Is there always bait in SF Bay?

Hey all,
I don’t have time this week to get out anywhere productive but I live about 10mins from ARW. I was thinking of getting out for an hour or 2 and see if I could sibiki up some bait but was wondering if it’s even worth my time. I realize tray anchovies are cheep but I’d be more inclined to go for a pedal if I could catch some bait. Thoughts?

No, there isn't always anchovies. They are here seasonally. There does seem to be Jack Smelt 12 months of the year.

its always worth your time if you catch lol.  baits never a sure thing, other than IME re: jacksmelt and croakers.  The latter two seem pretty common all the time

There are multiple types of mackerel within kayak distance in santa cruz. I could have filled  cooler full if i wanted. Most were to big for what i consider good size for halibut. Saved plenty to smoke and for bait. See if i can entice a nice ling with one soon. 

Tray anchovies are getting ridiculously expensive. Went to west Marine today and they raised the price to $12 a tray.

Like mentioned above, best bet would be small jacksmelt at arw

Last I checked, a tray anchovies cheapest is $7. That's steep already in my book and I normally need at least two every trip.

There is always Shiners in the channel between Ballena Bay and the ramp.

Nice! Thanks for the intel. I'm gonna try to sneak out this weekend.