Pier Fishing ~ the Best Option to Fish “Boatless”

Pier fishing, similar to jetty fishing is a great way to catch a variety of fish from the ocean.

It’s fun and relaxing. For those without a boat it’s the next best alternative way to enjoy some hard-fighting saltwater fish.

Piers are not only good and productive fishing grounds, but also provide safe platforms for anglers who wish to fish into deeper waters for bigger fish.

These man-made structures with wooden stilts or concrete pillars often attract small baitfish to seek shelter. They are also homes to some species such as crabs and crustaceans. With ready-food source around, piers are good hunting grounds for a wide variety of fish, including bottom-dwellers as well as surface-feeders. Some piers offer exciting fishing with large predators like sharks and tarpons.

Some of these structures can be a few hundreds feet long. Most are public facilities, while some are privately owned, whereby a small fee is charged to enter for fishing. And many of them have bait and tackle stores providing everything you need. Some even offer tackle rentals.

Baits and tackle for pier fishing is a matter of personal choice. Minimal gear is required. It is all depends on the locations, seasons and the type of fish targeted. Conventional, bait-casting, and spinning tackle are all employed by pier anglers. Cut-bait is the most popular choice, but live-bait and artificial lures are also used effectively fishing these structures.

A spinning outfit is an ideal choice fishing on a pier. It is easy to handle, not as cumbersome as some piers can be real crowded. A medium-action rod, preferably made of graphite and graphite composite with a length of 61/2-8 ft. long, combined with a reel able to hold 100-200 meters of 12-15 lbs. test monofilament line is more than sufficient to handle most fish species found hanging in and around most piers.

Quite a number of different rigs can be used effectively for pier fishing. One of which is the simple float-fishing rig if you’re targeting surface-feeders. And as for bottom-fishing bait rigs like the high-low rig with 2 hooks suspending on top of each other and the fish-finder bottom rig with a single hook are some of the popular choices used by most serious pier anglers.

Landing of your catch on these platforms is no easy game, especially if you are lucky to hook-on a large fish. But often most of the catches are sizes that you can easily reel in without much difficulty. A drop-net is often preferred over a traditional landing net to land big fish as most piers are built some great distance high above from the water. All you need to do is drop the net, steer the fish into it and lift it up. It’s quite simple, but better still if you have a buddy around to help you.

Pier fishing is usually a fun-filled atmosphere not only with the variety of fish you will catch. You can bring your whole family along to enjoy the fresh air and also easily make new friends. Many people fish from the pier for the very first time and most are hooked! It’s indeed a fun and easy kind of sport, and on top of it, it won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Why not you give it a try and I’m sure you’ll be hooked in no time just like me and many others. Cheers!

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