Port Hueneme Pier 

Date: April 1, 2002; To: PFIC Message Board; From: pierangler8787; Subject: Bat Rays Are HERE!!!

Unbelievable day at Port Hueneme pier! Arrived at 7:00 am and left at 12:15 P.M. First got there and some guy was holding his rod with the reel screaming like crazy. After 10 minutes, the line snapped and he lost it. I was getting real excited. Rigged up a sliding sinker rig with a 5/0 hook and a whole squid. In only 20 minutes my clicker goes off, I count to 10 and set the hook. After a 30 minute battle up comes the beast. Netted him and measured. 37”. Same rig hour later produced a small 17’” bat ray. And a quick tug in about 5 minutes after that. 3 hours later (bout time) a big fish takes the bait. Fight it for about 45 minutes taking me back and forth, back and forth across the pier. She still had some energy left and charged at the pier like a freight train. REEL REEL REEL REEL REEL! GRRRRRRRRR… took me into the piling and snapped me off. Luckily, there were no crabs present. Saw two more bat rays landed in the surf zone as I was leaving. Great day! Sinker-time to hook up (with fish). BTW all fish were released. Tight Lines! Chris

Date: May 26, 2002; To: PFIC Message Board; From: Cheryl; Subject: 15 visits and no fish!

I’ve lately decided to take up fishing. I bought a license, pole and tackle. I realize now that I do not need a license to fish from a public pier in California. I’ve tried all sorts of “rigs” and at various time of tide, time of day and areas along the Port Hueneme Pier with not so much as a bite. I would appreciate any and all advice about this pier or any other nearby pier. Thank you.

Posted by pierangler8787 on May 26, 2002

How to fish Hueneme: I fish Port Hueneme Pier all the time. The best way to go would be to either A: Buy some of the jigs (8 or 10 hooks on the rig with yarn or something on them and eyes) that the Filipino people sometimes sell on the pier or B: Buy some Hayabusa Sabiki Rigs in the #3 size at the Sportmart in Oxnard across the street from Best Buy. You’ll need a fairly light pole, anywhere from 8-17 pound rating, and a small reel with 6-pound line. Just tie one on and drop it straight down. Mid-way up to the surface is where they feed. Typical catches are Jacksmelt and Sardine. Sardine hit usually in the evening, Jacksmelt any time, but noon or before is usually the best. Sometimes Mackerel will school at sunset. Many times right at sunset, Mackerel and Sardines will school in huge numbers, just fish where all the anglers are. Jacksmelt tend to school in the morning and right at noon. Sometimes casting is necessary to catch the fish. You also need to use a jigging type retrieve. Watch what most of the people are doing and try to match there retrieve. Most of the time you just cast as far as you can, let it sink a little, then twitch, reel a little, twitch, reel a little, twitch, twitch, reel a little and repeat. Do not stop the retrieve until your rig is out of the water, sometimes they will hit right at the surface. Setting the hook really hard is really not necessary, but still give it a good jerk. Hope this helps and good luck on your next trip!

Date: September 1, 2002; To: PFIC Message Board; From: nigeria butler ; Subject: Too many Mackerel

Went to Port Hueneme today to see if the fish were there. Yes, but not the right kind of fish. The ocean was full of mackerel from the shoreline to deep water. So if you like mackerel go to Port Hueneme Pier while they are still there. Caught them on Lucky Joe jigs. Nigeria Butler

Posted by pierangler8787 on September 1, 2002

Actually mackerel fishing can be very exciting. Tossing out a Sabiki and getting a mack’ on every hook on light tackle is WAY fun; you do not have to do it this way (or if your not interested in fishing with bait rigs). Small mackerel freshly caught can be deadly for the big macks. You can flyline it, just straight hook and bait, or use some small split shots. You can make a fillet, or simply cut off the head and they will hit it (carnivorous little guys, aren’t they?). You can also use smelt, sardines, and ‘chovies as live bait, but the best to use is what they are chasing. Chances are the macks are munching every baitfish around.

Artificials take many macks, including swimbaits, from Big Hammer (of course). Anchovy, brown bait, sardine, mackerel, green-back ‘chovie, bleeding mackerel, blue ‘chovie, pepper trout, and prizm rainbow trout will all work. Match the color with the water color. If they are still biting at mid-day, then prizm rainbow trout, bleeding mackerel and blue chovie will work. Later, in the evening, use a darker color swimbait. 2- and 3-inch have worked the best for me. Keep the leadhead light; you usually want to be near the surface or only a few feet below. I have caught some on 1-ounce Dart lures.       Another lures that will probably work but I have yet to try is the Krocodile spoon. Small spinners, and Rapala Magnums will probably work. I tried bucktail-type jigs, and they work, but are hard to fish. I have seen a few regulars use the thread or similar threads like a bucktail with small hooks on a snag line usually consisting of 8 or 10 hooks, but this falls into the bait rigs category. So for any of you that are bored of tossing out a bait rig and want something more challenging, try considering some of my experiences above. Now lets catch some Macks! BTW, mackerel is the best bait for threshers…. Happy fishin’! Chris

Date: June 1, 2007; To: PFIC Message Board; From: Santa; Subject: Hueneme Filipino Rig?

