Batrayz,
I am moving to Berkeley in two weeks and will be living about a half mile from the Berkeley Marina Fishing Pier. I dont know much about the fish in the area and the different methods people use out there. If you ever want to meet up to fish let me know I'd love to get some pointers from the unofficial SFSC West Coast representative.
I am actually in Thailand for another month, but once I get back stateside I will come down for sure.
A 20Lb rig with 300yds of line is fine for most sharks and rays you willatch from the shore there. Also lowprofile was a big West coast sharker and can give you tips also.
For sharks mackeral(fresh always better), squid also works(i like squid because it stays on the hook better) and sardines. If you go to the pier buy some sabiki rigs and once you catch a fish use that as bait for sharks.
I dont know how far you are from Pacifica Pier but that pier has more Threshrs and Makos caught then most piers in Cali, even a couple GW.
Any questions feel free to ask