New to the Pier

Well the fishing sucks and according to taz we know nuthinggg. Naw mas you caome to the right place. As soon as the real fisherman get on here you will all the info ya need. Good luck to youand your boy.

well cahileman. welcome to the area. One word of advise some guy gave me when I moved here from the philly area 10 yrs ago is forget everything you learns fishing at the jersey shore. Up there we used "heavy " weights to hold the bait in position. Here... the lighter the better.

Others may have some ideas but from what I have been reading the mango snappers are biting at the pier. Here is how i would target them.

If you and your son are going I would have a least three rods. One for you, one for your son and one to catch bait using a sabiki rig. ( your son may never but the bait rod down. What is a sabiki rig? check this link to see one. www.tackletogo.com/tssari.html
you can find at any bait shop or ( dare i say) big retailer. As you catch the bait cut one in three pieces ( depends on size of bait) place on hook. You can also hook the baitfish alive too if you wish but if you are going to fish them alive you will need a 5gallon bucket and bubble pump to keep them alive. No need to invest now wait and see if you have a good time. Invest later.

The other two rods use 20lb power pro with 20lb leader. Ad a sliding bullet weight and a hook. ( i think they call this a knocker rig) here is a link with a picture on how to set up a knocker rig www.tortugasfishing.com/mutton.html

I like to look for the current moving under the pier ( not away from the pier). Fish near a piling but not to close where you may get snagged.

drop the bait down, let some extra line out and wait until it drifts under the pier and line becomes tight while point the rod tip down toward the water. If you feel no bites, lift the tip up and drop the tip. you should feel the bait bounce on the bottom.

if you feel little nibbles . lift the rod tip slowly could be other bait fish. all the activity will draw the mangoes over to see what is going on. wait for the fish to pull and set the hook.

if you stop felling the nibbles your bait is gone, These mangoes are great bait stealer's.

You can also but live shrimp. only get a dozen at a time so they stay alive. you can fish them the same way as cut bait but you will go thru them quickly. pinfish love those shrimps.

one other thing. read the other threads and get some ideas. folks have tips.

there is also a thread listing the cars everyone drives so if you see one stop and say hi. someone will help you.

good luck and lets us know how you make out

Now thats some good info. I use to never use a knocker rig when i lived in florida becasue i allways seen them used with beads and i knew the beads could break your knot. The weights with the different shaped holes i never noticed before thanks montylfl

One last question, what size sabiki hooks should I be looking for?

monty hit it right on target. with the set up he is talking about you shouldnt go wrong as long as they are biting.

Best advice I can give is go to wal-mart and buy about 10 of them. They are only like a 1.25 or so. I have gone through so many it is unbelievable. Last trip to the pier we went through about 6, we kept getting little 10" spanish mack on them and they were cutting the line. Also they get tangled up very easy and most of the time it's too much of a pain to untangle it. Also caught jack that were breaking the lines off as well. After catching the bait cut it into pieces (if greenbacks or threadfins) if you get the little small 1 - 2" spanish sardines use them whole. Let them drift under the piers by the restrooms and you should have some good fishing on snapper and smaller grouper. Good luck and I hope your son has a great birthday.

Good Advise right there. Goredwings

Thats some good info from these folks
another tidbit is if you are`nt gettin bites move around !
leave your unused stuff locked in your vehicle -the stuff you are gonna use to a minimum and
try new spots at most 15-20 min at a spot- do not leave line stationary always move it around - still bait seems to only get stolen and cover as much area as possible if no action move a bit
get yourself a net either a long handled or a pier net
a five gallon bucket for the bait you catch -a airator - a small bucket on a rope -to fill large bucket and to always keep fresh water in the large bucket

tight lines to you and your son

p.s. if you see people hookin up go watch em to see what they are using and watch thier techniques and ask Q`s never ever had a fellow pier rat tell me no - and always try to keep a big smile