SF Bay Flounder Fishing: Fishing in SF Bay and San Pablo Bay is new to me. We want to go halibut and striper fishing but need to learn the ropes. I am considering using a charter...

tom11841 Loc: Northern California

Fishing in SF Bay and San Pablo Bay is new to me. We want to go halibut and striper fishing but need to learn the ropes. I am considering using a charter service to learn where to launch, dock, fuel, live bait, etc;.

Is anyone using charter boats out of Richmond or Emeryville? Recommendations?

Where do you launch your boat and pick up live bait?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

tom11841 wrote:

Fishing in SF Bay and San Pablo Bay is new to me. We want to go halibut and striper fishing but need to learn the ropes. I am considering using a charter service to learn where to launch, dock, fuel, live bait, etc;.

Is anyone using charter boats out of Richmond or Emeryville? Recommendations?

Where do you launch your boat and pick up live bait?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you.

You could PM 40Grit. He goes out in SF Bay a lot Halibut fishin.

Kkrew also goes out Halibut fishin, could PM him also.

Got fish Loc: Petaluma

tom11841 wrote:

Fishing in SF Bay and San Pablo Bay is new to me. We want to go halibut and striper fishing but need to learn the ropes. I am considering using a charter service to learn where to launch, dock, fuel, live bait, etc;.

Is anyone using charter boats out of Richmond or Emeryville? Recommendations?

Where do you launch your boat and pick up live bait?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you.

Hey Tom - were you coming from in N CA. We fish quite a bit in the norther parts of the bay, Angel island north. For halibut we fish paradise to the San Rafael Richmond bridge. There’s also some good grounds on the south side of Red rock. Stripers are all over the bay. We focus on the brother/sister islands or the brickyard, on the troll or casting. We’ve been out the last few weekend and have found fish. Charters are fine, but they do travel a lot at times to find fish. I always believe in learning as you go. You can take your time and learn by trial and error and find the fish. Assuming you have a boat. We launch at Loch Lomand in San Rafael. Not cheap to launch but pretty easy in and out and the parking is usually not a problem.

tom11841 Loc: Northern California

Thank you for the advice. I live in Sacramento, so it will be a 3 hour tour to get down there with my boat. We have a 20ft Striper with downriggers. My son and I are looking forward to catching some fish and just getting on the water. No salmon this year, but flounder sure sounds good.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

tom11841 wrote:

Thank you for the advice. I live in Sacramento, so it will be a 3 hour tour to get down there with my boat. We have a 20ft Striper with downriggers. My son and I are looking forward to catching some fish and just getting on the water. No salmon this year, but flounder sure sounds good.

Hey Tom. It's only 1 1/2 hours from Sacramento to San Rafael. It's only 83 miles.

Fishn2 Loc: CA

Regarding learning the ropes..
I watch alot of YT for bay area Hali fishing
Plenty of how to videos that should help.

K Krew Loc: Woodland, Ca

I launch at the following:

Emeryville(free)- 1 ramp, a little shallow at low tide and a charter boat is usually in the way if he doesn’t go out- I launch here if fishing South Bay - it’s an open parking lot and subject to theft, no washdown or fish cleaning station

Berkeley: $17- 2 ramps, washdown area, fish cleaning table, I launch here when fishing central bay and live bait becomes available, you’re behind a locked gate so it’s a little more protected.

Richmond: $17- 4 ramps, nice washdown area, I launch here when fishing North bay.

I troll using a drop spreader with a flasher, hoochie and frozen herring on a trap rig. When live bait becomes available at J&P I switch over.

Fishn2 Loc: CA

Richmond area launch theft?

Isaac Hamilton Loc: Lake county CA

https://www.fishemeryville.com/
I have been on a few of their charters and was pleased

tom11841 Loc: Northern California

Thank you for the information.

Do you know of any live bait stations on the water or do you pick them up before launching?

tom11841 Loc: Northern California

Thanks all for your comments. That is what I enjoy about this site. You are willing to help an old newbie. I learn a lot from reading your comments.
Tight lines.

JTsao Loc: San Rafaeĺ CA

I believe you can purchase live anchovies at Loch Lomond; otherwise lots of places have frozen bait including the West Marine store in Marin City and other tackle retailers. You can also do well with 5" swimbaits in chartreuse.white patterns scented with anchovy on a slow retrieve. If you don't feel like launching your boat you can also catch keepers at the Marin Rod and Gun Club pier on an incoming tide. It's a private club located at the western end of the Richmond San Rafael bridge but you're welcome to be my guest.

tom11841 Loc: Northern California

Thank you very much. Very kind of you.

JTsao Loc: San Rafaeĺ CA

Just let me know if you're interested.

Stabicraft2250 Loc: Stockton CA

Hi, check out YouTubes by ChrisPFish and others. Check J&P Bait at pier 47 for live bait when they open (not yet open for this year, check facebook). We get a half scoop ($$). Boat access.
We launch out of Marina Bay Yacht Club in Richmond (Hall Street entrance). The con is you need to travel north in the channel to get to the bay, towards the Richmond bridge. The pro is I think there are less homeless people around than Berkeley and other ramps? And we fish all the way back to the Richmond boat channel.
For Halibut, just watch for the other 50 boats, often in the South Bay early in the year and anywhere/everywhere later. My son likes the Alameda Rock Wall. We have been on party boats that went out the gate and fished the north and south bar with very good luck.
Just my opinion.
Good luck.
Have fun.