I am new to surf and pier fishing. I don't have a clue where to fish. What to get to help me.I plan to be there in that area for 5 days and I want to fish everyday. Can anyone help me with info
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I am new to surf and pier fishing. I don't have a clue where to fish. What to get to help me.I plan to be there in that area for 5 days and I want to fish everyday. Can anyone help me with info
Mr. David Thornton is a pier/jetty/surf fishing guide in this area. He has forgotten more about fishing the pier than most of us tourists will ever know. He goes by Pier#r on this board. I would advise you to pay him for a few hours of instruction and catch some fish rather than wing it for 5 days and go home and have buy frozen fish sticks. A trip to J&M Tackle is also a must do while you are here.
I have been thinking of hiring someone to teach me how to fish in saltwater. I am going to be fishing the whole time Im there. I want to enjoy everything I can because this trip is birthday present to myself I will turn 32 down there. I plan on going alone and still have a blast even if I don't catch anything. Thank you for the information
Pier#r is the way to go if you want a guide.
take the advice and hire #r.
Do yourself a favor and spend at least half of your first day with David as your guide, then strike out on your own.
http://www.gulfshoresfishing.com/Pie...hing-Guide.htm
Not only will you learn a lot from David, you will enjoy his company.
personal preference with me....but stick to the pier....I hate sand all over my stuff on the beach and one undetected speck of sand can ruin a reel ,real fast....plus the pier only fishing license is way cheaper then the salt water fishing license....but this year I will be getting the more expensive one in case I get to go offshore out of Alabama....and we will be staying a short walk from Alabama point where I can fish the end of the rock jetty..... if I so desire ....as stated.... get with Pier#r he has a wealth of knowledge for the entire area!!!!!
I was already thinking about hiring him before I joined here. I did a Google search and found him I bookmarked his page. By the sounds of it he is a good guy and great fisherman. I think I will still have a blast even I don't catch anything its about the experience for me. I got hooked on saltwater fishing when I went inshore and deep sea fishing out of Destin Fl. And I went bottom fishing in 340 feet 30 miles off of Oregon's coast to catch lingcods and seabass. I love the fight of a aj and they taste good. Should I buy a pier net or a gaff or both. Thank you guys for the info
for your short time, I wouldn't(unless it is just something you feel you need or want)....there is always someone around willing to help, and being by yourself ....just ask and be helpful yourself and it will usually be returned ....I will be there that month, so I will have both, you can borrow, if needed....I have no problem reeling in or stop fishing to help get a fish on the deck, it is all part of the pier experience for me.....and usually rewarded with help when I could use it
When I'm there if you ever need any help I am always willing to help out however I can. I'm thinking of taking 2 spinning rods and a bait rod. I'm not sure in what size rods I should get and I'm not sure which one is better a one piece rod or 2 piece rod.
I prefer a 1 pc rod but a 2 pc is more convenient for travel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron_Wooz
Welcome Ron. Hope you have a good time. Some good 7 foot medium action or medium heavy rods will do fine. I have both one piece and two piece rods. They both handle fish well. I bought one of the cheap Walmart combos by Shakespeare several years ago. Tiger, I think was the name. The reel is long since toast but the rod is doing great. Make sure your reel holds enough line.
What days in Oct will you be down there?
Thank you. I have been doing some research on tackle and rods and reels. I am going to try to gather most of everything I need before my trip. I plan on bringing one med and one med heavy rod and I have a cheap freshwater rod that I can use to catch bait. I also have a five gallon bucked with bubbler that I use to keep bait alive when I go catfishing. What size line and what kind of line should I get. I'm going get hooks, sinkers and swivels and I might get some jigs. Any suggestions
X2 on the cheapish Tiger rod by Shakespeare sold at WM for $20 as a combo. I've caught more 20"-plus trout on that cheap little thing than any other of my rods costing a lot more. The reel is now on a rod used for family and friends when they visit and I have since replaced it with a 4000 size Shimano loaded with 10lb Hi Seas mono.
If you want to try for bigger fish on the end of the pier you need at least 250 yards of 15#-20# mono on a reel with a smooth drag.
I've used clear Ande for the past 30 years, but they charge much more for it these days.
I have found most of the less inexpensive premium clear monofilament lines to be sufficient.
As far as jigs, you can get an assortment of Looney Jigs for under $10.
Just be sure to have some 30#-40# clear mono or light wire (15#) to protect them from mackerel teeth.
And a drop or two of 5 minute epoxy on the threads won't hurt either ;-)
Hope this helps!
Welcome to the Forum, Ron_; you have found a valuable resource for improving your salt water experience. It isn't stressed often, but some of the most simple things may make all the difference in a trip being o.k., or great. Tying knots is that sort of simple thing. If you are already a past pro, forgive me for mentioning it. Hope your experience on L.A. shores is all you could hope for, and good luck.
Thank you. The clinch knot is what I use
RonQuote:
Originally Posted by Pier#r
I was just down for a week and fished the pier 3 mornings and twe evenings. The first morning I fished with David (pier#r) I would recommend fishing with him the first time. He teaches a lot and like someone else said he's good company. The other locals will help as well. As far as what you need the quote above is what I used and had a blast the only other thing you may want is a bubble rig hope this helps
when i came down i just used my shimano clarus worm and jig rod and my sabalos 3000 reel it handled al the keychains 2 barracuda and a monster spanish
I just bought a J&M pier rod..I love it! It has larger eyes on it for casting out live bait without it being flung off. LOL...
It is spun with 16# green filament. John says that is about all you will need even if you hook on a king. I trust him and his opinions..if you want knowledgeable fishing gear info. speak to him. Best of luck to you!
Well ill be fishing at the pier some time tomorrow. If see me feel free to stop and talk and give me any tips or just to chat. I'm going to have to wing it bc I don't have the funds to hire Pier#. I am going to use all the information I got from here. Ill be there until Saturday. I posted some pictures on my profile so you know what I look like
I forgot to ask do I need a saltwater license to fish from the pier
Yes you will need one they sell an 11 buck pier lic. For fishing off the pier only, if you plan on fishing off the beach you'll need a different one that cost 26-27 bucks
Well I have to try a different time to come down because I ran into truck issues