Would you rather go fishing on a charter, or fish from the pier? Want to hear from both the regular Pier guys and visitors as well.
Brad
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Would you rather go fishing on a charter, or fish from the pier? Want to hear from both the regular Pier guys and visitors as well.
Brad
Depends on the charter boat, as well as the company on the pier.
Charters can be fun with a bunch of friends, but head boats, not so much. Always enjoy the pier and if the fishing is slow there are always friends around to B S with. If it storms, the pier don't rock "n" roll!
"Head Boats" must be charters just trying to fill the space I'm assuming FinChaser? As in counting heads?
We have a lot of charter boats up here on Lake Superior, but I guess I never heard of the term "head boat". Makes perfect sense though. LOL!
Brad,
There can be a lot to be said for either. Even surf or bank fishing can be lots of fun.
Don't limit yourself.......do it all. Just remember that the deck on the pier is stationary and the deck on a boat in the gulf never stops moving even on a calm day. That said, if you are on the right boat, there is the potential to get into more and larger fish.
Yep, depends on type of charter.
Private charter with friends and family, sure thing.
Party boats or as we called them back in SoCal, Cattle boats, no so much.
I'd usually rather pier/surf fish, as I'm in full control of the trip.
Or if a friend with a boat is going out, count me in!
Thanks sandflea and ChileRelleno, appreciate your guys input. My wife actually manages a place that does sailboat charters where we live. Trips always seem to be better when everyone on board is connected to each other in someway. Actually did a bit of surf fishing when we were down there. It was great just sitting there with a drink and waiting and waiting, course with the waiting comes another drink and then maybe another....LOL! Didn't catch anything except hell from the wife! LOL!
we had originally planned on a charter trip but cancelled those plans and saved that money because we were having so much fun on the pier. i'll take the pier.
Yes'sir, I love Fall and Winter surf fishing at Ft. Morgan.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
A beautiful day spent surf fishing, being lazy on the beach with sand between the toes, blue skies, sunshine and a breeze, watching my kid(s) have fun fishing and chasing birds...
Having a Yankee (no offense intended) family member call to gripe about snow, while I'm wading out to cast in shorts and a t-shirt...
A bit of heaven, even if fish aren't caught. :cool:
If money is not an issue, a charter with some friends during snapper season.
But since money is almost always an issue:
A charter cost minimum of $150-200 for a decent 8-10 hour trip (don't mess with a 6 trip, that is 4 hours of riding and 2 hours of fishing), plus tip & fish cleaning, you are looking at $250, easily.
I can fish inshore from my boat and fish the pier all season for $250.00, and that includes bait and gas plus I am in control.
Dang, I do miss SoCal once in a Blue Moon.
Coming out of San Diego you could be fishing prime areas of the kelp beds, or at the Islas Coranados, in only 30-45 minutes.
I refuse to Snapper fish on a charter due to the costs and two fish limit.
Yep, 6hr boats suck unless you're going to be inshore fishing.
LOL! No offense taken Chile.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChileRelleno
love the piers and people....but also love the bluewater offshore too....but won't be doing as much as I used too.....OH well
bang for the buck.....you can't go wrong with the pier
I'll take the pier. I ran a charter boat for 15 years and have no desire to go back there. A fast boat to the rigs where you can tie up and drift for kings and other species would be nice and it's good to be able to go to a school of fish instead of waiting (and hoping) for it to come to you is a good thing, but on the pier you don't get beaten up with choppy seas and nobody gets seasick, plus you can leave if any of the company gets disagreeable.
It has been some years ago, but I enjoyed going on head boats down in the Keys where, with some observation and pointers from the regulars, I learned to drift fish for yellowtail snapper. It's also a blast to watch the tourists and fun to drop live bait down on the reefs---my buddy and I won several pots catching grouper, but of course we don't have the close in reefs here like down there.
BDL a head boat is a term for a party boat that will take a lot of people out, it depends on the size of the boat. A charter most often is a smaller number of folks, like 6 or 8. Charters give you a lot of attention and the good ones will almost always catch fish. Head boats can't give the same attention due to the number of folks on them. I can say that I have had good experiences both ways, I do some head boats out of Key Largo a few times a year mainly when it is cold on the Gulf Coast. Also I have done a lot of boat and pier fishing, including some pretty big tournaments, but I just have developed a preference to fish the piers.
Brad, if you have never been off shore, you will enjoy it. I would definitely pick charter vs a party/head boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
Personally, if I could only do one or the other, I would opt for the pier.
If you ever get a chance to go off shore overnight, do it!
