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Thread: Help Request for fishing Santa Barabara Area Piers 4/23-4/24/14

  1. #1

    Default Help Request for fishing Santa Barabara Area Piers 4/23-4/24/14

    Hey guys,

    I'll be at a work conference in Santa Barabara and might have some time Wednesday or Thursday evening to do a little fishing. Was thinking of trying to do a little pier fishing in the area just for fun. Do any of you have any tips or advise or info on pier fishing in this area, I've never tried up in this area.

    I'd honestly be happy catching mini-macs or anything else, just looking for a little fun.

    Thanks,

    Jason

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    North OC
    Posts
    1,600

    Default

    Don't know the Santa Barbara area well but I do fish OC piers often. I would say take two rods. Use 1 with a sabiki or a single small hook tipped with squid for some Mack action. They have been thick lately. Use the other rod with squid or chovie on a larger hook for some possible rays or leos. If you get some macks chunk them up for some bait on the larger rig.
    Should have some success. You can always use some camo sand worms in the shallows for some perch. At the very least your out fishing! Good Luck

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Santa Barbara
    Posts
    9

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    Normally Goleta Pier has good fishing, but it's currently closed due to damage from the big storm a couple months back. Big bummer because the bait fish have been around recently. From my kayak I got macs (both pacific and spanish) as well as sardines there over the weekend. You're kind of limited to Stearns Wharf, which personally I've never fished, but there's been a lot of bait activity there too. It's really windy today too so water will be turned over, murky and cold for a day or two.
    Last edited by HIkayakguy; 04-22-2014 at 08:21 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Where the fish are
    Posts
    3,493

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    I'm not sure if the SB piers have a great deal of structure around them, but halibut, rockfish, croakers, and perch are always likely to be in that area.

    If I were in your situation I'd bring a 6lb spinning rod at 7' in length with an assortment of sliding sinkers in the 1/8oz to 1.5oz. It's windy up in SB right? So having a sinker up to that size wouldn't hurt. For rigs I would start off with a C-rig and a size 8-1 baitholder hook with a strip squid as bait. Or I'd opt trying out a small 2-3" grub or plastic worm rigged weedless. If the croakers, perch, or mini rockfish are in the area this presentation is likely to get you connected with a fish. As for technique, I usually cast out as far as I can and slowly drag my lure/bait in 1-2 feet length and wind up the slack as I drag. The key here is to keep constant tension on the line to feel for bites. You will likely have nibbles or short aggressive takes, but when a fish gives you a hard pull that is your key to set the hook!

    Good luck out there dude. I wish I could help out more, but I've never fished SB before. I've done Pismo and Morro bay and that was the rig and presentation I used for a fish-filled day.

    Oh and one more thing, if you can I would try the SB harbor instead of the pier. The jetty should be loaded with mini rockfish.

    -IF2L
    Last edited by Ifishtoolittle; 04-22-2014 at 09:11 PM.

  5. #5

    Default

    Thank you everyone for the info. I'll let you all know how it goes.

    Jason

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Ca. Coast
    Posts
    1,816

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BiGPaC View Post
    Hey guys,

    I'll be at a work conference in Santa Barabara and might have some time Wednesday or Thursday evening to do a little fishing. Was thinking of trying to do a little pier fishing in the area just for fun. Do any of you have any tips or advise or info on pier fishing in this area, I've never tried up in this area.

    I'd honestly be happy catching mini-macs or anything else, just looking for a little fun.

    Thanks,

    Jason
    Sorry Jason I just noticed your post.

    I live in the area and could of mention a few spots. But it looks like you might of headed out of the area by now.
    As far as if you ever return, you can try the beaches down near Carpinteria and La Conchita. Mostly a perch zone when the break is right. Crack is the go to bait for them. Otherwise toss an LC most anywhere else. Drop shots work very well near pier post, where its a good chance of losing your LC. Remember the MLPA zones north of Goleta as well. Don't fish past the point off the north end of Goleta cove and UCSB all the way to nearly the north edge of Elwood Mesa.

    The Stearns pier in the Santa Barbara harbor is still muddy from the dredging operations.

    WWO

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