Fish dat pier!

I fished Oceanside Pier today. Pier fishing requires a little bit more gear than shore fishing but mostly for comfort.

While shore fishing is more of a solitary pursuit (its hard to hear anyone talking over the crashing waves), pier fishing is more social. It’s a great way to meet more experienced fisherpersons and learn some trick of the trade.

I didn’t catch a dang thing, not even a nibble. Wind was coming from the north and it was cloudy gray ick.

I would have thought this kind of weather was classic for fishing, but no one was really catching much.

Beautiful day though, even if a bit cold.

This picture was taken facing northwest. That’s a Ruby’s Diner at the end of the pier which is a cool place to come for a burger.

Made a new friend. The California Brown Pelican has been making a come-back in San Diego. The smart guy in these pictures has learned if he hangs out by the fish cleaning sink that generous fisherpersons will throw him a snack now and then. Feeding wildlife on piers like this is not permitted. We don’t want pelicans becoming dependent on humans, or worse, stealing our bait!

If you do feel the need to feed, never give them frozen bait. Only fresh fish. But it’s really better not to feed them at all. Just take pictures like me!

Don’t get any ideas, wise guy. You’ll get no food from me. Now stand there and pose like a rock star.

Another fisherman caught this guitar fish (a.k.a shovelnose shark.) Says he grills them. It’s all he fishes for here. This fish’s bait of choice is squid. I try to avoid them because they weight a lot and you need a net or a gaff hook to bring them up (another reason pier fishing requires more gear…its hard to reel in a 20 pound fish 50 feet in the air on 12 pound test line. I really need to invest in a net because the gaff hook is a terrible way to bring up a fish if you plan to throw it back.

Speaking of more gear, don’t forget to bring a folding chair or a stool. Not many benches and you probably wouldn’t want to sit on them anyway. And a blanket or good jacket. Unless the sun is shining, its bound to get chilly!

So after a few hours of catching nothing but nothing I bailed with some great pictures.