Fishing Novice Coming to Town

We will be visiting your lovely town next week with 3 teenage boys. We will be doing a deep sea fishing party boat on Monday but would love to go out to the pier to see what we might be able to catch.
I certainly know that we need to get the fishing licence, but that is about it. We have some type of fishing poles at home, but nothing fancy, probably best for lake fishing.
Is there a place to rent rods etc on the pier? Any suggestions of basic do's and don'ts? Best time to go out?

Thanks for any info.

Lisa

Lisa---Welcome in advance. The freshwater tackle, such as bass, catfish, walleye, etc. will be fine for the shallow water fish on the pier such as pompano, whiting, slot reds, puppy drum and speckled trout, also for spadefish further out. The tackle for rent at the pier is well used and often abused and I don't think they have anything suitable for king mackerel. Since you will already be in Orange Beach for your party boat trip, as soon as you get in, go to J&M Tackle (see top of page for link) for your terminal tackle---these sales people are all fishermen and their advice is excellent---and you may want to invest in some inexpensive rod/reel combos (you can always check WallyWorld, too) for kings, if you think you want to fish for them, and if they are in by then. Keep checking this forum to see what's biting.

Oops, I forgot to mention Spanish mackerel, which can be a blast on your freshwater tackle, depending, once again, on whether or not they're running at the time. Ask at J&M for lures such as Looney Jigs and bubble rigs.

One of the best all-around baits is FRESH dead shrimp---never frozen, even if you have to go to the supermarket to get it. Live shrimp is great, but requires a little know-how to get the most for your money---they cost $3.50 a dozen.

One of the most basic "do's" is to ask questions---the scaley looking, floppy hat wearing old pier rats don't mind helping out with advice. Best time to get there is right at daybreak and late in the evening, but there's plenty of good fishing in between.

Good luck to you and the teens and come say "Hello" if you see me with the Haywire flag on my pier cart while you're there.

Be sure to rinse off your reels with freshwater from the hoses on the pier before you leave. The saltwater isn't very kind to your reels. Good luck!

Thanks for the info. We look forward to being there.