newbie, sort of..have a few questions

[catlovesfishing]

I've been bringing my husband and son to the pier for a few weeks now, I love to fish and am trying to teach my son about saltwater pier fishing. He is 12 and short attention, but the grunts he catches every few minutes using squid keeps him smiling unlike freshwater, lol. He is then using a grunt for cutbait on the bottom with a 2or 3 oz egg sinker and gets nothing. My husband has gotten a small sea bass once on a tail, but other than that that's it. I've tried squid, clam, and cutbait, occasional shrimp. All I get is an occasional whiting or a grunt. Twice I've had a massive bite and run, then nothing. I've tried a sabiki with no luck for greenies, no luck, and freelined a small baitfish over the rocks (I've been reading here on tips) but, nothing. I've walked and asked a few people on NSP for tips or what they're doing, been met with bad pick up lines or rude looks..I look for Mike in the shop but haven't had luck finding him there, and I also move from spot to spot to see if that works..I need some input on what to try guys..hoping for some insight Thanks in advance, I'm headed back out tomorrow...

[tears143]

What are you trying to catch?

It has been slow for the easy fish(macks and jacks) other than grunt, sliver trouts, whiting, and black sea bass, which you seems to be doing well on. The long run are probably small sharks.

As for greenies, look on the side of the pier that the receive the moving water first. If it's outgoing tide, going out to the gulf, look at the side facing the main skyway bridge. If it's incoming, look at the side facing the gulf. The greenies usually stay next to the pilling. Look under the shadow line of these side. If you don't see them, still drop a line down and try for them.

Probably around end of March and beginning of April, the big school of macks and jacks will come back and you'll have a fun time with the family.

If I am out there, I'll let you guys know and teach you whatever I can.

[catlovesfishing]

Awesome deal..thanks so much

[montylfl]

Where on the pier are you fishing? Near the bait house or the toll booths? This time of the year I like fishing near the toll both. Water is shallow and warmer and less rocks. Bounce that squid of shrimp off the bottom with a jig head or knocker rig. The trick is slow. I like s twenty second count after you feel it hit bottom. Trout, flounder, sheephead and pompano will be your targeted species. Good luck and thanks for teaching your son fidhing

[eaglesfanguy]

This time of year i would fish the North pier, at the end with shrimp, or squid. Best bet are Silver trout. Near the beginning of the pier you can fish the flats for maybe a pompano or Whitting. Bluefish should be running soon also. Small bucktails tipped with squid or shrimp work well also in the shallows.

[catlovesfishing]

We typically fish NSP on the left side of the bathroom, where the pilings start up so we are near the //i\\ pilings (I read that's where the rock piles are) so now my son insists on finding those and fishing there..we did try once a few weeks back to fish the shallows but his shorter attention span quickly led him to believe that the bigger fish live in deeper water, lol. Now I will try both ends, if he sees me catch something there he will be determined to "outfish" me there as well. We were there yesterday, he was having fun targeting sheepshead at the piling under us and came close to pulling one in but it got off the line halfway up. I fished all day and caught only a few good pics of my son and the sunset, but a bad day of fishing beats a good day of work any day..and the more we're there the more we learn

[tears143]

That's the key, placing more time learning the spot will help improve your chances of catching.

A lot of people just don't put in the time to learn the spot. A lot of spot will produce, it's just what it will produce and when it will produce is the key.

[catlovesfishing]

The cool thing about this is my son reads the responses and is now all excited to try the flats area one weekend and the end of the pier the next. The more he gets interested the more he learns, and I learn..Tears, he read your post about learning the spots and agreed saying he won't be so impatient now..I think he's seeing the bigger picture, asking about targeting fish, and learning the size limits of a few fish he wants to target as well as seasons for fish too..something I alone couldn't get him to do, but then again I'm just "mom" and he likes hearing it from other people sometimes lol..

[mufishin]

In the next couple of months the fishing usually heats up so much that Your arms will be trembling from catching so many fish.