About Point Pinos

Point Pinos sits at the tip of the Monterey Peninsula, an outer-exposed rocky drop-off that plunges from around 260 to 660 feet. Chinook Salmon move through in the spring and early summer, peaking March through July, and are worked with trolling using anchovies, spoons, hoochies, and flashers, or by mooching anchovies and sardines. The rock structure holds Blue Rockfish and Black Rockfish, strongest from March into fall, taken on bait fishing with shrimp flies, squid strips, and anchovies or on metal and leadhead jigs. Lingcod feed hard over the same reef, with peaks in late fall, spring, and early fall, responding to jigging and live bait such as sanddabs and mackerel. California Halibut drift the softer margins from March through September, while Cabezon hold tight to the bottom, hitting squid, shrimp, and cut bait.