Chapter 16: The North Pacific Coast

The North Pacific Coast section of the United States is constituted by Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and part of Canada.  The typical visual image of this area is snow-capped mountains, beautiful cities, tall trees, and friendly people.  Seattle, Washington is the most populated city in this region of America.  In the realm of climate, this area is highly subject to maritime influences and there is high precipitation.  Due to the immense amount of rain, there is lush vegetation near the coast.  Forestry and fishing are a large part of the North Pacific Coast's economy.  San Diego does not have a large forestry industry but fishing for sport is a popular leisure activity in Southern California.

Seattle, Washington

Fishing in San Diego...
Just like the Northwest Coast, San Diego is also famous for fishing.  After all, it is located right on the shores of the Pacific Beach.  Rated #2 in Field & Stream's list of America's Best Fishing Cities, San Diego is home to world-record class largemouth bass, the state record blue catfish, and a world class sport fishing fleet hot on the tails of giant yellowfin tuna and other bluewater sportfish.  Salmon is the primary fish of import in the North Pacific Coast.  Fishermen in San Diego have the opportunity to choose where they fish: the bay, the pier, or nearby lakes.  

Yellowtail

Spotted Sea Bass

Bone Fish

Blue Catfish

• The Bay- Fishermen can fish at either Mission Bay or San Diego Bay.  Mission Bay provides anglers an extremely diverse year-round fishery. Fishing for spotted bay bass and halibut is very good in Mission Bay. Anglers can also target Bat Rays and Leopard  Sharks which strain both angler and equipment (sdfish.com).  San Diego Bay offers anglers the county's most diverse fishery.  One of San Diego Bay's most sought-after species is the bonefish.
• The Pier- The four piers in located in San Diego are: Crystal Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, and Shelter Island Pier.  At 1,971 feet long, the Ocean Beach Pier is the longest pier on the West Coast and probably the most popular fishing pier in the County.  Sand bass, halibut, surf perch, and the rest of the saltwater surf-zone fish are available here.  Crystal Pier does not boast as many fish species as some of the other piers but is still popular for catching surf perch.  The Oceanside Pier is a popular spot for catching barred surf perch, corbina, croaker, stingrays, guitarfish, and sargo. Shelter Island is the hub of fishing in San Diego Bay. It houses the most frequented launch ramp, and protects the world's largest sportfishing fleet (sdfish.com).
• Lakes- San Diego's lakes are not always full of water, but always rich in history. Historically known for the world's largest largemouth bass, and world class size blue catfish, our lakes are known around the world.  Here are a few popular lakes: Lake Cuyamaca, Barrett Reservoir, Diamond Valley Lake, Dixon Lake, and Lake Henshaw.