE ALBANY
KNOB.
Also known
as The Bulb, or Albany Bay trail, this used to be a dump and has now (slowly
but surely) been renovate into a nice public use area. Situated between
the Golden gate Fields Racetrack and Point Isabel, this a knobby peninsula
(hence the name) that sticks out directly across from Angel Island and
Sausalito. It's a great place to catch bat rays, and three varieties
of sharks: smoothhound, leopard, and seven gill. Fishy baits like cut anchovies
or sardines, or squid, will be the best way to go. The ring of rocks
at the end of the trail is a very good spot; so is the shoreline on the
north side of the peninsula. My own personal favorite species here
is black perch, and plenty of big ones. The tip of the peninsula
is the best spot, during tides lower than four feet (or else you will be
underwater!), and pile worms or shore crabs will get you limits early and
often. The north side is pretty good when there is water: move there
when the tide rolls in or the winds are too nasty. The south side
of the Knob is so-so, though sometimes stripers will haunt the beaches
in the early evenings. There are stripers and halibut in the
water during the spring and summer months. Lures would be the best
way to get them. From 580 or 80, take the Albany exit and look for
Buchanan Road. Follow it west until you see the parking area.
Take the center trail and stay on it until it turns right or northward.
wander past the "art" rocks and follow the rocky path that bisects the
lagoon.
5) BUTLER'S
BEACH.
Also known
as Marina Bay, this is a stretch of shoreline abutting Shamada Park in
the Marina Bay housing development. Striped Bass run through here
in the late spring and summer, and there is a good chance of catching Bat
Rays, Jacksmelt, Black Perch, Barred Perch, Starry Flounder,
and the occasional Sturgeon and Halibut. All baits work here.
Really worth trying only during a substantial incoming tide or late
at night (though it is illegal to park anywhere nearby at night).
Take I-580 to Marina Bay and head south until you come to Shamada Park.
Note: Vincent
Park has been opened now and you can park much closer to the top plugging
spots. Take Marina Bay all the way to where it dead-ends behind the
housing development. Some decent--and deeper--shoreline spots are
just a short walk from the new parking area.
6) POINT
PINOLE.
One of
my favorite places to hike and fish, this is a beautiful park, uncrowded
and uncluttered--and let's keep it that way. If you can pack it in,
then pack it out. There are three choices for fishing here: on the
west side in a rock and sand shoreline, on the north end where the pier
extends to the deep water channel, and on the northeast beside the marshes,
where the shore changes to the sand and mud most characteristic of San
Pablo Bay. Striped Bass can be found coming and going from the Delta
in the fall and spring. Starry Flounder winter here. So do
Sturgeon. Kingfish and Jacksmelt also frequent the area. Sometimes,
though thankfully not too often, Bat Rays swing by. Also, for a wild
card, Salmon pass by on their way to spawn. Anchovies, cut
and whole, work very well, with grass shrimp, blood worms, and pile
worms following. Best on good incoming tides. Outgoing tides
tend to be too fierce because San Pablo Bay is extremely shallow aside
from the shipping channel. Take I-80 to the Richmond Parkway and
drive until you see the Giant Avenue exit (or signs for Point Pinole),
then go north until you spot the park entrance. If you go by the
Sheriff's, you've gone too far.
7) RODEO.
Vintage
railroad track fishing, not a safe place for children (the trains fly rapidly
and almost silently without warning). Always a good bet for Sturgeon
and not too shabby for Striped Bass either. Grass shrimp, anchovies,
and pile worms are the best baits for both species, and live bullheads
are fantastic for Stripers. There are Starry Flounder and Jacksmelt
here, too, and also wandering Salmon and even some Steelhead. Take
I-80 to the Willow exit in Rodeo and drive north until you're downtown.
Note: Willow, Parker, and San Pablo avenues all run together for couple
miles, so the best bet is not to make any turns right away. As the
road curves to the east, you should look for a side street on the left,
next to the railroad tracks. Park anywhere along that road.
Walk to your left/west for about a quarter of a mile until you come to
"the slab" on the west side of Lone Tree Point. This is where the
Stripers and Sturgeon are found. In late summer into fall, you can
continue driving east on San Pablo Avenue for a half a mile and then look
for a place to park next to the tracks between Railroad and California
streets. Walk to the right and fish for Salmon behind the water treatment
plant (also known as "hot water" by local anglers). Blue
Fox and Mepps in size 5 are the top lures here. (Cautionary note:
this is still restricted to lures with single barbless hooks when fishing
for Salmon, and the DFG is often present and will issue citations.) Best
thing for newcomers is to find out where people are fishing and set up
nearby. Lots of snags here; it's a good idea to come at low tide
and see what to avoid. Best fishing happens two hours before the
top of the tide and about an hour afterward.
8) SAUSALITO.
This is
a seawall that runs from The Horizons restaurant to private land about
a quarter mile south. Parking is tough, either three-hour maximum
meters or two-hour maxium free area further down. Both are hard to
find spaces in. There is a wide variety of species here, from Black,
Striped, Pile, and Rubberlip Perch, to Cabezon, Rockfish, and Monkeyface
Eel. Sometimes Striped Bass and Salmon are caught on their migratory
routes. Grass shrimp and pile worms work best, or use squid pieces
for poke poling at low tide to catch Rockfish and Monkeyface Eels.
When the herring are spawning there is light tackle entertainment with
snag casting or colored yard loosely wrapped on hooks. Take Highway
101 to Alexander Avenue (Sausalito exit), turn right on Second Street,
then right again on Richardson Street.
9) FORT
BAKER.
Not too
far from Sausalito, Fort Baker offers pretty much the same species and
a spectacular view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. There
is a breaker wall that extends from Point Cavallo and takes an L shape
around the Presidio Yacht Harbor. The water is rough here and moves
rapidly on the outgoing tide, but there is excellent fishing just inside
the calm eddies and between the reefs--once you can see them; this is another
tackle grabber. This is one of the better spots to get Rockfish,
especially Blues, and Lingcod are not unusual. In late spring the
area gets fairly crowded with Smelt fishermen, and in late summer,
plenty of Salmon fishermen (and a good number of catches). This is
another place to go when the water is too low elsewhere. Take 101
to Alexander Avenue, turn on Danes Drive, then turn right on Bunker Road.
Just before you get to the pier, turn left and go past the Coast Guard,
then continue until the next right turn and park in the designated area
behind the chain.
10) FORT
CRONKITE.
Not for
the faint-hearted or short-tempered. The best spot is near Bird Rock,
just north of Point Bonita, a semi-secluded stretch of beach that requires
some risky hiking down a ravine from the parking area adjacent the YMCA.
Black, Striped, and Walleyed Perch are in abundance on pile worms for the
first two, anchovey strips for the third. Also Cabezon, Rockfish,
and Greenling on worms and cut anchovies. All parts of the tide are
good, though I like low tide because I can see the reefs (not that it keeps
me from donating half my tackle anyway!). Another spot is from Fort
Cronkite proper, going from the parking area to the beach and then left
to the area where the sand meets the rocks. Lingcod, Rockfish, Greenling
and Silver Perch are here. So are small Leopard Sharks and the occasional
Thornback Ray. You'll lose lots of tackle here, too, but the walk
is level. One of the better kept secrets of all the ocean beaches
in the Bay Area. Take 101 to Alexander Avenue, then go West on Bunker
Road either all the way to Rodeo Beach at Fort Cronkite or up the hill
on the road to Point Bonita.
THE DELTA. Not supporting this region anymore. You are on your own.
