HALF MOON BAY, CA
Half Moon Bay Sportfishing & Tackle
Claim this shopLive BaitTackle Shops in the San Francisco Bay Area
5 shops — hours, live bait, and directions.
Updated
Bait and tackle near you in San Francisco Bay Area
5 open shops, 2 with live bait, live bait first.
The San Francisco Bay Area wraps fishing water around a major city — the bay itself, the ocean outside the Golden Gate, and the open coast south to Pillar Point — so the tackle shops here serve several distinct fisheries rather than one. In San Francisco, Gus' Discount Fishing Tackle on Balboa Street is described by local press as the city's last general tackle shop, family-run for more than 60 years; and Frank's Fisherman has been a Fisherman's Wharf chandlery since 1946, carrying recreational tackle and frozen bait. Across the bay, Berkeley Marina Sportsmans Center sits at the foot of University Avenue with saltwater tackle, bait, and charter reservations for the marina's fleet. North of there in Emeryville, the tackle counter at the Fish Emeryville landing on Powell Street sells tackle, rod rentals, and licenses for its bay and ocean trips. Down the San Mateo coast at Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay Sportfishing & Tackle runs a full dockside shop with a 24-hour frozen-bait vending machine.
The fishing divides between the inner bay and the open ocean. Inside San Francisco Bay, anglers target striped bass, California halibut, white sturgeon, and leopard shark — halibut and stripers spring through fall, sturgeon in the winter and early spring. Out through the Golden Gate and along the coast from the Farallon Islands to Pillar Point, the boats chase Chinook salmon when the season is open, rockfish and lingcod under California's groundfish rules, and Dungeness crab through the winter, with albacore offshore in warm years. California's ocean salmon and Dungeness crab seasons are set each year by state and federal fishery managers and have been heavily restricted recently — check current dates with the Department of Fish and Wildlife before you go. The region's sportfishing boats run from the Fisherman's Wharf landings, Berkeley Marina, the Emeryville Marina, and Pillar Point Harbor.
Select a city or scroll the map to find the shop closest to where you'll fish.
Shops in San Francisco Bay Area
Claim this shopLive BaitSAN FRANCISCO, CA
Gus' Discount Fishing Tackle
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Frank's Fisherman
BERKELEY, CA
Berkeley Marina Sportsmans Center
EMERYVILLE, CA
Fish Emeryville
San Francisco Bay Area on the map
Species to target here
Related regions
Frequently asked questions
Which San Francisco Bay Area tackle shops carry live bait?
Berkeley Marina Sportsmans Center carries live and frozen bait at the marina, and Half Moon Bay Sportfishing & Tackle runs a 24-hour frozen-bait vending machine at Pillar Point Harbor. Frank's Fisherman at Fisherman's Wharf carries frozen bait. Call ahead, as live-bait supply is seasonal and tied to the boats.
Where can you buy fishing tackle in the East Bay?
Berkeley Marina Sportsmans Center, at the foot of University Avenue in Berkeley, carries saltwater tackle and bait and books charters for the marina fleet. In Emeryville, the tackle counter at the Fish Emeryville landing on Powell Street sells tackle, rod rentals, and California fishing licenses for its San Francisco Bay and offshore trips.
What can you catch around San Francisco Bay?
Inside the bay, anglers target striped bass, California halibut, white sturgeon, and leopard shark — halibut and stripers from spring through fall, sturgeon in winter and early spring. Outside the Golden Gate and out toward the Farallon Islands, boats chase Chinook salmon when the season is open, plus rockfish, lingcod, and winter Dungeness crab, with albacore offshore in warm years.
Is the salmon season open in the Bay Area?
Check before you plan a trip. California's ocean salmon seasons are set each year by state and federal managers and have been heavily restricted or closed in recent years, reopening only in limited windows. Confirm current dates with the Department of Fish and Wildlife before booking around salmon.
Where do San Francisco Bay Area sportfishing boats run from?
The region's party and charter boats run from several ports: the Fisherman's Wharf landings in San Francisco, Berkeley Marina, the Emeryville Marina (Fish Emeryville), and Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay. The tackle shops on this page sell gear and bait; the landings book the boats.