 Have any of you folks out there seen these or know where I can get some mini jigheads that look like these? Spent a couple of hrs surfing net with no luck. These are attached to a 6-gang Sabiki type rig that’s called a Filipino Rig around the Port Hueneme area. I got this rig from one of the regulars at Hueneme Wed. while I was there, but he left B4 I could get info on it, and would like to make some more B4 my next trip. THIS THING WORKS! I had fished for 3 hrs for bait using various Sabiki rigs and methods, with no love. I think his name was Lou, turned me on to this rig and said “try it.” On my very next drop, I get hit by a nice Shiner, as I turn to express further gratitude for the gift, I notice the fellow had already left. Tossed out the Shiner on big rod for live Hali bait, and went to other side of pier with Sabiki for more bait. WHAM! got a triple Mack attack. Just further support for the school of thought to rely on info and help from the locals when you visit a new pier/fishing area. I had to leave and pick up my wife B4 I could get any BIG game, but came away pleased with having fished a new pier, learned new ideas, and got some fresh Mack to cure for future bait.

The “Good Old Days”

A Fish Story—The Daily Venturian tells a fish story which may encourage tenderfeet from the east to go fishing. A man who had never caught a fish before got nearly 100 pounds of fish in three hauls. The Venturian says: A jolly party consisting of Phares Myers, H. W. Conner and his brother-in-law, Charlie Chambers, were fishing at Hueneme yesterday. Mr. Chambers, who, with his wife, just arrived in Ventura from Chicago, had never caught a saltwater fish in his life, and Mr. Conner, who has long been the champion fisherman of Ventura, was very careful to show Mr. Chambers just how to cast his line. He had an apt pupil, and it was not many minutes before a big silver-tailed sea bass was pulling at the line and the two men after a hard struggle succeeded in landing the monster—a forty-pound fish. That was great luck, but the tenderfoot was not satisfied, and again casted his line in the most approved fashion, he soon had a thirty-two-pound fish safe on the wharf. His next catch was a twenty-pound halibut, making ninety-two pounds of fish in three hauls. In the meantime the experienced fishermen, Conner and Myers, were throwing away sharks as fast as they could get them off their hooks, nothing else being tempted by the bait they offered. The fish were brought to Ventura and are at Conner & Blackstock’s store. Mr. Conner takes his defeat good naturedly, but there is a look in his eye which can be interpreted to mean that he will beat that catch yet. —Los Angeles Herald, October 27, 1895

Almost for the first time this season fishing off the Hueneme wharf Sunday was rewarded with some degree of success. Sea trout were landed in numbers for several hours. But frequenters of the wharf say that fishing is exceedingly backward this year, that it has been on a gradual decline since the sugar factory built its waste water ditch to empty in the sea a few miles below the wharf, and in every way fishing is not the satisfactory sport that it used to be. —Oxnard Courier, June 15, 1901

A favorite fish that seems inclined to take a chance at the bait at Hueneme is the halibut. This variety is the kind that no fisherman will sneeze at and one that many an amateur would like to take a chance at. Reports from the same resort say that sea trout have not been so plentiful this year, but smelt are seen now and then. —Los Angeles Herald, July 6, 1909

Fishing off the wharf is improving and there are large catches of small fish being made. The halibut are beginning to bite and twelve were caught yesterday. No yellowtail are running. Mr. Waterman, manager of the Farmers Warehouse Co., claims to have hooked a large sea bass. He says the monster, which he brought close to the top of the water, weighed close to 250 pounds. Friends of Mr. Waterman’s, however, say the fish was about eighteen inches in length. Even Mr. Waterman will admit that the sea bass must have been extremely weighty for its size. —Oxnard Courier, June 23, 1911

Good Yellowtail Run Reported At Hueneme

Lovers of the rod and reel have an opportunity for some perfectly good sport, according to word from the Hueneme wharf. Officials of the Farmer’s Warehouse Company state that yellowtail are now running in goodly numbers. Yesterday dozens of fishermen were out, according to the reports, and all made good catches. A halibut run is also on, though not as great as the yellowtail. Smaller fish have commenced to be less numerous than a few months ago. Within the past few days some handsome specimens of yellowtail have been brought to the wharf. —The Daily Oxnard Courier, December 14, 1911

Ocean trout were biting well at the Hueneme wharf yesterday. —Oxnard Courier, July 17, 1914

Hueneme—The fish are biting at the Hueneme wharf and the smelt are running; many fine catches of the latter being caught. —Oxnard Courier, September 12, 1919

Some Fish For Surf Fish—J. P. Couste recently caught a surf fish [corbina] from the Hueneme wharf that weighed four and a half pounds. He thinks that’s going some for surf fish. —Oxnard Courier, November 14, 1919

There was a good run of surf fish [corbina] Wednesday, a number of large ones being taken from the pier. —Oxnard Daily Courier, May 12, 1921

Many fishermen were at Hueneme yesterday at the pier. Fishing was fine, with smelt and mackerel running all day. —Oxnard Press-Courier, September 5, 1925

Holy Mackerel! Martin Got It in the Eye and Couldn’t Go to Work—It was only his excellent reputation for honesty, reliability and integrity that saved Martin Valentine this morning when he telephoned his employer A. J. Dingeman of the Ford agency and said he would be unable to come to work because a mackerel, one of those famous little fishes which have made Hueneme famous, had bitten him in the eye.

“What?” gasped Dingeman in surprise. If there had been any doubt in Dingeman’s mind as he heard the story over the ‘phone, the originality of the excuse took his breath away and all he could say was “Yes, yes, go on.” Valentine continued the story. Further inquiry at the bedside of the patient, who resides on the Ditch road, revealed the fact that he had been fishing off Hueneme wharf yesterday evening when his line became entangled with that of another fisherman. Both had fish on their lines.

Valentine gave his line a jerk and up came the fish. But before he could get out of the water, Mr. Mackerel struck him right in the eye. Whether the fish bit him or whether the hook snagged him he does not know. At any rate something tore a nasty gash in his eyelid. He is today recovering. It is believed he will be well enough to resume fishing at the beach tomorrow. —Oxnard Press-Courier, September 12, 1925