Pier fishing advice

[Tubingluvr]

We are planning a family vacation to Panama City Beach FL the last 2 weeks of February.
I plan on spending a good part of my time pier fishing.
I have never fished saltwater, can anyone give me any tips.
Is medium action open face and medium action pole going to be enough?
I have heard that shrimp are a pretty common bait to use.
any techniques you recommend?
Is there such a thing as bobber fishing in FL?
Sorry for all the questions but I have only fished in MI

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tubingluvr]

Re: Pier fishing advice

Oh sorry probably should have said, I am not targeting any specific species just want to catch and release some fish.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Pier fishing advice

surf fish for pompano, pink colored jigs and work them in the surf.

 

[mike243]

Re: Pier fishing advice

i love to fish off the peirs when im down there,take a good casting open faced reel with 17-20lbs line,then when you get there buy you a big surf combo from walmart.you can catch your own bait with a bait rig that has a bunch of small gold hooks on it,not sure what if they are finger mullet ect but pretty easy to catch,buy some 12" steel leaders as most every thing has teeth .the problem with useing shrimp will be all of the fish in the sea eat them so a lot of trash will be caught ,i try to stick with bigger baits & cast spoons & big plugs while waiting for something to bite my bait,have fun,mike243

 

[cookbayou]

Re: Pier fishing advice

Check-out Half Hitch Tackle they ve got a web site with weekly and monthly fishing reports as well as fishing advice for the area. But that time of year you will get more fish in the bayous and creeks than the gulf.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Pier fishing advice

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

......and if you lay your sandwich on the rail to retreive a fish....make certain it's still in the sandwich bag!!! (don't ask)

 

[Lojjjan]

Re: Pier fishing advice

You should also try fishing under bridges, Ask local bait shops where the hot spots have been, For the rod use a medium action with a 3000 reel. try to get powerpro for it helps A LOT. Also Use around 40lb leader. It would also help to bring two rods for if one gets stuck and breaks you can cast another one out there while rigging the other one. I am not a pier fisherman but i have once, Also if you wan to have a lot of fun try finding a non-private charter to catch some offshore fish.

enjoy

 

[mommicked]

Re: Pier fishing advice

You may want a mediumheavy rod/reel,you never know what might bite on a pier or in the surf.it hurts to lose a nice fish because of weak tackle.use at least 12 lb test.leaders are mandatory for lures, unless you like buying new ones!I make my own out of 25 lb. mono its clear,and some fish are spooked by steel leaders.bottom rigs w 2 hooks are good for bait fishing.the pier store should have tackle for bait fishing (unless its a public pier)they may even rent rods daily or hourly. if allowed, surf fishing is fun and can be more relaxing than fishing on a crowded pier.A pole, a lawn chair.a cooler of bait and beer.toes in the sand/sea.It doesnt get any better than that.sometimes the bite is better in the surf/breakers than out further on the pier.you could try to contact the pier or a local tackle shop if it is a public pier.they are always happy to give advice and can tell you what you need for their specific location/time of year.you can also find tech/info on pier or surf fishing online if you look around.Good luck! and dont forget the sunscreen,hat, sunglasses.the sun can be much stronger as its closer to the equater than in Mi.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Pier fishing advice

If you're a seafood eater, you may also want to set out a couple crab (for lack of a better word) nets. If you get skunked for edible fish, crabs are a real tasty 2nd best.

 

[Tubingluvr]

Re: Pier fishing advice

......and if you lay your sandwich on the rail to retreive a fish....make certain it's still in the sandwich bag!!! (don't ask)

I know you said don't ask but with a comment like that I know there must be a good story to share with us.......so what happened?

 

[sasto]

Re: Pier fishing advice

Panama City is also a good place to fish for speckled seatrout in the bays. locals don't give much info but the baitshops will. You can park your car and fish from the sandy shore. Common method used there is med. to light tackle, 8# test, popping bobber, and a large live shrimp. You may land a nice redfish while your at it. I use the same tackle for bay fishing as I would for bass fishing.

Pier fishing can be fun too. I'm pretty sure the last time I stopped there the pier rented tackle. Happy Catching.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Pier fishing advice

I know you said don't ask but with a comment like that I know there must be a good story to share with us.......so what happened?

I take it you don't do much pier fishing? The result would be obvious if you did.

I'll give you a hint. The same reason why you wear and hat and you don't look up with your mouth open with gulls around.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Pier fishing advice

I know you said don't ask but with a comment like that I know there must be a good story to share with us.......so what happened?

Well.....you DID ask......

......it was a hot and humid late summer evening and the big-boobed, blonde-haired, air-headed former bride insisted on over-nite pier fishing as a means of relaxation and cooling off. The tomato crop from the backyard garden had yielded bushels of succulent berries to the point that the sun looked like a huge tomato to me. Off we go to one of the (then) local fishing piers as we carried a huge cooler of liquid libations of therapeutic potency and a basket of tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches, not to omit all the necessities of catching fish.

The breezes were cooling, the lapping of the waves on the pier pilings soothing and the fishing boring. Tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches to the rescue!!!! A ?table? was spread on the top of the pier rail: a cold brew, a pile of potato chips and a soft, cool and moist tomato and mayonnaise sandwich to ease away the summer?s heat in the absence of biting fish.

As the evening wore into dawn, the former bride complained that her breath ?tasted? funny and her stomach didn?t feel quite right.......?Maybe another sandwich, without the beer might make me feel better? she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

The fishing began to pickup as the dawn broke to a new day and the tide reverse its course. She repeatedly had to lay her succulent tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches down to reel in yet another fish.

As the twilight of dawn broke into daylight, she soon discovered the morgue of fish parts, various baits and only God himself knows what else that lay atop, dripping or otherwise oozing towards the ocean from her ?table? on the handrail.

So much for ?seafood? seasoning on tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches.

 

[Tubingluvr]

Re: Pier fishing advice

sounds very tasty eddie

 

[ngt]

Re: Pier fishing advice

If you're a seafood eater, you may also want to set out a couple crab (for lack of a better word) nets. If you get skunked for edible fish, crabs are a real tasty 2nd best.

Plus, if you catch something on a pier that's of good size, you can use our crab net to pull it up on the pier. That's how we do it at McNear's in the Bay...