Tackle Shops on California's Central Coast

6 shops — hours, live bait, and directions.

Updated

California's Central Coast covers a lot of water — this hub spans from Santa Cruz down through San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay, roughly 130 miles, so treat these shops as separate fisheries rather than one continuous run. In Morro Bay, Virg's Landing has outfitted anglers since 1954; its 2,400-square-foot tackle store on Market Avenue carries rods, reels, jigs, swimbaits, and terminal tackle, and acts as a California Fish and Wildlife license agent (cash only) and assists with rod rental at check-in for the landing's sportfishing fleet. A few doors down the Embarcadero, Morro Bay Landing runs a full bait-and-tackle shop — live bait when available, rod and reel rentals, and licenses — open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. Inland in San Luis Obispo, Tackle Warehouse keeps a walk-in showroom at 181 Suburban Rd — the retail front of one of the country's largest online tackle retailers, leaning toward bass and freshwater, open Monday through Saturday; not a saltwater bait shop. To the north in Santa Cruz, Bayside Marine sits in the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor, open 6 AM to 5 PM daily with live anchovies dockside, reel and rod repair, and a deep tackle and marine-supply aisle; nearby, Santa Cruz Boat Rental runs a tackle shop on the Municipal Wharf with fresh and frozen bait and skiff rentals. South at Port San Luis, Patriot Sportfishing keeps a landing store on Harford Pier with tackle and licenses for its Avila Beach trips.

The fisheries differ sharply across the span. Around Morro Bay and Estero Bay, rockfish and lingcod are the bread and butter over the reefs from Point Buchon to Cayucos once the groundfish season opens in spring, with California halibut on the sand flats and Chinook salmon trolled in spring and early summer when the season is open. Off Santa Cruz and the northern Monterey Bay — fished from grounds like the Soquel Hole, Capitola, and Davenport — anglers target Chinook salmon (when open), halibut, rockfish and lingcod, sand dabs, and seasonal Dungeness crab, with bluefin tuna and albacore offshore in warm years. California's ocean salmon seasons are set annually and have been heavily restricted in recent years, and Dungeness crab dates are set each season by the Department of Fish and Wildlife — check current regulations before you go.

Select a city or scroll the map to find the shop closest to where you'll fish.

Shops in Central Coast

Central Coast on the map

Frequently asked questions