Pier Fishing Explained
ByFrazer Mellis
When you talk to many anglers that fish piers then main misconception is that the fish are going to be out as far as you can possibly cast, just like so many shore anglers believe. But when fishing from a pier great sport can be had from a matter of inch’s away from the side of the pier. The piers themselves offer the fish a great food supply and cover from many predator fish that bigger than usual specimens can be found by fishing right down the side of a pier wall or up against the legs of a pier.
Because you can be fishing so close to the side of the pier we must all be aware of the effect of the tides when fishing. Around most piers, if you were to look at the sea bed at low tide you would see large gullies that can sometimes run the full length of the pier and many rock pools that have been formed on the sea bed due to the effects of the tide rushing through. Now these rock pools and gullies at low tide give you a general idea of where to fish when the tide comes in, They also give you an appreciation of the food sources that the fish are feeding on. Many species can be found under and around piers such as pout, rockling, coalfish and sandeels to name just a few. So the main areas to be fishing when on a pier is in and around these large gullies that have been formed as well as, as close to the supports as you dare to fish.
It is also a misconception by most anglers that the best place to fish is the end of the pier, Now in some instances I would say yes to this as you would have deep water all around, but as a general rule of thumb the better area’s to fish are the middle sections of the pier as these tend to be more sheltered from the sea currents.
When you see the regular anglers going to fish on a pier most of the time you will see them going to fish on the down tide side of the pier, this is because fishing the up-tide side of the pier normally means lost tackle as when the tide is flowing into the pier their tackle is pushed under the pier, and many will have lost tackle. But by fishing like this it means that the scent trail of your bait is flowing away from the pier therefore not pulling the fish to your bait. Therefore fishing on the up-tide side of the pier means that any scent trail your bait gives off will be flowing under the pier and around the support of the pier which is where the fish are laying in wait.
TACKLE.
When fishing from piers the common mis-conception is that you need to use what is normally classed as a pier rod. Most anglers just use a standard 5 – 6 oz beach caster with a minimum length of 12ft, As this allow you to keep the fish away from the wall or the piers supports. Strong tough reels are required due to the types of fish you could catch from the pier. Rays and conger for example will require stronger tackle than normal from the pier due to the size and power. Strong fixed spool reels and the bigger multipliers are required like the penn reels and the larger abu reels will suffice. As a general guide reels should be loaded with a minimum of 20lb line, especially when fish over the 3lb mark are expected. Now as a exception to these rules some big fish men use 30lb class boat rods from the pier when fishing for fish such as conger due to the extra pulling power over the standard beach caster. When we talk about rigs to use off a pier most of the fish will be feeding in the gutters around the pier so a long flowing trace will suffice for catching most fish. Other options from a pier are float fishing when the tide run is not strong for mullet, also spinners and feathers for the bass and mackerel is also worth a try. Always remember to carry a drop net as many fish are lost when anglers try to lift a big fish up the side of the wall or supports.
BAITS.
Most standard baits work well from piers such as lugworm, ragworm and squid, but it’s worth a try using other baits like crab, mackerel and if pouting are caught use these if there are conger about.
Most importantly about fishing from a pier is be safe as strong tide mean if anyone falls over the side WILL be in difficulty.
For more sea fishing information and to purchase the best tackle online in the UK visit Online Sea Fishing Tackle
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