Skip to content
Fish City

Tackle Shops Across California

50 shops — hours, live bait, and directions.

Updated

Bait and tackle near you in California

50 open shops, 26 with live bait, live bait first.

California’s 840 miles of Pacific shoreline stretch from the Oregon border to Tijuana, and the tackle shops that line it stock gear for a fishery that changes personality every hundred miles. San Diego’s fleet runs offshore for yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Orange County targets calico bass on the inshore kelp. The Central Coast drifts for lingcod and rockfish over the edge. The Delta and Bay Area split time between striped bass, surfperch, and salmon. Humboldt and Del Norte counties shift to Pacific halibut and the winter steelhead runs.

What that means for gear: a rod built for Monterey Bay rockfish won’t throw a Catalina yo-yo, and a shop stocked for Delta bass won’t carry Okuma Makaira reels. Of the 50 California shops below, 16 are offshore-focused (heavy saltwater, jigs, irons, live squid); most of the rest are general shops that cover inshore, surf, and freshwater work alongside offshore basics, plus 4 pier bait shops. The landing-attached shops open at or before dawn to match boat departures. Many of the full-service shops also run rod repair counters, which is worth knowing before your trip if a guide breaks a tip.

Select your region or scroll the map to find the shop closest to where you’ll fish.

Shops in California

California on the map

Species to target here

Nearby charters

Related regions

Frequently asked questions

  • Which California tackle shops carry live bait?

    26 of the 50 California shops explicitly confirm they carry live bait — most commonly anchovies, sardines, and live squid during spring and summer, with live worms (bloodworms, ghost shrimp, nightcrawlers) at several standalone shops. Another 17 don't have live-bait status listed; call ahead. Southern California landing shops coordinate live bait with their fleet schedules, so call the landing that morning for availability. On the North Coast, harbor-shop bait runs to frozen.

  • What's the difference between an offshore tackle shop and a regular one?

    Offshore shops stock heavy conventional reels (Penn International, Okuma Makaira, Shimano Talica), 80-lb-plus line, tuna irons and yo-yo jigs, and live-bait hooks in the 5/0 to 9/0 range. Regular tackle shops focus on lighter inshore and freshwater gear. The filter on this page separates the two — look for the 'Offshore-focused' label if you're targeting tuna, yellowtail, or dorado.

  • Do California tackle shops open early enough for pre-dawn launches?

    Shops attached to sportfishing landings open at or before dawn to match boat departures — Point Loma Sportfishing and Seaforth open at 5 AM and Fisherman’s Landing at 5:30 AM daily, and Bodega Tackle in Petaluma opens at 4 AM during salmon season. Standalone shops most commonly open at 6 or 7 AM, with Angler's Tackle in Oceanside opening at 6 AM on weekends. Hours are listed on each shop page below, but call ahead for holidays.

  • Which shops service the long-range sportfishing fleet?

    Long-range fleet tackle needs are specialized — 100-lb line, 6-6/0 reels spooled for yellowfin, wahoo bait rigs, and specific sinker weights for kite fishing. The shops that cater to the Point Loma, Fisherman’s Landing, and H&M Landing fleets are Point Loma Sportfishing Tackle, Fisherman’s Landing Tackle, Charkbait, Squidco, and Pacific Coast Bait & Tackle. All five are on this page.

  • What's the best tackle shop for beginners in California?

    The most beginner-friendly shops are the ones staffed by anglers who fish the same water they sell gear for. In Southern California that tends to be Squidco, Charkbait, Pacific Coast Bait & Tackle, and Hogan’s Bait & Tackle in Dana Point. Most full-service shops will spool a new rod, tie a basic rig, and explain local regulations if you ask.