Do you need a permit to fish in Long Beach?
Do you need a permit to fish in Long Beach? A fishing license is required when fishing everywhere except for a public pier. Even if you hooked the fish on the pier and only came down onto the beach to land the fish, you would need a valid license to avoid a potential citation.
Can you catch pier fish with bait?
Fishing Basics And Bait While fish aren't a particularly common sight at the pier, fish bait will encourage fish to congregate around this location and also make it more likely that larger, rarer species will spawn. In general, the larger the shadow you see in the water after throwing your bait, the better.