Omar S.
Yelp
Other people here have discussed the architecture and history of the Coronado Bridge, so I'm going in a different direction: I'm going to tell you a little bit about fishing it.
I've uploaded a nautical chart from the now-defunct SDFish forum that highlights three highly-productive areas.
Depending on the season and the weather, the north side of the bridge, all the way from the moored boats to the west to Cesar Chavez Park on the east side, is loaded with sand bass and "spotties", and, less frequently, rockfish, mackerel, barracuda, leopard sharks and rays, bonito, corbina, croaker, and white sea bass.
And, if you're lucky, you'll hook bonefish and halibut, though I've had my best results targeting those fish on the south side of the bridge.
There, you'll occasionally pick up bonefish, near Glorietta Bay, and farther down, near the salt ponds, in the shallow flats and eelgrass beds at the southern end of the Bay. Some people fishing bonefish get free bait by pumping ghost shrimp out of the muddy banks of the Coronado Municipal Golf Course, but I buy them from a bait shop, or use a damned lure.
The catch I prize the most, though, is California Halibut. Fun to catch, fantastic on the plate, our halibut aren't as large as the more famous Pacific Halibut, but catching those other ones is like hauling a Volkswagen Beetle up from the bottom of the sea, so F that.
Our halibut gather on the flat south of the Coronado Bridge's eastern terminus. I do well fishing for them with live bait or jigs, anything that will catch their eye. Bounce along the bottom and you'll be fine.
So, here's the tricky thing about all of this: the US Navy would really rather that you go somewhere else, away from the Bridge and from their operations along either side of the Bay.
You can't post up underneath and plunk against the Bridge's piers, which is, of course, where the fish are. You can, however, can drift under the span, motor back, and drift again, which works. You just have to stay 25 feet away from the structure.
While on the Bay, you also can't come within 100 yards of any Navy vessel, and you must operate at a minimum speed within 500 yards of such a vessel.
Take these rules seriously, or the Navy security guys will show up, screw up your fishing, and make credible threats of fines and punishment. They're nice people, but they're not fvcking around.
Finally, if you don't have a boat, that's no problem. Seaforth Boat Rentals in Coronado (Glorietta Bay, near the Hotel Del) rents everything from skiffs to power boats. Order ahead, go pick up your boat, and you'll soon be under the Bridge, enjoying a day's action.
Tight lines and fair winds.