Date: January 15, 2004; To: PFIC Message Board; From: DSRTEGL; Subject: (in reply to Cool eels)
Wolf eels are fun until you try to take them off the hook…had one crush a steel-toed Redwing boot to my foot one time…it was a 6 1/2 footer caught off Trinidad pier. Ended up having to kill the eel to get the bloody thing to let go of my foot. Not my best day.
Posted by Ken Jones
Didn’t sound like the eel’s best day either.
Date: August 2, 2005; To: PFIC Message Board; From: east bay fisher; Subject: Trinidad Pier
Friday morning 7:00-9:00
One 16-in black rockfish — One 12-1/2 kelp greenling — Used a high/low with cut ‘chovies.
Friday afternoon 3:00- 6:00
Caught plenty of bait {herring, anchovies, smelt, shiners] on a Sabiki. Resulted in one huge hit and a bent hook on a live smelt.
Saturday afternoon 3:00-6:00
One 26-in ling caught by my dad.
I hooked a much bigger ling but my line snapped. We even saw it. It was at least 34-in. I again caught plenty of bait and used that too. I had fun watching the river otters on the lower deck.
Ling on high /low with cut ‘chovies.
Monday afternoon
One 20-in ling caught by me — One small 12-in monkeyface — Ling on Fish Trap, mf eel on shrimp.
Date: October 13, 2006; To: PFIC Message Board; From: DSRTEGL; Subject: Trinidad Pier
Variety — (Photo courtesy of DSRTEGl)
Just got back Wed from an 11 day trip to Trinidad Pier and other points north. I fished the Trinidad Pier for a total of seven days, and as long as 8 hours at a time for the typical greenling, rockfish, cabbies, striped perch action. Caught a large (as of yet unidentified) rockfish on a Texas rigged plastic, and even managed a ling on a 4” curlytail grub fished on light steelhead gear. During these outings I saw two greenling over 20” (unusually large for Trinidad nearshore) caught, both were kelpies. Got to see two separate anglers deal with harbor seals stealing their striped perch (one of the reasons I use a little heavier gear here) and got lucky myself in that I did not have the same problems. Bait I was getting robbed constantly by TINY cabbies. They were everywhere and in a wide variety of colors. Even caught one that was grey with large lavender spots…
Caught a bunch of Rock and Kelp Greenling with Kelpies being the most common (unusual). Caught a black rockfish (keeper) on a TINY piece of shrimp as well as another of an unidentified species. Only caught one ling. Caught about a dozen striped perch but only one of the size I am used to catching there; most were quite small 8-10”. Derek
Date: November 25, 2007; To: PFIC Message Board; From: Davey Jones; Subject: Re: Trinidad Pier by XengineSlug
When I fish the pier I like to shoot for the rock. I like more water, or a move/changing condition just because the bigger fish seem to move with added help. Another spot is near the shack, and tossing at the 10:00 position mid-channel. There is a rocky rift there and have almost caught some huge fish there. Also another spot to cast is between the rock and pier, but throwing to deep water; no seaweed there and another spot for bigger fish.
Date: August 17, 2008; To: PFIC Message Board; From: Ken Jones; Subject: Trinidad Pier
I fished the Trinidad Pier twice on a little excursion to Eureka, Crescent City, and the various North Coast piers.
August 12, 2008, Trinidad Wharf—This is one of my favorite piers even though results have been somewhat desultory over the years. It’s such a beautiful environment that you tend to excuse the fishing. The day would see much of the same, with a good number of fish but all being fairly small, none going over 3⁄4 pound in weight. However, the wharf was in great shape with some new railings and fencing (very safe and kid friendly). Even the tourists were friendly although filled with the usual questions—What do you catch here? What bait are you using? I spent almost the entire time fishing by the large rocks on the right side of the wharf and the main bait was pile worms.
Trinidad Wharf—8:50-12:05 PM
16 Kelp Greenling — 9 Black Rockfish — 2 Rock Greenling —All fish released.
August 13, 2008, Trinidad Wharf—The weather was a little nicer and the place was even more populated with tourists but they were all nice and courteous… Most interesting sight was a large Pacific halibut brought in by a pretty angler who had been out on a boat “just fishin’ for the halibut.” She said they were about 30 miles out and I’m guessing the fish weighed 25-30 pounds. As for myself, I was fishing the left side of the wharf and for some reason was catching rock greenling in contrast to the kelp greenling that I had been catching on the right side of the wharf the day before. There continued to be some juvenile black rockfish but I also caught two keeper-size black rockfish and a nice cabezon to take home for dinner.
Trinidad Wharf 11:05-2:35 PM
9 Rock Greenling — 8 Black Rockfish—two large fish — 5 Kelp Greenling — 2 Cabezon — + 1 Large Red Crab — Most fish released.
Pier Fishing In California Fish Reports
April 1997—The crew at Salty’s Bait and Tackle in Trinidad (Robbie, Don and Rosie) report a mixed bag of fish is available at this time. Rainbow perch (striped seaperch) lead the hit parade with quite a few being caught near the rocks on the left side of the pier. The time to fish is high tide and the best bait is small pieces of shrimp. Some seatrout (kelp greenling) and brown colored rockfish (grass rockfish and brown rockfish) are also hitting baits but most of them are falling for squid. Anglers fishing out at the end continue to catch lingcod but most are under the 22” legal size so must be returned to the water. Robbie, by the way, said it continues to be windy as heck, although he didn’t exactly say heck.
