long walk on a short pier

[Al B.Fishing]

As I walked out on Seal Beach pier I always remember how it was 50 years ago and it warms my heart from the memories at it was the vital stepping stone it played in my fishing journey. On this day I saw 3 young girls fast walking out on the pier to fish only hoping they would catch something but their spirit was refreshing. I went to check the surf as that too is a fond memory and was sad to see the extreme low tide drained out the trash from the ex warm water jetty and was being push from incoming tide and swell current right through the pier and into south side surfers, gross. Last I noticed the sign of the fish not to eat but strangely missing was Halibut as they must eat all the fish on the list ? Always will love Seal pier

 

[mike mitchell]

Did you say hi to Slick?

 

[Croaker.Stroker]

Ah. Seal Beach pier. 5 cent anchovy tickets. Casting underhand long rod. Sliding that anchovy down the line with a snap swivel. Fishing next to "Robbie" the special needs guy while he dipped his toy Robot into "Jesus's Ocean".

 

[splashy77]

"Stingray alley" we fished that pier as kids. We'd get bloodworms or Ghostshrimp from "Norms" not Big Fish and catch the croakers and perch from the surf break area of the pier. Mid section was always Stingray alley..
We would drink beers out of super big gulp cups when we were teenagers and jump off the south side of the pier in summer, swim to the beach and do it again.
Some kid jumped off the north side one day at high tide, not knowing about the underwater jetty section that extended out and paid with his life...gruesome. RIP.
Nostalgia...
Not the same..
Like Aliso Pier, all the good stuff is shit.
Yea Biden....

 

[Croaker.Stroker]

I dug Ghoist Shrimp and sold them to "Norm" and "Earl".

 

[mrfishcado]

I used to fish the pier with my dad almost 30 years ago. One Father’s Day we jumped on the City of Seal Beach for a half day trip n it was over. Awesome memories from that pier n boat.

 

[Long Beach Bob]

Ahhh, lots of memories there as the kids grew up...them learning to surf at M&M surf school. lunch at El Burrito Jr. across the street and a trip to the shell shop, while watching bikinis and pretending to look straight ahead as the Good Wife monitors everything.....life is still great in small town America!

 

[fishkilr]

Feel the same way about venice pier and the fishing education I received there..

 

[HighWildFree]

My dad told me many stories of fishing seal beach pier as a kid in the 60’s. The anchovies for sale, sacks of bonito, slider rigs, hollering for the landing net if someone hooked a ‘but.

Kind of random but If any has some old pictures please post them up. I’d love to show him.

 

[RodRage]

I grew up in Cypress, mid 70s -10 thru 12 years old just before skate boarding blew up we built and refined a surfboard trailer out of an old golf bag carrier and were able to tow our boards to the pier with a Schwinn 10 speed in 45 minutes, looking back I can’t believe my parents let us do it but we we’re focused on surfing not getting in trouble, some of the best times of my life we’re had in those younger years at the pier and crabs jetty. The locals took us in as there own and were the nicest people I’d ever met . If I ever get the chance I’d buy a house in Mayberry in heartbeat!

 

[tuner]

I have a few bait coupons left from the mid-late 70's, they remind me of being dropped off to fish the pier or taking ride out to the barge. When I was done, I would drop a dime in the pay phone and my mom would pick me up at the base of the pier. Different times.

 

[Barneyf]

I used to fish the pier with my dad almost 30 years ago. One Father’s Day we jumped on the City of Seal Beach for a half day trip n it was over. Awesome memories from that pier n boat.

Posted this a while back but I was a pinhead on the City when it first came into service. My uncle ran the boat. Early to Mid 70's. Frank Hale ran the operation. My uncle left a few years later and went commercial and that was the end of my job. Incredible memories. Great boat to fish from.

 

[Dragon]

Would love to see some Old Pics...My Mom and Wife were both born in LBC213...But I think everyone I went to school with in Garden Grove and all Local H.S.'s learned to Surf @ Ray Bay. it was the Perfect Mushburger to learn how to surf...And it was warm..."F" Yeah.

I have seen 13th St Epic...When it would be Huge Close Outs in HB we would go to Seal Bch. and it would be Un Real, Overhead Barrels...Great Memories!

Before Leashes!!!

 

[dktool]

Seal was my place too, surfed there in jr high (I'm 62 now, do that math) and fished on the Enterprise when it was docked there.

