Fishing around Monterey/Salinas?

[ACRon]

My son just move to the Marina/Salinas area to go to school at CSU Montery Bay. He misses NoCal and is looking for someplace to fish from shore for bass in that area.

Any suggestions for bodies of water and/or tips.

Thanks.

[RogerB]

Best spot for bank fishing for bass is probably San Justo Reservoir over by Hollister (take 101 north, then 152 east to Union Road, then south for a mile or so to entrance on right to San Justo Reservoir…parking fee is $5.00 paid at the marina concessionaire’s building on top of hill). From the parking lot, walk across the dam and then fish the bank extending south from the dam. The lake is stocked with trout from fall through spring so there are some trout fisherman on the bank as well. The lake has a good bass population including many Florida-strain lunkers that feast on the stocked trout. Lake record is an 18 lb bass caught about four years ago and since then there have been some 8 to 16 lb bass caught by several different anglers, including a 12 lb’r taken recently by a bank fisherman from the rocky shore just below the parking lot. Because of weed growth along the bank, bank fishing can be a challenge at some times of the year but it’s not a problem now. Main forage include crawfish, shad and hitch. Jigs now and crankbaits or spinnerbaits later in the spring can be productive, along with dropshot worms, Senko’s, and buzzbaits.
Other options include Pinto Lake in Freedom (up by Watsonville), Coyote Lake up by Gilroy, Anderson Lake by Morgan Hill, and Calero Reservoir just south of San Jose.
Good sources of local bass fishing info and knowledge are Coyote Bait and Tackle at 8215 Monterey Rd., Coyote, telephone 408-463-0711, and the Tackle Box in the K-Mart shopping center in Salinas, at 1012 N. Davis Road, telephone 831-757-9797.
Here's hoping your son can find some good fishing for a break from his studies.

[ACRon]

RogerB, Thanks for the good info. I will forward to him. Anybody else like to comment?

[thejerbs]

You can fish coyote at night too...right now its not that good though because of water clarity. If he does go at night tell him to watch out for the coyotes.

[MN]

Also Fort Hunter Ligget,about an hour or just a little more drive south of Salinas there are several small pond's that are loaded with bass.But San Justo would be best and i believe they do rent boat's.Pinto lake has to much growth around it for bank fishing.

Also if he just want's to fish he can have fun surf fishing.The pearch fishing is very good and in the summer right there off Marina beach is some great Striper fishing.