September 1997—Pam, at Bob’s Boat Basin Tackle Shop, (at the foot of the pier), reports that most action has been on striped seaperch. The perch are by the rocks that surround the pier. The most interesting pier catch lately was a 30-inch cabezon; and Pam says the fish was totally purple. An even more interesting story concerns anglers who were fishing offshore for albacore (instead of salmon). One surprised angler hooked (but lost) a marlin; as soon as he lost the big fish nearby anglers, who had witnessed the action, came over to try their own luck. The marlin however decided once was enough and disappeared.
June 1999— Denise, at Bob’s Boat Basin, said that the wind has been blowing so hard that few anglers can stand it for more than a half hour. Those who toughen it out are rewarded with some striped seaperch and an occasional greenling or cabezon. The semi-frozen anglers are also hauling up a few crabs.
July 2001— Denise, at Bob’s Boat Basin, says that most people are concentrating on crabs—rock crabs and Dungeness crabs (and here the season for Dungeness ends July 30). A few anglers are pulling up rainbow perch (striped seaperch) and pier fishermen have taken a couple of big lings when boat fishermen were cleaning their catch and dumping the remains over the side. Nothing like a little chum!
August 2004—Michelle, at Bob’s Boat Basin, says not too many people have been fishing from the wharf but a few people have been getting crabs. kcruise posted on 7/24 —“Trinidad pier was dead, except for some small bass at the foot of the pier.” Posted by cayucosjack on 7/17—“Paid a brief visit to Trinidad pier. Only fished about 20 minutes with only a couple of bites on squid and grass shrimp. Someone else was leaving with a couple of small rockfish and what looked like a MF eel in a bucket. He was fishing the south side in the shallows.”
August 2005—Heather, at Bob’s Boat Basin, says she’s seen more fish taken off the pier this month than any other month. Fish have included snappers (black and blue rockfish), perch, and lingcod up to 26 inches in length. Lots of crabs are also being taken.
May 2006— Ruby, at Bob’s Boat Basin, says there’s been excellent action on perch (striped?) along with a smattering of greenling and cabezon.
History Note. Why Trinidad? When the Bruno de Hezeta expedition took possession of the bay on June 11, 1775, he called it Puerto de la Trinidad because it was Trinity Sunday.
Trinidad’s earliest recorded wharf was Charles B. Ryder’s wharf on Trinidad Head (on the opposite side of the bay from today’s pier). It was completed in August of 1859 and was used for both passengers and cargo (especially lumber). That wharf was used until the late 1890s and rusted nails can still be seen hanging from the rocks where the wharf once stood.
The original Trinidad Wharf
The site of today’s pier itself had earlier been used as a whaling station. In 1923 a new flensing and rendering plant for whales was constructed above where the pier and restaurant sit today. A long, steep wooden trestle was constructed by which whales could be hauled up to the plant (which, I am sure, was a very smelly operation).
Wharf and “whaling slip”
A landing wharf was built next to the trestle, built in part on top of the two rocks that now make up one of my favorite fishing spots. That plant only lasted until 1931.
A new, all-wooden, 575-foot-long pier began construction in 1946 and opened in 1947. It was built by the Hallmark Fisheries Company with contributions from the Arcata Lumberjacks’ Association.
The Hallmark Wharf in 1947
The pier was used by both commercial boats and recreational craft and became one of the main launching sites along this wild stretch of coast. In fact, the Eureka Marina and the Trinidad Pier are the only two launch sites for boats in the 170 miles that separate Shelter Cove in the south to Crescent City in the north.
The Hallmark Wharf on 1950
A “live box” for crabs
One of the attractions at the pier is the Sportfishing boats found on the floating dock out at the end of the pier. The boats seem to change over the years and have included the Sjoholm, Wildflower, Corrigador, Jumpin’ Jack, Shenandoah, Toni Rae II and Wind Rose (among others).
For most of the pier’s history, the owner and operator of the pier was Bob Hallmark who celebrated his fiftieth year at the pier in 1997. Soon after he died and in 2000 the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria purchased the pier from his estate.
Within a few years it was determined that a new pier needed to be built. The creosote-treated Douglas-fir pilings had deteriorated, as had the deck, and the railing was falling apart. In addition, Trinidad Harbor had been designated an “Area of Special Biological Significance” by the California Water Resources Control Board. A number of issues surrounded this designation. There were worries that the creosote in the old pilings was leaching into the water and contaminating nearby kelp beds. Ditto that concern in regard to oil and other fluids dropping from delivery trucks into the water; runoff from the fish-cleaning station, and runoff from the boat haul-out facilities. A change was seen to be needed for each condition.
The $6.5 million dollar pier project began with a grant from the Coastal Conservancy for $375,000 to study the project and many meetings, delays, and dollars later saw the actual construction of the pier from 2011-2012.
Today it is technically the newest pier in the state. It’s not wooden, as we prefer, but if the option is a concrete pier or no pier we will take the concrete.
Trinidad Pier Facts
Hours: Primarily daylight use although lights exist every 25 feet along the pier.
Facilities: Restrooms are between the parking lot and the pier. Free parking is adjacent to the pier. The Seascape Restaurant is located at the foot of the pier. A small bait shop, Bob’s Boat Basin Bait and Tackle, is located near the foot of the pier. It carries tackle and bait but for the most part it is for the boat angler. It is open full time only during the late spring to early fall months. Another bait and tackle shop is located right next to the entrance of town, on the left side as you enter from Highway 101. This is Salty’s Bait and Tackle; it carries quite a bit of tackle but limited frozen bait. Since both are only open full time during part of the year you may want to call ahead or bring your own bait—Salty’s Bait and Tackle (707-677-0300).