Hi Clay,
I have lived in the Pismo Beach area nearly all my life, but I'm currently living and working in San Jose.
A friend and I had been surf fishing down there a couple of weeks ago. We fished about 1/2 mile south of the Oceano Ramp (just south of Pismo)and just killed the surf perch. They were hand size up to dinner plate size. We used motor oil grubs, calolina rigged with 1 oz. egg sinkers. The grubs are about 1 1/2" long. We waded into the surf about knee deep , casted out and just cranked back in. Started at low tide and worked the incoming tide.
I fished the piers at Avila also and heard of halibut being caught, but never saw or caught any myself.
My buddy was using (in the surf) a 6' spinning rig, with a Shimano 4000 size reel and 10# mono. I used an 8'6" rod with the same reel. I'm sure any of your tackle will work.