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

How to Pier & Surf Fish in Gulf of Mexico?

• I'm going to Gulf Shores, AL with my family for vacation and I'd really like to do a little fishing while I'm there. I haven't been fishing since I was little and that was in a stocked pond with a little Zebco. I bought an 8' Shakespeare Alpha rod and reel with 20lb line for the occasion. We know little about pier fishing and even less about surf fishing. Any tips on bait, lures, etc is greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind I'm a total newbie at this. Thanks for the help!!

• Answer:

  You have a great rod, and a great reel. I don't know how to pier fish or surf fish, but I work with a lot of bait and lures. I reccomend silver spinners. Trout love those. The best brand is Panther Martin in my opinion. My cousin caught a huge bass with Panther Martin. His lure was gold with black dots. I also reccomend Plastic/Rubber/Fake Worms. I don't know what brand mine are. I got nibbles from catfish. I suggest you get Power Bait. Mine weren't Power Bait. The weirdest thing, if you want to catch catfish, is to put wet dog food on the hook. They go crazy for it! That's about all I can give you with bait and lures. I hope it helps.