‘Pops’ Marks the Spot for Prime Pier Fishing

At the end of the Newport Pier, the word “Pops” is carved into the weathered wooden railing on which anglers for decades have rested their fishing rods.

“An older guy used to have a captain’s chair there. It was 6 feet off the ground. And he’d have pictures of fishermen and all their catches from this pier,” said Mike Gorman, 39, a Costa Mesa angler who has been fishing off the Newport Pier for 30 years.

Known by regulars as “Pop’s Corner,” the fishing spot is the most popular on the pier, on a typical day attracting people of all backgrounds speaking a variety of languages. It is part of the folklore of the Newport Pier, reputed to be one of the state’s best fishing places.

“This is one the most productive piers in Southern California,” said Jesse Fausto, 42, of Los Alamitos, who has fished at Newport Beach for 19 years.

Though the Huntington Beach pier gives it close competition, anglers say, the Newport Pier is the next best thing to going out on a boat.

“This is for people who don’t have the luxury of a boat,” Gorman said.

A typical day’s catch includes mackerel, tar fish, shovel noses, sand sharks, bat rays, halibut, cod and even octopus.

“It’s the poor man’s place to fish, and it’s for everyone. Besides, it keeps kids out of trouble,” Gorman said Thursday as he hoisted two sharks he had caught earlier in the day. “This is one of the last places to do something for free.”