Thread: Just a little info

Hello all. Headed down to Ft. Morgan from southern Missouri next week and have a few questions. If I want to fish on the pier with my son do I only need the new pier fishing license or do I also need the saltwater license. Also, if I bring my own tackle what would I need as far as pole and line weight? I can buy my hooks, bait etc. when I get there but I really don't want to rent a rod if I have one here that will work. I have some lite and medium heavy rods. Thanks in advance for any info and thanks for allowing me to post here and ask these silly questions.

Lots of folks can answer maybe better than me, but here goes:

The pier fishing license they sell for $11.00 is sufficient if you only plan on fishing the pier. If you want to surf fish, then get the salt water license which will also cover the pier. Then you will pay the standard daily fishing fee. Lots easier to buy the license online if possible.

If you have a light action rod with six or eight pound test, it will work great for Spanish Mackerel, the bycatch like ladyfish, and whatever you want to fish for in the shallows, although I don't do that myself. The Medium heavy rod will work for kings as long as you have a reel that you can spool up with 250 to 300 yards of 12-15 pound test mono. Please do yourself and everyone else a favor and don't use braided lines to increase the capacity of a smaller reel. When you are trying to learn the do's and don'ts of pier fishing, braid is a nightmare.

You need some number 6 and number 4 treble hooks, 3x or 4x strong for live bait fishing, some 1 oz spoons or 7/8 gotcha's. You'll need a bait rod for catching bait and some sabiki rigs for catching your bait. The spanish were killing bubble rigs last week but I haven't heard anyone say anything about them this week.

This article by David Thornton was awesome about using floats, hooking live bait, and other useful stuff:

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...2000/#msg12000

Don't forget the steel leaders. You'll be better off buying them after you get here, I doubt many stores sell the kind you really want to use in Missouri. I had my best luck out of #18 sevenstrand last week, but #20 american fishing wire would work just as well. If you look AFW up on the web they have some great info about how to tie leaders, some of which is also on this forum. Click the link to J and M Tackle. They have everything you need whether you know you need it or not.

A guy named Mike Peacher has published a book about pier fishing. If you called the Navarre pier and asked Ms. Pat to mail you one, it would probably make it in time. Very valuable and useful information in there about how to fish for just about all the usual fish caught off the piers.

Have fun and watch what others are doing.

Thanks for the great information. I will print this out and try to absorb what I can, we are leaving Friday night so I don't think the book would make it. Thanks for the heads up on the braided line. I personally hate that stuff and rarely use it, not much need for it fishing for crappie and white bass. Think I will check out the library here to see what books are available. Thanks again and have a great day.

[size=12pt]Welcome to the best fishing forum on the Gulf Coast!
As for the hooks, I like #2 and #4 4X Eagle Claw on my King leaders. My preference is 27# to 32# leader wire, either single or multi-strand work fine.
Do your self a favor and visit J & M Tackle on Canal Rd in OB; they can give you solid advice on pier and surf rigging and have everything you need. They have prepackaged leaders and all the components needed to make your own.
If you have a 7’ or 8’ rod rated in the 10 to 20# line range you should be good to go for Kings with 15#ish mono.

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If you have a 4500 or 5500 series reel and want more lin capacity use 150 yards of 15 lb powerpro on the bottom and a top shot of 15lb mono to fill the spool. I use a penn 650 ssm with 30 yards of mono on the bottom 150 yds of powerpro and then 100+ of 15 ande mono so if I hook mack daddy I have the line capacity without braid on the top. I can't say its good advice just what has been working for me