Thread: Spring Break Trip, Looking for some help pier fishing

Sorry we derailed the thread Jordan,it's hard for a bunch of clowns like us to stay focused.Did you get hooked up with #r ?If not,hold off buying any tackle until you get down because tactics and species can change with the weather.When you get down,spend a couple dollars and take a walk out to see whats going on.If the water is murky and no catching is taking place,hold off a few days until things clear up.But if things are happening,don't wait because the slightest blow or current change can shut things down.In a nut shell,we have two styes of fishing,bottom fishing and lure fishing.Sheepshead should be an easy target using live shrimp or fiddler crabs rigged Carolina style,or if the water is clear,you may have to use only a couple split shot on light line because they can get finicky.If you see people dropping strait down next to the pilings from the middle to the end of the pier,sheepshead or maybe flounder is what their targeting.If you see people fishing from the shore line out maybe a couple hundred feet casting dead shrimp on a Carolina rig,chances are they are searching for whiting or pompano.If you see people using big'ole poles and terminal tackle that resembles something you would buy in a hardware store,don't watch them.The other style of fishing in early spring is with lures for spanish and blues.Early morning,late afternoon is the best time,but they will bite through out the day when around in great numbers.If you see people fishing from the middle to the end casting got-cha plugs,bubble rigs,white jigs or spoons,spanish of blue fish is what their after.Some of the things you may already have that you'll want to bring:Cooler on wheels,8-12lb clear mono for your reels,split shot,egg leads,small hooks,knife,pliers, polarized sunglasses and a couple gallon bait bucket with "D" cell bait pump.This kind of sums things up and for 15 to $20 you'll be able to get enough bait,tackle and lures for a days fishing depending whats being caught.

Awesome post, Mr. John.

[quote author=john g link=topic=2635.msg23877#msg23877 date=1360759947]
Sorry we derailed the thread Jordan,it's hard for a bunch of clowns like us to stay focused.Did you get hooked up with #r ?If not,hold off buying any tackle until you get down because tactics and species can change with the weather.When you get down,spend a couple dollars and take a walk out to see whats going on.If the water is murky and no catching is taking place,hold off a few days until things clear up.But if things are happening,don't wait because the slightest blow or current change can shut things down.In a nut shell,we have two styes of fishing,bottom fishing and lure fishing.Sheepshead should be an easy target using live shrimp or fiddler crabs rigged Carolina style,or if the water is clear,you may have to use only a couple split shot on light line because they can get finicky.If you see people dropping strait down next to the pilings from the middle to the end of the pier,sheepshead or maybe flounder is what their targeting.If you see people fishing from the shore line out maybe a couple hundred feet casting dead shrimp on a Carolina rig,chances are they are searching for whiting or pompano.If you see people using big'ole poles and terminal tackle that resembles something you would buy in a hardware store,don't watch them.The other style of fishing in early spring is with lures for spanish and blues.Early morning,late afternoon is the best time,but they will bite through out the day when around in great numbers.If you see people fishing from the middle to the end casting got-cha plugs,bubble rigs,white jigs or spoons,spanish of blue fish is what their after.Some of the things you may already have that you'll want to bring:Cooler on wheels,8-12lb clear mono for your reels,split shot,egg leads,small hooks,knife,pliers, polarized sunglasses and a couple gallon bait bucket with "D" cell bait pump.This kind of sums things up and for 15 to $20 you'll be able to get enough bait,tackle and lures for a days fishing depending whats being caught.
[/quote]

This should be posted as the beginners guide to pier fishing.

[quote author=Rich1 link=topic=2635.msg23819#msg23819 date=1360671778]
Made a trip to Navarre last year. Guy stood on a bench all day looking east. Never made a cast. That's not for me.
[/quote]

probably GW.....he is kinda short


[quote author=dublthret link=topic=2635.msg23827#msg23827 date=1360700099]
jordan, i know Pier#r is too modest to say it himself so ill do it for him. He does guided pier and beach fishing trips he will supply tackle and his 40+ years fishing experience for a very reasonable price.
[/quote]

+1 on Pier#r

Thanks for all the responses. I am looking to either getting a guide or head out on my own and ask all of the guys at the pier for some help. I am excited and can't wait to get out there.
As far as targeting different fish: What should I fish for? Why do people choose whatever species over another? Catch and release or should I keep them?

What to fish for on any given day (or time) is a matter of preference and prevelance.
Some folks insist on king fishing in a snowstorm and some look for speckled trout in muddy water. :wall:
Some folks ONLY like to fish for a certain species or few species, and some are VERy selective about which they will eat. Either giving the unwanted away or putting them back.
It's up to you (within what the law allows ;-)

I like to ask araound (starting at the pier house) to see what is (or has been) biting.
Even getting an idea of what has NOT been biting can save time and help make up my mind where and how to fish.
There are too many variables to explain them all in a thread, but watching and doing what is successful is a great start for anyone new to pier fishing or fishing on this pier.

hope this helps!

I can give you some advice I had to learn when I started pier fishing.. Listen more than you talk. Take in every little bit of information and remember. It helped me a lot. Plus I wasn't on the forum when I started fishing the pier so I didn't know a thing. But defiantly there are tons of guys on the pier that will help you out.

My contribution consists of 1 thing -- fresh bait if at all possible. For most smaller fish (reds, trout, sheepshead, pompano, etc.) there is something to be said for getting live shrimp and an aerator even though it will be a pain (your crappie minnow bucket and aerator are fine, athough wash it when done or the saltwater will eat it away in a week). Fresh chunks of just-barely dead shrimp (not whole live shrimp) will work at times (on a hook or tipping a jig) when nothing else does. When I come down to fish I usually have to make as much out of limited time as possible -- don't spend hundreds on a trip and tackle, and then try to save pennies on frozen bait -- that makes as little sense as people who put $1.99 line on a $600 reel.