Ventura Pier 09-16-2012

Got to the pier around 10:30 AM and set up around mid pier. Fished with double dropper loop at first and caught my only fish of the day on squid (It was a croaker). Used it for bait for no takers. Buddy Brian was killing it on the sabiki catching Wall Eye Perch, Queen Fish, Lizard Fish and Spot Fin Croakers. All pretty small and most released except a few used for bait. Crabbing was slow too, ended up with two keeper rock crabs, but tossed em back before I left since it is not enough meat too much trouble to prepare with only two crabs, lol. Still nice to be back. Some lovely looking locals strolled the pier too, which was a nice bonus.

Crabbing and Fishing Ventura Pier 05-25-2012

Met up with Brian at about 7:15 AM and headed for the pier. Started fishing and crabbing at around 8:00 A.M. There were a few other anglers around most catching queenfish / herring on sabikis. We set up shop at the end and I placed the crab net in my usual spot. Fishing was fairly constant on the sabiki lines we used catching what they call tiny 7-11 perch, decent sized walleye perch and queenfish / herring. Buddy and I both tried shark rigs (him the whole time, me only when I got tired of using the sabiki rod) with live bait but no takers on those either. Gave some of our perch to the locals to try for sharks, no love for them either. Crabbing was spectacular as usual. I ended up getting 23 keeper red, yellow and rock crabs. I gave five away to these two younger fellows (I think they were around 17) who were camping with their family somewhere close and wanted some to boil up. They were pretty nice kids and I had plenty so I spread the wealth a little. We left at around 2:00 PM as the wind and swell was getting progressively worse (the crabbing also slowed as the swell got bigger). Good day on the pier hanging with my buddy and checking out the local scenery (love them hot days!).

Ventura Pier 05-15-2012

Hit up Ventura Pier from about 1:30 PM till 10:30 PM. Set up shop with the crab net in my usual spot baited with the usual menagerie of junk this time consisting of mackerel, sardines, whitefish head and rock fish head. Crabbing was off the charts all day. Ended up keeping twenty something rock crabs (red, yellow and rock) and two spider crabs, one if which was the biggest caught to date for me. Fishing wise you could have all the queenfish you could ever possibly want if that is your thing (I caught and released all fish caught on the day). Didn't see much else, except for a large smelt and a few sand sharks caught by others shortly before leaving. Birds were diving and dolphins were around the pier, but I never saw any baitfish anywhere on the pier. Guess the bait is hanging out just outside the pier. I forgot to bring a sabiki so I made one from crappie jigs I had in my tackle box which worked just fine.

Ventura Pier 04-19-2012

Fished and crabbed from about 8:00 P.M. till 2:00 A.M.. with my fishing buddy Brian. I did not catch any fish at all, Brian caught one 10" or so croaker and one small smelt. Croaker released, smelt became live bait. Crabbing was great as usual. Ended up keeping 18 rock, red, brown and yellow crabs and tossed back a ton of close ones or just legal and some of the females. One interesting thing happened right about when we arrived. There was a UFO! It looked like a flying campfire kept climbing for a while until it just disappeared. It was pretty trippy and everyone else on the pier was staring at it. Pier and Crab Pics below:

UFO Video (poor quality):

Ventura Pier 03/09/2012 - 03/10/2012

Hit up Ventura Pier since my buddy was late and we missed the grunion run time. Arrived at the pier around 11:45 and proceeded to the end of the pier after checking the surf line for any signs of life. Dropped in my crab net and started getting the rods ready. set up one pole with a whole small BSP from a previous trip on a circle with a stinger and let it sit while I set up the other pole. No hits that I noticed on the whole BSP. Set up the other pole with a high low and put shrimp on the high and squid on the low. Pulled the other pole up while I went to check the crab net. 1st pull and there is a keeper! Nice way to start. Dropped the net back down and went back and tossed out the high-low pole. After a while I see some movement so I pick up the pole and feel it...seems kinda like crabs, but why not set the hook anyways...hmm, that is not a crab! Brought the little guy to the pier and left him just below the water line while I went to grab the crab net to get it up. My buddy held it in place while I got my net making sure it didn't wrap around a piling. Brought it up and it was my first every bat ray. A small little bugger (maybe 18" across or so) that just found the squid too tempting. After a quick unhook I lowered em back to the water in the crab net. Forgot to take a pic. After that I only really had one other solid hit, which I missed. Brought in the bait and it had a huge mouth mark taken out of its belly....grrr, that's what I get for not using a stinger. On the crab front I ended up with five keeper rock crabs and one decent sized spider crab. Caught a ton of shorts. Left a little after 3:00 A.M.. All and all a great trip even though it was a bit slow.

