Thread: 'Speculative' pier upgrades for improved fishing!

Yes these our things that would require resources and funding. I think with proper planning and cooperation anything is possible. Once I get more established and move back to the states we can start a petition or crowd funding for the community and the fisherman to back. I agree with you Fordguy maybe even bump up the limit to 300 yards; One can only dream. ideas about the lights you mention they would get covered in with sand. my solution would be to let them float slightly above the floor as well as being able to let more rope out(these could be tied to the pier and be easily accessible) possibly use a non corrosive material to cover them with?

Honestly, I think THE best improvement (already underway) would be to restore/repair/replace the overhead and under pier lighting (and parking lot driveway).
Good lighting is imperative to attracting and keeping baitfish around the pier, and makes it safer at night.

Second should be the redecking issue (also supposed to be 'in the works').
Another safety issue.

And third has also been discussed previously would be to move the fish cleaning station to shore.
And equip it with a chest freezer to store carcasses.
The GSPark Campgrounds has had one as long as I can remember.
Here is the setup at the Dauphin Island Campground (very nice! just ask #r's brother ;-)

Lisa told a group of us on the Octi. 4-5 years ago that the state had the money set aside to replace the decking on the pier. Guess you can see where that money went with the crossovers and the goofy railing around the lake that they can't seem to keep people from running into.

Originally Posted by Pier#r

Honestly, I think THE best improvement (already underway) would be to restore/repair/replace the overhead and under pier lighting (and parking lot driveway).
Good lighting is imperative to attracting and keeping baitfish around the pier, and makes it safer at night.

Second should be the redecking issue (also supposed to be 'in the works').
Another safety issue.

And third has also been discussed previously would be to move the fish cleaning station to shore.
And equip it with a chest freezer to store carcasses.
The GSPark Campgrounds has had one as long as I can remember.
Here is the setup at the Dauphin Island Campground (very nice! just ask #r's brother ;-)

Watching fishermen clean fish and toss the carcasses down to the sharks for entertainment does nothing but train the sharks that the pier is a food source. I carry my fish back to the condo whole and clean them there.

Originally Posted by Pier#r

Honestly, I think THE best improvement (already underway) would be to restore/repair/replace the overhead and under pier lighting (and parking lot driveway).
Good lighting is imperative to attracting and keeping baitfish around the pier, and makes it safer at night.

Second should be the redecking issue (also supposed to be 'in the works').
Another safety issue.

And third has also been discussed previously would be to move the fish cleaning station to shore.
And equip it with a chest freezer to store carcasses.
The GSPark Campgrounds has had one as long as I can remember.
Here is the setup at the Dauphin Island Campground (very nice! just ask #r's brother ;-)

As long as the cleaning station is in the shade, I'm all for it, but I can't help thinking about how much hotter it is in the parking lot than on the pier.

Originally Posted by Haywire

As long as the cleaning station is in the shade, I'm all for it, but I can't help thinking about how much hotter it is in the parking lot than on the pier.

+1 on that.

Just put freezers on the pier. With the money they save by not building one on shore they can afford to buy a new freezer every year.

I haven't seen a high-volume in-the-parking-lot fish cleaning station, so my frame of reference for an area serving lots of fishermen is the present one. Frankly, a lot of fish-cleaners are slobs. With the present configuration, a pressure hose just washes remnants/pieces/parts into the water to be consumed by legions of little pinfish and other aquatic creatures. It's hosed down regularly (nowadays, thankfully) and a bleach solution is applied to reduce bacteria growth at the station. The larger pieces are consumed by sharks, catfish, crabs and those previously-noted pinfish and miscellaneous scavengers. From a biological standpoint, little is wasted and everything is naturally recycled.

I can only imagine the mess that slob-fishermen, not invested in any long-range health of the facility, would make. Where would the pier staff wash the remnants TO? Wouldn't there be a potential problem with rats/cats/birds? Or is that the "solution" to the remnants? And then, wouldn't an off-the-pier cleaning station incur some expense in its operation? The carcasses have to be taken somewhere and that's assuming that slob fishermen would even put the carcasses in a freezer, which would have to be childproof and slob-proof. That said, isn't it likely that the pier would have to go up even further on the rates?

As for sharks, most of them congregate around the Octi, where they pick off hooked mackerel. That is not going to change. As well, it's likely that many folks will at least try to opt to clean their catch wherever there's a water hose and a flat surface, still discarding their catch and not using a parking lot cleaning station. Looking forward, I can see a day when they'd close the parking lot cleaning station and everyone would HAVE to take their catch back to their hotel rooms, condos or homes to process - or, again, just fillet them on the rail (unsanitary, to be sure). I think that we should be happy with what we have!

I'm for putting in a grinder to chop up the carcusses to feed the little fish.

I would be happy if the existing features on the pier were maintained, i.e. the decking, power outlets and the down lights in the shallows. I've given up on the lights. Not coming back until I can confirm they are working.

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

I haven't seen a high-volume in-the-parking-lot fish cleaning station, so my frame of reference for an area serving lots of fishermen is the present one. Frankly, a lot of fish-cleaners are slobs. With the present configuration, a pressure hose just washes remnants/pieces/parts into the water to be consumed by legions of little pinfish and other aquatic creatures. It's hosed down regularly (nowadays, thankfully) and a bleach solution is applied to reduce bacteria growth at the station. The larger pieces are consumed by sharks, catfish, crabs and those previously-noted pinfish and miscellaneous scavengers. From a biological standpoint, little is wasted and everything is naturally recycled.

I can only imagine the mess that slob-fishermen, not invested in any long-range health of the facility, would make. Where would the pier staff wash the remnants TO? Wouldn't there be a potential problem with rats/cats/birds? Or is that the "solution" to the remnants? And then, wouldn't an off-the-pier cleaning station incur some expense in its operation? The carcasses have to be taken somewhere and that's assuming that slob fishermen would even put the carcasses in a freezer, which would have to be childproof and slob-proof. That said, isn't it likely that the pier would have to go up even further on the rates?

As for sharks, most of them congregate around the Octi, where they pick off hooked mackerel. That is not going to change. As well, it's likely that many folks will at least try to opt to clean their catch wherever there's a water hose and a flat surface, still discarding their catch and not using a parking lot cleaning station. Looking forward, I can see a day when they'd close the parking lot cleaning station and everyone would HAVE to take their catch back to their hotel rooms, condos or homes to process - or, again, just fillet them on the rail (unsanitary, to be sure). I think that we should be happy with what we have!

Give this man a whole bunch of attaboys for perceptive thinking. Tom, you make a whole bunch of great points, even about the sharks which haven't been as bad this year. I'm glad you are on our side.