Give in to Pier Pressure

You don’t have to launch a boat or kayak to get into great fishing around the Tampa Bay area.     There is also absolutely nothing wrong with parking just a few yards away from where you’ll be fishing, particularly when the “catching” is excellent!    Pier fishing offers just that situation with the excitement factor of never knowing what you’re going to catch.    The local piers provide action on just about every fish that swims in the Gulf of Mexico.   Grouper, snapper, cobia, king mackerel, sheepshead, pompano and spanish mackerel are a small representation of a much larger list of fish that you could catch.

In addition to ease of access, paid piers also have another convenience: Anglers do not have to have a fishing license to fish on those structures.   For just a few dollars admission, this is a great way to entertain out-of-town visitors without going through the process and expense of obtaining fishing licenses for everyone.  The “free piers” no longer have that luxury, as new regulations in effect August 2009 lifted the “shorebound exemption” for Florida residents.    So, don’t get caught without the required license if you fish the “free piers”.

Why are the fish so likely to be around these piers?   It is quite simple really, these structures act as habitat, attracting baitfish schools that then attract predators.    The Sunshine Skyway piers are classic examples of these “habitats” and have a north and a south choice for visitors to consider.  This structure connected Pinellas and Manatee counties until a freight ship struck the center span during a thunderstorm in 1980.   Remnants of the downed portion of the bridge were “reefed” around the existing piers.   The south pier is considerably longer than the north.   Both sides provide great opportunities but the south pier has a lot more “elbow room.”  Along that line of thinking: Pay attention out there.   Heavy spoons and sinkers are being slung all over these piers.  Watch out for those around you on the busiest days.

Now for the tips on “what to use” and “how” to catch two prime Pier species:   Pompano and spanish mackerel.   Particularly for the spanish mackerel, this is an option that eliminates the casting and high speed retrieve of a spoon-
You need to “do the jig” and use “The Silly Willy with a teaser.” This effective but inexpensive combination is one that you will use for your bridge and pier fishing the remainder of your fishing career.   Because of the sharp mackerel teeth, I use 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader.   The Silly Willy will catch fish all by itself but “the teaser” is the added piece that makes it work so well.  The Silly Willy is lead molded around a hook in a “banana” style jig, painted in a variety of colors.  The “teaser” is a smaller hook with nylon tied to it “fly” style.  I will rig up my Silly Willy and teaser differently than others set it up.  I will “loop knot” both components onto that 40-pound leader line with the hooks of each component pointing away from one another.  Particularly for spanish mackerel, they want to get to that flashy teaser.   If it is rigged with both hooks pointing the same way the Silly Willy actually blocks the fish from getting to the teaser.   90% of the mackerel you catch will be hooked on the teaser.  My favorite choice for mackerel is a white or chartreuse Silly Willy with a white or yellow teaser

Working this lure is very simple to learn from this “elevated” fishing situation from on top of a pier or bridge.   You make a cast, or drop the lure straight down off the pier then:
1)  You let it sink
2)  When it gets down a good distance you add some movement to it, either with light jigging or with a more dramatic rod tip “sweep” accelerating the Silly Teaser rig up through the water column
3)  Go back to “step 1″
4)  When the lure gets to where it is coming under the structure or gets a good distance out from the structure, you reel it up and recast or drop it straight down again.

A lot of strikes by mackerel will happen when the jig is sinking so if you see your line “bounce” when the lure is going down, lift the rod tip slowly: You have a mackerel on.   This is a lot less work than casting a retrieving a heavy spoon for mackerel and just as effective.

For pompano, I like to use the yellow Silly Willy with a pink teaser.   The big difference in pompano fishing technique is more about placement of the jig in the water column and less about the color.   Nonetheless, if I had one pompano rig to choose it would be that color scheme.   Rather than a more erratic jigging motions used for the mackerel, for pompano best results will come from keeping that offering down deep and “hopping off the bottom.”   Pompano can be caught on various stretches of the local bridges and piers.   Local knowledge helps and most veteran pompano anglers will be seen on the first 1/3 of a structure and working the lure near the piers.

