Does reel weight matter or no for surf and pier fishing?

Sea Fishing Tips On Pier?

• Tips and tricks i could use for sea fishing on a pier? what do you do after you have cast? do you reel in straight away to make your line tight, or wait for the weight to get to the ...show more

• Answer:

  Tips for pier fishing: #1. Show up ready to target a SPECIFIC species- Different species will (generally) live in and around CERTAIN areas on a pier. Example- On Florida piers, Whiting, Croaker and Pompano will generally be just beyond (and in) the "surf zone", (where the waves start to break). Spadefish & Sheephead will generally be very close to the pilings. The end of the pier will generally be where people target Kingfish, Tarpon, Sharks, Etc. Therefore, knowing which species you plan to (try) to catch will designate where you will be on the pier. (If you are fishing some obligatory spot your odds on catching something good will diminish (greatly). Have you not wondered why CERTAIN SPOTS on the pier always seem to have people fishing them!? Why people tend to congregate in certain areas?) #2. Once you know what you want to catch, investigate the best rigs, lures and presentations to use. MOST OF THE TIME, tieing your own rigs will be better than buying a pre-made rig. Why???? Resident pier fish SEE a 1000 rigs a day! To be more successful, a stealthier and/or longer leader or a completely different sinker/leader/hook configuration can make a BIG difference. #3. USE the freshest dead bait possible OR (better yet) use LIVE BAIT when conditions allow. #4. USE Fluorocarbon leaders (Seaguar brand)- LENGTH of leaders will be designated by how stealthy you need to be and how aggressive the fish are. FYI- Fluorocarbon has the same "refractive index" as water making it virtually invisible under water. Having "invisible" line can make a difference! #5. Your sinker weight should be "just" enough to hold your bait securely, but, not so heavy as to allow the fish to immed feel resistance. Most of the time you will only need 2-6 OZ sinkers. 2 OZ sinkers work well for light surf/current conditions (1-2 FT waves) 3 OZ sinkers work well for medium surf/current conditions (1-3 FT waves) 4 OZ sinkers work well for medium/fast current conditions (2-4 FT waves) 6 OZ sinkers should only be used in the worst current (3-6 FT waves) If your fishing in a current where a 6-7 OZ sinker isn't enough, think about moving to another part of the pier or going someplace else to fish! Generally, you will know which size sinker to use by looking at the wave action in the surf zone. Used in conjunction with a Sinker Slide (shown here- http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Striker-BFS-6P5-Fishing-Slides/dp/B0084EEGS6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_3/191-2328639-7390456?ie=UTF8&refRID=1RWZY2DSM0ZN28PJZCVG ) Pyramid sinkers are generally the best sinkers for fishing on a pier. Their pyramid shape tends to hold bottom better. To answer your Q's- Cast out your bait/rig, allow the bait/rig to reach bottom (PAY special attention here! Many fish will hit your bait BEFORE the rig hits bottom- when you can't FEEL them!), reel in your slack line (to make it tighter)- the tighter the line the more FEEL you will have! TRY using circle hooks! Circle Hooks tend to hook biting fish "automatically"- due to their design. Hope this helps?