On the Fly Backpack Fishing Gear

Fishing on the go is a great idea if you have just an hour or so to spare in your busy schedule. Unfortunately, by the time you grab your tackle box, fishing pole, and bucket you are carrying a truckload of unnecessary items. Fishing on the go, or backpack fishing, requires a whole new way of thinking about things. The economization of items is necessary if you want to fit everything in the back of your car, stuff it into a backpack, or shove it into your desk drawer. 

The Ready to Fish R2F Telescopic Pole provides a compact fishing pole that is easy to store in small places. With a micro tackle box, and carrying canvass it is hard to get something more portable than this. Retailing for under $30 at most outlets like Sports Authority or Amazon it is a nice addition to your fishing gear. 

Recently I have engaged more often in pier fishing in the San Diego area. Sometimes I like to bike down to the beach and spend a few hours in the sun and then head over to the pier to enjoy some fishing. This is pretty difficult if you have a lot of gear and not a lot of space. 

Simply stuffing one of these poles into my backpack allows me to enjoy my day and pull out the pole when it is needed. Plenty of leftover room for towel, sunscreen, and other items. I have also removed the necessity of a bucket by using a waterproof container and freezer packs. Simply catch your fish, clean it at the pier faucet, place it in the container, stuff it in your backpack and head home. 

Perhaps you do not desire to go pier fishing but are enjoying hiking or camping. Something that allows you to fish in remote areas is certainly a benefit. It is also light which means you are not adding significantly to your shoulder weight. 

Backpack fishing has come a long way since the days of stuffing string and hooks in your pocket, finding a slightly green stick to tie your line, throw it in the water and reeling it in by hand. The R2F Telescopic Pole is a fully functional pole that retracts out to full length. It hosts an open real that is easy to attach and detach as needed.  

“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.” –Doug Larson

Ocean Beach Pier Offers Bait Shop and Dining Catches

San Diego has plenty of great piers to throw in a line and catch your dinner. Pier fishing is a common activity by San Diegans who love the fresh air, crashing waves, and warm California sun. Ocean Beach Municipal Pier is one of my favorites and provides a choice location to station your bucket and pole after a long day’s work. As the world’s longest concrete T-shaped pier there are ample spaces to find a spot. 

“Fishing  is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.” –Herbert Hoover

Ocean Pier may be a simple and cheap way to go fishing but there are a few luxuries that you won’t find in other places. If you don’t get lucky and end your trip without a catch you can always take a seat at the Ocean Beach Pier Café. Their menu offers seafood at prices that beat out many of their competitors. Not hungry? Order a coffee or smoothie and go back to fishing. 

Likewise you may need some live bait, fishing hooks, or new line. Next to the café is a bait shop that offers the necessities to ensure that you have what you need. No point in going back home when you just got there. The entire fishing process is easy at Ocean Beach Pier and it is a great place to spend a few hours with family, friends, or by yourself. 

The water is around 25 deep with significant sea life such as kelp and seaweed. It is best to use a 20 pound line to ensure that heavy chunks of sea debris doesn’t snap your line. Different types of fish are regularly caught that include bonito, perch, halibut, lobster, sea bass, and mackerel. I caught a rather small croaker. Not enough to make much out of it. Enjoy your fishing trip!

Ocean Beach Municipal Pier

1950 Abbott St
San Diego, CA 92107

Spend a Few Hours in No Hassle Pier Fishing

Fishing has a long history in San Diego and the spirit continues to live on at Crystal Pier Bait and Tackle. It is a sport that can be as simple as throwing a line into a body of water with a stick and string or it could  be elaborate as tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. In the commercial industries it is easy to reach into the hundreds of thousands for equipment, licenses, and maintenance. San Diego offers a number of frugal fishing opportunities.

If you are visiting San Diego you may want to enjoy fishing off one of the piers to experience the San Diego lifestyle without having to buy all of the equipment, bait and license. At a price of $7 per hour Crystal Pier Bait and Tackle will provide a pole, bucket, knife, and pliers. For vacationers and locals it is a great place to go after spending time on the beach and perusing the coastal shops.

 

The area is not known to have rocks and other natural protectants for fish. Yet it still attracts a number of sandy bottom varieties and seems to have a fairly high catch rate. The type of fish you will catch are barred surfperch, corbina, stingrays, guitar fish, thornback rays, yellowfin croaker, queen fish, whitecroaker, halibut and smoothhound sharks. Almost all of them are edible.

Smell the ocean breaze, watch the surfers, and lean against the railing for a while as the cool ocean waves crash against the pilings. The pier is cool providing respite from hot weather. It is long with wood planks allowing for plenty of room to fish off both sides. Feel the pull of the line, give it a quick jerk to set the hook and start to reel in your catch. If you get something edible you can clean it at the sink or pay one of the employees a tip to clean it for you.

No license is needed for Pier fishing in California. Spend a few hours of your time enjoying coastal culture. It is a free pier for those who want to walk and check out the catches in the buckets.

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Crystal Pier Bait and Tackle

4500 Ocean Blvd
San Diego, CA 92109