Stock up on these lures because they will be items you use a great deal the rest of your fishing career.     What weights of Silly Willy jigs to get?   Don’t limit your options.   I vary the weight I use on the water depth, wind and speed of the current.   Going by the rule of “Using the lightest option” but still adequate weight to get it down in the right “zone”  based on those variables.

A cautionary note:   When handling a hooked fish, keep in mind that there is a second hook swinging free.   I recommend using forceps or pliers for removing these hooks to keep your hands a safe distance away from that “other hook.”   The other reason this is also a good idea to use a tool instead of your hands: Mackerel have sharp teeth and will carve up fingers easily.

Landing a fish:
You’ve hooked a fish, and fought it up to the area directly below you, now what do you do?   First of all, you want to be expedient.   A fish dangled at the surface for any extended period of time is a target for a hungry pelican.   To get the fish up onto the pier, I use what I call “The Catapult” technique.   Leaning over the side, reeling up all the slack, I will then grab the spool of my spinning reel and in one swift motion (moving the rod tip up smoothly at an angle somewhat parallel to the railing) launch that fish up onto the bridge.

That method works up until you catch a fish that the weight is too much to keep the line from breaking attempting to do it that way.   When that happens, you’re going to want to have a “Bridge net”.   This is a metal rim hoop net with a rope that can be lowered down under a larger spanish, king mackerel and the other big fish.   Medium to medium-heavy rod and reel combinations work for the mackerel and pompano fishing pier anglers do.   Perhaps the #1 reason to “Take a big rod along” is cobia.  So many times during mackerel and pompano fishing trips, the big cobia come swimming by.  Without the right rod and reel, rigged up and ready for this, it’s a lost cause.   With a bridge net available, and the appropriate rod and reel, a cobia is another great pier opportunity.

Other tips:
Learn from the “regulars”.    “Pier rats” as they’re often called, log long hours honing their craft, capitalizing on the seasonal targets they seek to conquer in their time casting over the rails.   Some of the surlier of the rats may be gruff and unwilling to tutor the inquisitive: But they can’t stop you from watching how they do it.

Learn from the other people who are out there every day.   Before I head down to The Skyway Piers, I’ll call Jamie Foster, the manager of the piers.  They are open 24/7, only closing during hurricanes, and they are more than willing to share their honest and accurate reports with people who are thinking about going down to visit them at those locations.   A ten minute stop in their tackle shops on the piers and you will have great info on what action’s been consistent there.

Taking out your best equipment to the piers can be risky.   It’s not that likely that gear will be lost but concrete structures are tough on the rods and reels!   One thing I’ve learned is to take along some kind of rod holders and make a rule “when not in use, the rods go in these tubes.”    This will minimize that “scrrrrrrrrrrrraping sound” you’ll hear when the wind blows over a rod leaned up against the rail, or the scratching of the finish of a reel you hear when someone picks it up from the pavement by dragging it.  That is a noise I compare to fingernails running down a chalk board.

If fishing isn’t for everyone in your party,  a local pier could be just the place for the non-fishing people to spend some time with you. Bring some chairs, lunch, drinks and sunscreen and let them take in some sun while you catch a few fish.  Don’t be surprised if they decide to participate when they hear that whizzing of line peeling out from a speedster mackerel or a big fat yellow-belly pompano!

To learn more about the Silly Willy products, take a look at
http://www.captainjoefishing.com/products.php?cat=67

For more info on the Skyway fishing piers, use this link
http://skywaypiers.com/

Neil Taylor
Kayak Fishing Specialist- Strike Three Kayak Fishing
www.strikethreekayakfishing.com
Ph: 727-692-6345
Livelybaits@aol.com
“Something violent is about to happen.”