Pier Fishing

I want to try sea fishing from a pier, but only have coarse fishing tackle. Can I use this?

Replies:

1. "The big differences with sea-fishing are the tides and the depth of water you will be fishing. When the tide is running hard, it puts a lot of pressure on the line, so you need to use much heavier weights than in (say) a fast flowing river.

Minimum breaking strain you should be thinking of for pier fishing is around 15lbs, and weights between 3 and 5 ozs (maybe more if the tide run is exceptional at the pier you are fishing).

If you intend casting with more than a gentle lob, you need to use a shockleader of about 10lbs bs per ounce of lead, otherwise you risk cracking off on the cast, and maybe endangering those around you. The shockleader should be twice the length of the rod you are using and a couple of turns of the reel.

You will probably find the ground quite snaggy too (mostly other people's lost tackle).

You will probably get away with a carp rod, but use one with the highest test curve you have.

You will also need a reel up to the job of winching a fish up from out of the water to a considerable height - arm aching stuff if you don't have the right tackle.

Plan your trip so that you are fishing the last 3 hours of the rising tide, and a couple of hours of the fall. The fish will probably stop feeding for a while at slack water at the top of the tide."

2. "If you only have coarse fishing gear, why not fish inside a harbour - then you don't need to worry about heavy weights and big tides. Use a stiff carp/pike rod, 2 oz lead and 10lb line and you can have great fun with flatties, mullet, pollack, wrasse, bass etc.

Don't forget to wash your gear down with fresh water or the salt will wreck it in no time flat. Also, invest in/make a drop net, there's no way you'll winch even a 2lb fish up a harbour wall with light tackle without something breaking. Only the British seem fixated with heavy gear for all sea fishing, many Continentals use light tackle in harbours and off shelterd rocks, and seem to be very successful.

Also try float fishing off rocks in Summer for wrasse, pollack, garfish and mackeral. Same gear."

3. "Good advice on float/spinning and light line fishing. Garfish will take off like Marlin on light line. Great fun."