About Benicia Shoals

Benicia Shoals is an inner, protected sand flat in the San Francisco waters of California, running 10 to 25 feet deep. The flat draws Chinook Salmon from April through September and Striped Bass from June through October, alongside Coho Salmon, White Croaker, Dungeness Crab, and Pacific Herring. For Chinook, trolling a whole anchovy, spoons, hoochies, or flashers covers the shallow flat efficiently, while mooching a whole anchovy or sardine works the same water at slower speed. Striped Bass respond to trolling deep-diving plugs, swimbaits, and spoons across the sand, and to live bait fishing with shiner perch, live anchovies, or bullheads when fish hold tight to the bottom. Jigging metal jigs, soft plastic swimbaits, or bucktail jigs is a productive alternative in the 10-to-25-foot range.