The wind has been keeping most people off the water. Forty mile-per-hour gusts can make the bay get nasty. However, the halibut fishermen are waiting for the first window to get out because a learned regular has maintained that when shiner perch are biting off the pier, there are halibut on the bar. And the shiners were and are biting like piranha. On Monday, I experienced the best pier fishing I have ever seen. In twenty minutes, my brother and I filled a bucket with jacksmelt, shiners, herring, topsmelt, and even a sardine. I can tell you from personal experience that anything you can catch off the pier will work as better bait than anything you buy frozen.
While there are undoubtedly many ways to catch bait, a very successful way to do it is with Sabiki rigs. The hooks you see below are small enough for these fish to bite and, while it sometimes helps, they don't need to be topped off with bait. If you decide to, remember to only cut pieces small enough that they cover the tip of the hook. Because they come with six hooks, untangling them can be a pain. If you are worried about tangling this nightmare of a rig, try cutting it into two separate rigs. They will (hopefully) tangle less, and if you lose one on the pier pilings, no need to worry. Children love to fish these off of the pier, but always use supervision. A couple years ago, I used my trusty Leatherman to take one of these out of a man's hand. He was almost certainly intoxicated, but that didn't numb the pain much. The swearing and Oh Dear God Make It Stop were a dead giveaway. While his was a rare case (the hook was halfway buried into the meaty part of the thumb), you should use caution with these and any hooks.
While there are undoubtedly many ways to catch bait, a very successful way to do it is with Sabiki rigs. The hooks you see below are small enough for these fish to bite and, while it sometimes helps, they don't need to be topped off with bait. If you decide to, remember to only cut pieces small enough that they cover the tip of the hook. Because they come with six hooks, untangling them can be a pain. If you are worried about tangling this nightmare of a rig, try cutting it into two separate rigs. They will (hopefully) tangle less, and if you lose one on the pier pilings, no need to worry. Children love to fish these off of the pier, but always use supervision. A couple years ago, I used my trusty Leatherman to take one of these out of a man's hand. He was almost certainly intoxicated, but that didn't numb the pain much. The swearing and Oh Dear God Make It Stop were a dead giveaway. While his was a rare case (the hook was halfway buried into the meaty part of the thumb), you should use caution with these and any hooks.
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