And yes Sam and Veena do own it

Love the old Balboa Courts. Been going there for 30+ years myself. My best luck is usually at the second to the last light before the end. I've seen some huge trout pulled out of there, mostly on live alligator gar (according to the guy catching them) about 8 years ago. One year I hooked a flounder on a silver spoon and that thing felt like it weighed 50 lbs. on the end of that line. When I finally got it out of the water is was about 20 inches long. Never weighed it, but it would have probably been easier to reel in a couple of cinder blocks than that thing. Heading out there again this weekend...any advice on what the trout are biting on righ now?? Thanks.

My mistake....he said they were needle-nose gar...I knew that just didnt sound right...it's been a long time.

LOL....
Man I'm jealous bbwolf. I used to hit the Balboa 2-3 nights a month, but moved back to the metromess and haven't been back down there in about 3 years or so. I could tell so many tales about that pier, like the time 2 friends and myself were fishing and partying out on the end at about 3:30 in the morning when suddenly the sky lit up with a billowing bright light with a bright red glow in it's center. We were like......uhhhhh.....what's that? It just kept getting bigger and brighter as it shot across the horizon with a huuuuuge cloud of smoke in it's wake. One of us said "maybe it's a comit" the reply being "then were dead" so I just kept fishing...I was catching trout on a flyrod every cast, having a ball. Finally we concluded it was Jesus in his Chariot, which evolved into Jesus in his Buick...waving at us! the object eventually disappeared into it's own smoke screen and I fished on. It wasn't till the local morning news came on that next morning that we were told that it was the space shuttles first ever night landing in florida. Spectacular.

Watched a total eclipse there one night all alone with a glass flat bay.

Watched schools of fish of various denominations come through on those cold winter nights when the water is calm and crystal clear that completely darken the water all around you.

Take you a live shrimp or a pink or glow-green plastic shrimp and bump it slowly towards the light on number 2 and 3. Be wary, big flounder hang out there this time of year and will reach up and grab it just as you try to pull it up from the water. They'll scare the poop outa ya, and it is very hard to set the hook at that stage of the retrieve.

Take a long handle bait net and start scooping up the little crabs that float by at night from time to time. Then as the sun comes up, freeline them with a good heavy leader and a real good hook to the sheepshead that feed off the pier every morning.Just walk up and down glancing below, you'll see them!

During the day I either sleep, fish the Port A surf or wade fish around the hotel vicinity.......Love it!

Duckcreek, I just betcha our lines have crossed a time or two. I remember watching an eclipse one July/August night back in the mid 90's. Taking my boy fishing there next week...

Wow, that woulda been about the time. I fished there a lot back then.

Actually I'm a 15 year old who LOVES fishing more than anything. The only thing I can do that gets me away from the teenage stuff. And this was my first time I fished Balboa Courts but I plan to take trips here for the rest of my fishing days. Especially some big black drum in the winter. Hope to see some of yall out there maybe.

well redfish 21 I say you are off to a great start on becoming a 1st class saltwater boss. This is a great spot to pick tips and info. Even after 36 years of fishing salt I still learn from all the folks on here. My son is almost 14 and is getting his 1st true test out there on Aransas Bay next week. Hope you can get back out there real soon.

Will they let you pay just to use the pier at Balboa? I have a favorite spot I like to stay but the pier is mediocre...

Hey Redfish...When you are goin after those big blackies try using fresh dead sea-lice. They love em. Caught a 30#er off a party boat using em.

Hey Cypher, Im pretty sure you have to at least get one of the Motel rooms...But the good part is that they are super cheap!!! We do this often when wanting to beat the heat and fish under the lights.They also have lil cabanna's located right on Water Street and they are also super cheap.

Anyone else have some suggestions on fishing Balboa pier,we are going there mid July. Thanks

stay mobile, most oldtimers go to bed pretty early. usually after midnight you can walk up and down the pier ...catch a few under one light, this spooks em a bit, and they boil up at another light. not to be crowding others of course, but when the pier crowd thins don't just sit at one spot all night.