I got crabs at the pier....

Ventura Pier 01/15/2012

Seems like Skunks were the norm up and down the coast yesterday, lol. Fished / crabbed Ventura pier from about 10:30 AM till 3:00 PM. Not one single fish of any sort landed by me or my fishing buddy. We were using squid, shrimp, cut mackerel and perch pieces. I did catch three keeper rock crabs, but even that was super slow. Only fish I saw caught were a small croaker, a sand dab and a shiner perch caught using a sabiki in the middle hole at the end by a lovely fisherwoman who was great company (If they all looked like her I would be out there every day, lol). We did try the surf line first for some perch, but nothin there either. Stopped by Andria's Seafood Restaurant in Oxnard on the way home for a heaping helping of Halibut and Chips (best fish and chips in the area).

Hobson Beach & Ventura Pier 01/02/2012

So finally decided to get out around 11:00 A.M. and had a trip to a local area near Hobson Beach to harvest some muscles while I still can and just as I pulled up to my location, got a text from my parents that they were camping at Hobson. I quickly proceeded to their campsite to hang out for a while. I then went back to my location and harvested my allotment of muscles and then went back to Hobson for a short 15 minute perch session. No takers on sand crabs. I then took the parents to Andria’s Seafood Restaurant in Oxnard for a heaping helping of the best fish and chips around. After dropping them back at their campsite I proceeded to Ventura Pier for a short crabbing session. Crabbed at the end for about 2 1/2 hours and ended up with 11 keeper red and rock crabs. Lots of shorts and lots of poachers out at the pier unfortunately. One group even clawed the poor things and tossed em back defenseless right before leaving. I hope they get shellfish poisoning! Shameful! Only saw three queenfish caught all night by the people fishing. Been very slow fishing wise out at the end, so I did not even bring a pole on this trip. So muscles and crab for dinner tonight! Cooked the crab when I got home last night and will steam the muscles when I get home tonight (I am purging them of sand right now). All and all a great day and beautiful weather. I'll put up some pics later.

Ventura Pier 12/11/2011

Fished & Crabbed (mostly crabbed) from 4:00 P.M. till 10:30 P.M. after the wife dropped me off and then went to work. No takers on the fishing using squid and leftover shrimp from the previous day. Ended up with 17 keeper rock crabs. Pretty good outing on the crab front. Boiled them all in my new crab pot when I got home.

Ventura Pier 12/04/2011

Fished / crabbed Ventura Pier from about 7:00 A.M. till 2:30 P.M.. Started out at the end and worked our way back using cut mackerel and octopus as bait for fishing and a mash up of misc. crap, mostly mackerel, for crabbing. I caught zero fish all day, Brian managed one small perch and a jack smelt. Got three keeper crabs, one slender crab and two rock crabs, but threw them all back before leaving as three crabs ain't gonna give you much crab meat to work with. Was a long day due to the lack of action, but was nice none the less.

Ventura Pier 11/05/2011

Fished / crabbed at Ventura Pier from around 7:00 A.M. till around 4:00 P.M.. Started out at the very end for a couple hours with one medium sized white croaker and zero crabs. No bait in the water, so I moved to around mid pier for a while with no luck, then moved in closer to shore for the last few hours. Ended up with four (4) keeper rock crabs, and 3 or 4 that were close, but no cigar. Crabbing has been unusually slow there for the last couple months for some reason. Didn't catch anything else fish wise. I did see a gentleman with a couple younger fellows at the surf line killing it on the perch with Gulp Sandworms. Most were pretty small, but there were a few good sized ones.

Long day at the pier for four (4) crabs, but it was a beautiful day and it was nice to be at the ocean. Also had two fish tacos and one calamari taco from the taco shack at the base of the pier. Very good tacos! Well worth the cost, especially since they cover your parking for a minimum order of $10 (parking is $8 otherwise).

Ventura Pier 10/07/2011

Fished / crabbed from around 9PM to 12:30 PM with my wife's cousin from Israel (He wanted to fish here badly). Was pretty slow, but we did manage a zillion baby croakers, a few macs and one keeper sized rock crab. I tossed the crab back before leaving and kept the macs for bait.