Pier fishing

[Jmort1754]

Anyone have a good rod and reel set up idea as well as tackle ideas for pier fishing near the outer banks ?

 

[Hoofing It]

I'm not an east coast pier fisher, but up and down the west coast I do it the same way and it might be a good starting point.

You don't need good equipment to get started on this. Unless there's a honey hole that you can only cast to with a serious rod most piers are going to be hit or miss based on the topography and how many people fish it. I always bring a rod that can cast a 1 oz weight decently well (even an Ugly Stik can do this) and rig it up with a sabiki to catch bait. You just jig the bare hooks up and down and the little skins on them attract small fish.

Then I rig up a bigger rod (I use a $20 Shakespeare Tiger combo from Walmart) with a 2-8 oz weight (depending on conditions) with whatever bait I catch, usually in a Carolina rig for live bait or a hi-lo rig for chunks.

Sometimes there's big fish but not a lot of easy to catch bait, in that case I might bring frozen sardines and just use the latter rig.

 

[Jmort1754]

I'm looking at Just taking my medium heavy bass rod.

 

[Hoofing It]

That'll definitely work. I also use a cheap Walmart crab net to land fish after they're tired out at the bottom of the pier.

 

[Farmer9770]

Which pier a what are your target fish? Big difference between panfish in the breakers, slinging metal for blues/Spanish or live lining off the end. A basic hi/lo rig with bloodworms, shrimp, sandfleas or squid as bait can get you in the game most places.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

3000 or 4000 size reel and a 7' medium rod will let you throw plugs and spoons for blues and Spanish, jig heads and gulp shrimp for drum and flounder(can't keep flounder right now) and soak bait on 2 hook bottom rigs in the wash. Tie your own rigs so you don't have all the extra metal such hanging off it. It's not very hard to do. Also, get the freshest bait you can. Try not to use frozen bait if you can help it.

 

[Rich M]

When i take the wife to the beach in the summer I use a 4000 or 5000 spinning reel on a 7 ft Ugly Stick with a high-low rig and pyramid sinker 2-3-4 oz. Most of what i catch is small.

If you are "just fishing off a pier" your bass tackle will be fine.

If you are targeting large fish or specialty fish, then your needs change. But if you were targeting these fish you would know it. Run with the bass tackle and have fun.

 

[TaperPin]

Anyone have a good rod and reel set up idea as well as tackle ideas for pier fishing near the outer banks ?

After seeing how many sharks there are out on the outer banks piers I won’t be catching sun and splashing around in the water any time soon. Lol. I really like the long history of the OB. It’s quite amazing how many sharks there are along the east coast and how few encounters pop up.

 

[Wellsdw]

skip the pier and fish the surf, better yet fish the sound and just wade around. Make Sure you got shoes though! Most fish are in the breakers in the surf. When fishing in the surf I try for Fishing falling tide also.

I wouldn’t take to nice of a freshwater setup. The sand and salt will destroy them.
Where are you going on obx? Incase I missed it

 

[coloyooper]

Anyone have a good rod and reel set up idea as well as tackle ideas for pier fishing near the outer banks ?

What part are you going to?

 

[Jmort1754]

We are starting in emerald isle and will end up down by Kure beach area.

 

[Yoder]

If you use braided line, you might want to ask if you can use it. The one pier I fished in Avon didn't allow braid and I had to rent a couple rods.

I usually kayak fish the sound. It's great for trout and reds depending on the time of year and how hot the water is. You can rent them pretty cheap, and they deliver right to your house.