Thread: Pier/surf fishing

My 13 year old son and I are coming down to Gulf Shores this weekend. We would like to do some pier and surf fishing and are new to the sport. Not asking for anyones secrets just some advice on gear and what to fish for this time of year. We do freshwater fish a lot just don't know much about saltwater fishing. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Many of the guys on here are a wealth of knowledge that can be had by doing a search on the forum. I'm fairly new to saltwater and I wish I would have signed up on the forum sooner. Much of your freshwater tackle will work fine on the pier and surf....just be sure and rinse it daily. Most of us newbies that don't know any better tend to go to heavy on tackle. Almost everything eats shrimp...either live or fresh dead.

Most important thing is get out there and do it. You will learn new things every day on the pier....really great bunch of people....even to a newbie from Indiana like me ;-)

All you need to know about "what's biting when" and how to catch them is archived on this site. Just do a topic search and you can find out everything you need to know. Pier#r has a chart that shows the different species and when they're biting. See:
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...r-pier-r-9236/

Thanks! I will do some searching. Just found this site today, looks awesome!!

Pier#r does surf and pier guiding and instruction for very reasonable rates. I hope to use his services later in the year for surf fishing. Definitely would be a great way to start saltwater fishing.

Make sure you sign up, it is free and the info is on the members section.
It may sound strange but if you fish with dead shrimp buy eating shrimp from a local seafood market and peal them.

The "search" feature will open the gates of knowledge for you, and the pier fishing reports in the member's section will give you up to date info on what's biting. Welcome to the forum, and there's a good chance the sheepshead will be biting when you come down---live shrimp, #10 treble hook and 12# leader on a Carolina rig fished 10-15' deep by the pilings will do the trick. Don't be too shy to ask the pier rats for advice.

Welcome to the Forum, Northbamaboy. We are also from N.A., and surf fishing is like bank fishing the river, where you look for current, structure, and bait. I learned that and many other important keys to successful salt water fishing right here. AFTER visiting the coast for many, many years with hit and miss luck! The other guys are right about looking stuff up, because the info is right on, imho, free, and given by real fishermen/women who want to see everyone have a good day of fishing. Good luck when you and your son get there.

Thanks, I feel like I have learned a lot already from this site. Can't wait til this weekend!

Thanks will do!