I watched it burn from the parking lot a few years ago.....whenever that was.

Just went and did that same walk on the now short pier last Friday.
Always a special place for me as well.

 

[scott v]

Spent many days when I was little fishing the city of seal beach. I remember having to jump from the ramp to the boat when there was a bit of swell. Happened more at HB though when they ran boats from the pier. Also loved the tram ride from the lot to the end (or was this Belmont, I was little).

Favorite part of Seal Beach when I was a little older was Nicks and Taco Surf. Nicks had the best burritos after a long morning in the water.

 

[Benado]

caught first fish there a perch was 5 yrs old, the trophy was a bonito on a slider or a herring, my dad took me there in the 70s from arcadia, the drive down on saturdays mornings 5 am would not see another car on the 605, love that place , I walk it sometimes for fun

 

[mhanson59hb]

Where the hell is Seal Beach?

 

[calbrewguy]

As I walked out on Seal Beach pier I always remember how it was 50 years ago and it warms my heart from the memories at it was the vital stepping stone it played in my fishing journey. On this day I saw 3 young girls fast walking out on the pier to fish only hoping they would catch something but their spirit was refreshing. I went to check the surf as that too is a fond memory and was sad to see the extreme low tide drained out the trash from the ex warm water jetty and was being push from incoming tide and swell current right through the pier and into south side surfers, gross. Last I noticed the sign of the fish not to eat but strangely missing was Halibut as they must eat all the fish on the list ? Always will love Seal pier

I remember surfing "Ray Bay" when the power plant was still there and the water was nice and warm. It was the first place I stood up on a 9' Hobie balsa. That board would be worth a fortune now. I used to get aboard the boat GW from the pier for rock codding in like 300+ feet of water out in the channel. Still have my old rig with a 6/0 senator and rail plate on a broomstick Seeker rod. Got a 14lb cow cod once.

 

[Mike_I]

Damn you must be old Scott V, I was going to mention the tram. I think it cost a dime to ride and it was on SB pier. As usual your taste in food sucks, Nicks burritos are blah.

Spent many days when I was little fishing the city of seal beach. I remember having to jump from the ramp to the boat when there was a bit of swell. Happened more at HB though when they ran boats from the pier. Also loved the tram ride from the lot to the end (or was this Belmont, I was little).

Favorite part of Seal Beach when I was a little older was Nicks and Taco Surf. Nicks had the best burritos after a long morning in the water.

 

[dktool]

Where the hell is Seal Beach?

It's where the seals are not.

 

[dktool]

Also loved the tram ride from the lot to the end

Oh man I forgot about that, sure made it easy to transport the rockcod hardware to and fro.

 

[Al B.Fishing]

Oh man I forgot about that, sure made it easy to transport the rockcod hardware to and fro.

 

[Al B.Fishing]

Good to know there are others. Yes the tram was a must ride on return with full sacks of fish either from the barge or sport boat. Sand bass at the flats was silly. I remember being in the wheelhouse and the captain saying watch the paper graph and it would turn black from top to bottom when he found a school. I worked in the bait shack in the summer and would fish all day out the back and catch bonito, big herring in tight by the pilings and a Halibut almost daily. Rock Cod fishing was unreal too at the 150 slope always 3-5 salmon Grouper and plenty of Cow Cod. The warm water jetty was also a fond memory as you just need a pack of frozen Anchovies and a couple of Rooster Tails to have a great time after School and ignoring homework. Caught my first Mullet there on Bonito liver good fight. The barge had it all too, on the food front I remember Perry's Pizza nice big square slabs. I always walk that pier for various reasons as it means so much to me

 

[EAH]

The tram was great. Fished there usually late afternoon, at the end on the south corner. Almost every time took home a couple of halibut. Got good with the hoop net to bring them babies up. Also enjoyed watching the monthly largest shark / ray contest. The largest was posted on a board, and generally the winner was more than 200 lbs. A real colorful bunch of fellas were the monthly participants. Would never have thought those days would end, but at least the memories last. Between Seal Beach, Manhattan and to a much lesser extent Redondo, those piers were great places to spend a summer.

 

[Al B.Fishing]

Redondo was my prequel to Seal Beach, that's a whole other story. 1st salt water fish I ever caught was from a skiff, 6lb Bonito, hooked for life