Pierpoint Landing, Long Beach history

Decades later I can still smell the fish, feel the sea breeze and hear the seals barking at Pierpoint Landing.  Located at the end of Pier A, it operated from 1948 to 1972 as a sportfishing, eating and entertainment venue.

My uncle worked in one of the fishing shops there and we could walk behind the counter, look at the different lures, squirming at the slimy bait, daring each other to touch it.  There were picnic tables near the seal tank where we would take our paper containers of fried shrimp out and try to keep the seagulls away from our lunch.

Going there was always an outing, and we usually went with my grandmother.  I know there were coin-operated rides there, but I can't recall anything specific.  My favorite part, after the fried shrimp, was watching the seals in the seal tank.  We could feel them fish, purchased from a small concession.

When I do a Google search on Pierpoint Landing, it says it was once the largest sportfishing operation in the world, with more than 2,000,000 fisherman going through there a year. 

The first time I visited the Long Beach Aquarium, I was so excited to see the sign for Pierpoint Landing and childhood memories came rushing back.  I walked over to the building with the Pierpoint Landing sign, but there was nothing familiar about it.  I subsequently found out that it's just another sportfishing company that took the name and is not even in the same location (which might explain why nothing looked familiar).  The original Pierpoint Landing is now part of Long Beach history, with the area taken over by containers and cranes in the Port. 

Who else remembers Pierpoint Landing?