Those people are idiots---

In between jobs around the home place, I got bored and went on YouTube and ended up looking at some vids of fishing at Okaloosa Pier a couple of years ago. I guess I've been spoiled by the people on the Gulf Shores Pier, because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've never fished any other piers and have heard negative reports from elsewhere, but this was showing it firsthand.

There were people with nice kings hooked up, but nobody was getting out of their way----unattended rods to trip over while following the fish. Nobody seemed to give a crap, even when the person hooked up was a cute girl in a bikini. There's something wrong with those folks!

A couple of redfish were brought in and I have never seen a worse job of netting in my life. Nobody seemed to have any idea what to do about leading the fish to the net---they sat there with the net in one place and the poor fish in another and tried to net it from the tail end. That don't work---at all.

A few minutes of video isn't conclusive proof of how the other places roll, but when I compare it with "Running of the Bulls", where everybody is letting little Griffen by with his fish and helping each other get untangled, there is a huge difference.

That just makes me more determined to help out other anglers on the pier, especially when they haven't learned the ropes yet. There are a whole bunch of good folks who fish our pier and they set a good example as far as help and friendliness.

Just don't ask me for live shrimp when the fish are biting. I will tell you to go to h#ll, but I'll smile and do it politely while I give directions to J&M Tackle.

Its my understanding that there is too much Yankee blood in most Floridian's bloodlines... That would explain a lot.

hey from my personal experience pcb piers are full of rude people.one time me and my wife were at the M.B. miller pier and she was learning to fish.I was attempting to teach her.well some guy steps over next to her to start fishing(like 10 feet from her)well she gets tangled in his line and you could tell the guy got mad about it.I help untangle it and about 10 minutes later she got tangled in his line again.so he gets mad and looks over at me and tells me that I better do something with her.well being coolheaded as I am I started counting the people on the pier and the guys looking at me wierd.I then turn and look at him and say hey I just counted 13 people on this whole pier and you walk right next to her to fish.and then get mad when your not smart enough to move after getting tangled the first time and after I told you i was helping her learn to fish.so he puts his rod in his holder starts cussing and walks a ways down the pier.it just shocked me the way he acted with a first timer trying to learn.I have never been met with any attitude like that at GSSP.I have always been met with kindness here.so here is where I will stay and my wife has even commented on the kindness of GSSP vs PCB

They ain't only rude there are a lot of thefts over there

Welcome to how most piers operate. Thats why I dont even think twice about making the 12hr ride to fish gssp.

I have fished the Okaloosa Pier with my father in law... and it is an awful crowd. He is 83 and only fishes for Pompano. So his time out there is very limited. Last year, when the pompano were running in the spring, there was a small cadre of regulars who pushed and shoved folks around to get a jig in the water. One guy actually used a rusty old pair of scissors to cut my f-I-l's line as it went by "his" spot at the rail. I saw it, but this 83 year old did not. He thought it just broke off. So I quit fishing and stayed near him, sort of imposing my presence on the guys along the rails. He caught his limit and we left. He is not an inexperienced angler so he created no googan drama or chaos. They are just really unfriendly people. The behavior of many I saw out there was really unacceptable and like nothing I've seen before. It was a terrible experience and I will not ever go back.

There are a lot of jerks out there, crowded fishing seems to ramp up the testosterone level in some folks. Others take it way too seriously. Nobody likes rude behavior, and it's the least we can do to help the beginners to at least have a chance and understand how this works. I see it a GSSP also, even by regulars but nothing like other piers (or like the Russian river when the salmon run-combat fishing in it's purest).

Be nice to folks. Understand that some people just don't know they're messing up (and try to politely help them if you can). Fish like you mean it but take some of it in stride. Be thankful it's so great at GSSP, the further east and south you go, all the way up the east coast, the ruder people seem to be.

I am grateful I only have my pier experience at GSSP. Last year was my first experience, nothing but nice people. I am looking forward to learning all I can this year and apply it for years to come, and I will in turn repay the favor to anyone needing my assistance. People tend to forget, who created this earth, the oceans, the fish, etc. and how quickly it can be taken away. God wants us to be happy, but in turn to help others.

i have never fished any of the fla piers but the folks in nags head nc(outer banks) were great.

I've fished PCB pier and never had any problems. They are pretty nice at Navarre too.

I fished the County Pier in PCB last year and it was pathetic. There were guys walking in the crystal clear shallows under the pier bowfishing. There were others on the pier using mullet nets to catch what few specs were there but I was told not to use my ribbon rig because gill nets are illegal in Florida. I spent the cash to get into St. Andrews State Park only to see abou 50 teenagers on floats and rafts under the end of the pier hanging out. Other than learning to catch flounder on dead cigs it was a wasted trip.

I checked out St. Andrews and made the mistake of going out to look around and had my truck broken into, all tackle, cell phone and misc. gone. Mid afternoon on a week day, crowded parking lot. The rangers acted like it was a common thing. I know it happens, sure put a damper on the trip.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SNAKE

I've fished PCB pier and never had any problems. They are pretty nice at Navarre too.

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never been to pcb pier but i went to navare and the older guys there were really nice and talked to em quite a bit but there was a younger dude (i say younger , older than me) that thought he was BIG shit i guess.... all in all it was a good trip

I love Navarre. Pensacola however, is just like you describe about Okaloosa. I caught a king and no one would gaff it for me. I had to get a tourist down the pier with a net to net it.

Fished that pier one time and will never fish it again.

At Navarre they leave rods on the rail, but when some one has a fish on they make sure to get stuff out of the way. That is the only real difference about Navarre and us. Its a great pier.

yep i was at okaloosa over spring break, hooked up on 2 nice sized kings and had absolutely no help trying to gaff the fish, then some drunk springbreakers broke my line trying to fish for croaker or something at the very end of the pier at 5am. the fishing is great there but the people there ruin the pier.

This kid says it all....
Kid President's 20 Things We Should Say More Often - YouTube

I have fished them ALL!!!!!(Gulf coast) and hands down Gulf shores is the best for the people on the rail ....that's why I would like to consider it as my Home pier when in the area ....the Locals make it the way I like it for fishing and helping with some not so locals added in the mix

one thing I really dislike on other piers is the rail being used as rod storage, and having to deal with that fighting a fish....heaven for bid you knock one over or step on one....I can fish with most anyone and have..... but

It's amazing what a difference a State Line can do! I have fished several also and will only fish GSP from now on for many reasons! I'm by no means saying all is bad besides GSP it's just I have had to many bad experiences else where.

On a side note, Haywire, can I have some of your live shrimp?

Well, yeah, since you asked so nicely. ---But you'll have to lick 'em yourself.

I knew you were bluffing.

A nice man like you can't hide behind such obscurity!

By the way, those are some fresh looking cigar minnows you have there...