If you do an overnight, remember that lots of folks who aren't bothered by seasickness during the daytime get sick at night---it's a matter of balance perception when you can't see a horizon. I've spent thousands of hours on boats in the Gulf and elsewhere and have NEVER been seasick, but I have felt queasy on occasion at night.
Agree - everyone should do it at least once. My sons and I still talk about the time we tore 'em slap up.Quote:
Originally Posted by FinChaser
Like I mentioned previously, my wife manages a company that does overnight sailboat charters on Lake Superior, among other things. She agrees with your comment Haywire about not necessarily feeling seasick during the day, but at night it can be different.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haywire
I would absolutely love to do an over nighter! Might have to look into that my next time down.Quote:
Originally Posted by FinChaser
I'm beginning to think like Haywire. Been out on my boat, and the past few times the past couple of weeks, it's either been too rough or didn't catch anything, then I come back, look at the forum and get frustrated when I read what everyone has been cacthing on the pier. Will be glad when wife gets her nursing degree soon so this 62 yr old fart can become a fulltime professional GSP "Pier Rat"
When we were at Ft. Morgan this May, one of our nieces came for five days to surf fish. She mentioned that she had never been out on the ocean, so I took her out on the Emerald Spirit, a "walk-on", for a six hour trip to see if it was something she might like. She loves to fish, and the $90.00 cost was do-able, just to make sure she could handle deep sea fishing. The catch was meager,but ok. The real thrill was when she fought a 7 ft. Bull shark for more than 30 minutes, and brought it along sides the boat (no harvest). She is so hooked! Planning her own charter for her and her husband this Nov. The head boat was a good way for her to find out if deep sea fishing was something she would like, and if she was prone to sea sickness. It was and she isn't.
Any opportunity I can fish I'll take it. I can think of a ton of pros and cons to both. But when it's all said and done, it's the point of getting to do what we enjoy.
LOL! I said it before of my wanting to catch a shark...any shark! A Bull, Tiger or Hammerhead preferred. I know this shows some of my inexperience but....I STILL WANT TO CATCH A GOD DAMN SHARK!!! Good for her bodebum!Quote:
Originally Posted by bodebum
I understand, BDL1969. My first trip to deep sea fish was as an 11th grader with the FFA, in 1970. Been out many, many times on the ocean since. Can't seem to break the 35# barrier, but I still love the surf and deep water.
I got so sick of sharks last week...Quote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
LOL! Why stik? Chasing the fish away?Quote:
Originally Posted by stik
we lost a LOT of leaders to the damned things!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
Me too, I hate sharks.Quote:
Originally Posted by stik
I think I'd rather fish with "Hotter Than Hades" :pQuote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
j/k couldn't be a better place to fish than with the 'pier buds'.
Doesn't matter if it's casting for kings or soaking shrimps ;-)
I fished on large head boats out of Lewes Delaware for years. Only way I had to get out on the water. Caught a lot of fish and had good times. I fished on the head boat out of Zeke's with the same result. You need to realize what it is, and then expect that. You can have a lot of fun helping people who never fished before. I take my own terminal tackle so I don't have to depend on the crew if I get cut off or hung up.
BIG TIME TIP: There are always women on a head boat. The head on a head boat is awful. Take a tube of Handi-wipes or some thing like them along. Hand them out to the ladies from time to time. You will be a BIG hit.
LOL! I'm sure my wife would love that!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mobilebayfisher
Shore fish/pier fish. With the limit of 2 snapper really makes it worthless. There are other fish to catch on the reefs but it can be more work. I have had great times fishing from the boat but my roi is with shore/pier fishing. I believe the fight from the fish on the pier or shore is better than reeling up a snapper from the bottom. Basically I love the sound off my drag screaming and my rod bowed when I'm fishing most of the times when you bottom fish you don't get that experiance. If you want a good shore/pier fishing experiance rent pier# for the day your wallet will thank you for it.
I wish I would have hired Pier#r the last time I was down there. I actually e-mailed him to find out about rates before we left, seemed real reasonable as well. Maybe next time Pier#r.....I need any advantage I can get!Quote:
Originally Posted by pokenfish
Went out with Capt Mike out of Outcast 10 days ago. Had an exceptional 6 hr trip. Spent the morning hitting different spots up to 28 miles out and ended up with snappers with a 15lb average. Capt cleaned the fish and everybody had plenty of filets and throats. I like all kinds of fishing when I'm down for my 10 days a year and will continue to kayak the gulf, charter and hit the pier. Variety is the spice!