Seal Beach Pier, need some tips....

[BigSerb]

Great website! This is my first post, I've been fishing every other week at Seal beach on the pier. My bro and I catch about 5 fish everytime we go, but nothing worth mentioning all have been throwbacks. We post up near the tower on the pier and sometimes the benches before the tower, near the shore. What am I missing in order to catch more fish and bigger ones? Location? Gear? Bait? fish high tide/ low tide? follow the moon? magic 8 ball? also any area to fish from surf from newport to seal beach?
Equipment:
2 poles, large and medium size
Setup:
Carolina rig, or sliding sinker with bait on bottom.
Bait:
squid, live ghost shrimp, anchovies, mussel, blood worms.

[MACKERAL KING]

nice, freshly caught MACKERAL OUGHT TO DO THE TRICK. I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE FISH IGNORE A PIECE OF MACKERAL. IF YOU HAPPEN TO CATCH ONE, SLICE HIM UP INTO LITTLE SQUARES, THEN PUT THAT MEAT ON A HOOK. YOU CAN DROP IT, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO AND I GUARANTEE A BETTER BITE. ALSO YOU GOT TO CHANGE IT UP. TRY FISHING OFF THE ROCKS( MAKE SURE TO BRING A NICE AMOUNT OF WEIGHTS, THEY MIGHT GET STUCK IN THE ROCKS), AND BEST OF ALL FISH THE SURF. THAT ALWAYS SEEMS FUN.

[TFC_arvilJDM]

Welcome to FNN, good to see you joining us. Seems like you have the right set-ups going on when you fish SB, the shallow parts of that pier used to have lots of yellow fin croakers, perches, corbinas, etc. If you go towards the deeper end, you can try your skills for some flatties (halibut), I've seem few guys bring up large keepers off this pier.

Also, have you tried fishing the jetty that is to the right of the pier? No fishing license required for piers and jettys. Lots of flatties in there as well. Try to bring some live smelt used on a C-Rig, and toss out different colors of Big Hammer plastics. And try drop shotting Basstrix Smelts, works all the time with me.

Good Luck & Tight Lines!

TFC:TheFishingCrew

[BigSerb]

Thanks for the advice you two. But still had no luck. Went back to Seal Beach and hit the rocks with big hammers plastics (diff colors) nothing bit. Also rigged two bigger poles with 2 hooks using shrimp, squid, blood worms, anchovy, and no bite. Moved up and down the rocks from 4:30 til about 7pm. Other guys around us caught nothing as well. So we went back to the pier fished around the second set of benches. Fat skunk, guys from across us caught a nice corbina earlier, and pulled up two small stingrays while we were there. We moved up further and not a bite. Left at 9pm. high tide was at 4pm. This is why I love/hate fishing.

[MACKERAL KING]

thanks for the advice you two. But still had no luck. Went back to seal beach and hit the rocks with big hammers plastics (diff colors) nothing bit. Also rigged two bigger poles with 2 hooks using shrimp, squid, blood worms, anchovy, and no bite. Moved up and down the rocks from 4:30 til about 7pm. Other guys around us caught nothing as well. So we went back to the pier fished around the second set of benches. Fat skunk, guys from across us caught a nice corbina earlier, and pulled up two small stingrays while we were there. We moved up further and not a bite. Left at 9pm. High tide was at 4pm. This is why i love/hate fishing.

trust me dude, i went to newport pier, took my newbie friends and they caught more than i did. I've learned in all my experiences getting skunked that even if everyone is having a good time you can see what your doing wrong and where you can improve for next time. Don't let it get you down, just try to do better and change it up on anything

[murrieta angler]

Try using some bean clams. Seems the croakers like them alot.
Good Luck