Pier Fishing There are lots of piers along our coasts, and many are great places to fish. In some areas, specifically constructed fishing piers make food and bait available for purchase. Most fishing piers are abandoned bridges, but you may be able to get permission to fish from short pieces of dock, as well. Some of these piers are very productive—others not so much. But most structures built into the water will attract some fish during some part of the day. Ask at the local bait shop where to find good public piers—and when and with what people are using to catch fish. Special Equipment: You will not need too much extra equipment to fish from a pier, but there are things that make it easier. Look around to see what other anglers are using on the pier. One thing you’ll need to figure out is how to land a fish that is too heavy to lift with your line. Walking your fish to the shore is sometimes possible, but a round crab net on a stout line is a better option. Often someone nearby will help you. When: The general rule of coastal fishing is that a rising tide (flood tide) or a falling tide (ebb tide) is better fishing than the time between tides (slack tide). This mostly holds true for piers. However, fish that live and feed around the pier pilings are always present. Some short piers in shallow water may only be productive at high tide. Many crabs and baitfish are more active in the dark, so fishing at night can be very productive. Lighted piers in shallow water may yield good catches at night but nothing during the day.

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