Jay

Interviewed by Camille Antinori and Robert Bermudez, July 30, 2024 at Berkeley waterfront

Jay grew up in Berkeley, raised by a single mom, and went through "all the Berkeley schools". Mr. Henry, a neighbor first sparked Jay's love of fishing and gave him his first fishing pole. From there, Jay recounts coming down to the pier on his bike, alone or with friends, the friendly baitshop man, and eventually teaching his son to fish. His experiences inspired him to start a fishing club for youth at Berkeley High School. His story includes housing displacement due to the BART development project, making his way back to "Bezerkeley" and the pleasure he still finds coming down to the Berkeley shoreline.

Image: T-shirt logo of the Berkeley High School Strike Team fishing club, used with permission (Jay).

Clips

Growing up in Berkeley and fishing at the pier - MP3 (6.4 MB)

Berkeley High School Strike Team - MP3 (4.2 MB)

Image: Boy on pier after a visit to The Hot Dog Man, courtesy Evelin Wozniak

For those of you interested in more info on CJ, here are some comments from Yelp for Berkeley Bait and Tackle, accessed 3/3/2025:

My wife and I were given a fishing rod and we wanted to go try our luck at the Marina. The guy who runs this place couldn't have been nicer. He rigged up a leader and weight for us. He sold us some tackle and worms and it all came to about $11.50. Neal C. 5/12/2014
I love this place. CJ has been doing the Berkeley Bait Shop for 40 years. Maria, his lovely wife, is a very nice and engaging hostess. He has lots of stories and plenty of bait. Place does look like a garage - don't let it fool you. We needed to purchase some circle hooks for cat fishing. He brought out the best circle hooks I've ever seen - better/stronger than the Gamakatsu ones. Charged a reasonable price for everything we bought. This place has the soul and charm of an old-time bait shop - I will be checking here first before buying anything from now on. Cash only. Nick L, 12/14/2014
totally legit. came here looking for some hand lines to use on a sailing trip. he didn't try to sell me anything, just referenced me to another shop. Barry J., 3/24/2015
After an exhausted search of the local nurseries, I had almost given up trying to find red worms for composting. As a hell Mary I thought "Why not.. I'll call the Bait shop!" Low and behold, they had red worms! It's nothing fancy, it doesn't need to be it's a bait shop. Just a jammed pack room with an older gentleman at the desk and some deer heads on the wall. $20 got me about 500 worms, I was 80 cents short and he let me get by. They only take cash or check, just an FYI. Kellay B 7/13/2015

Full interview

Full interview - MP3 (102.4 MB)

Image: Berkeley Bait and Tackle Shop (now closed) on San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley. C. Antinori

Topics (in order):

Being introduced to fishing by neighbor Mr. Henry, blue gills, bait shop on Alcatraz and San Pablo, riding bikes down to the pier

The Hot Dog Man, CJ and the Berkeley Bait Shop, pier as a great place to "stay out of trouble"

Going through Berkeley schools, recalling the first time it snowed in Berkeley, food and housing affordability in Berkeley, housing displacement due to Bart project, mom buys a house

Finding a way back to Bezerkeley, Historical Family Center in Oakland, pier as a sanctuary then and now

The Berkeley High School fishing club, The Strike Team, and some kids going on to careers in environment and outdoors

Envisioning future of the space, impact of paid parking, fish you could catch at each section of pier

Sense of community, importance of open access

Favorite memory: the Hot Dog Man, hot chocolate and coffee, "fishing is about telling stories", the fishing corridor of the East Bay, and it's still free.

Full interview transcript

Full interview transcript (PDF)

Citation (APA style):

Jay, Antinori, C, & Bermudez, R. Exploring Intergenerational and Community Connections to the Outdoors. (2024). (2024) "Jay" interview conducted by Camille Antinori and Robert Bermudez, July 30, 2024. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Berkeley Fishing Memories Oral History Project: https://www.cmantinori.net/berkeley-fishing-memories-oral-history-project/interview-with-jay.