Thread: Piers other than Gulf State Park (as well as surf fishing)?

I have fished them all. My top 2 are Navarre and gs for different reasons..pelagics navarre, flounder reds trout waiting,gs . too me people are about the same. I have met a lot of good people at both and never really had any problems at either.

Although I have not fished the county pier, I also would put Navarre and Gulf Shores up top of the rest for access and performance. There are no bad piers on the gulf coast, compared to those in other areas of the coast, but some are better than others.

Here is my super-quick rundown on the piers from east to west, I have fished them all. Best is in the eye of the beholder. Panama City piers are nice. The County pier maybe has more locals, seems like the City may have a few more macks at times. County has a bathroom mid pier. Okaloosa tends to be busier, and a lot of regulars. There are bathrooms on the end, and there are Coke machines out there. It is a shame that this design could not be duplicated, EPA stopped it. Flipper is a major pain. On the positive side it is probably the best pier for catching bait.I have fished it much more than the others since the 80's. Navarre is built in similar fashion to the PC piers, no restroom on the end. It is a bit farther to bays than the others thus and tends to be clearer in rough water. Bait can be an issue so bring it. Pensacola is OK, I gave up on it due to the step stool thing that they had going on, maybe that is done. The rail is a tad high so some people bring stools to get their arms comfortably over it. GSP is where I cut my teeth in the 60's. It is so much nicer now, similar home-style vibe. Bathroom mid pier. The end is HUGE, bait tends to be handy but not cigs. GSP is closer to Mobile Bay, and high surf kicks up the mud, so when it is windy, the water gets turbid the fastest. However, the location is so different from the others and as such there is a lot more variety of catch, and the cooler weather fishing to me seems much better.

Thanks for all the great info on other piers guys! Very much appreciated!

Lots of times I stay in pcola. Hotel prices are better and it gives you the choice of three piers. Gulf Shores is the best, hands down. I've fished Navarre enough that I have learned it fairly well and made a few fishing friends. Pcola has its days, too. Water is generally clearer. Higher off the water makes ultra light fishing very difficult. You need muscle. Its best to wait till cobia season is passed. It is crazy over there until then. It must be incredibly good to eat.

Originally Posted by Rich1

Lots of times I stay in pcola. Hotel prices are better and it gives you the choice of three piers. Gulf Shores is the best, hands down. I've fished Navarre enough that I have learned it fairly well and made a few fishing friends. Pcola has its days, too. Water is generally clearer. Higher off the water makes ultra light fishing very difficult. You need muscle. Its best to wait till cobia season is passed. It is crazy over there until then. It must be incredibly good to eat.

I understand they taste a lot like remora ;-)