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Pier and Surf Fishing

Pier fishing and surf fishing is a great way to take advantage of great lakes steelhead, brown trout and kings without spending a fortune on a boat, tackle and fancy rods. One can get into pier fishing pretty reasonably with great results. It is easy, affordable, relaxing and productive, so don't miss out!

The basic setup includes:

• A noodle rod, preferably 9 to 11 feet long
• A large capacity reel spooled full of 8 to 12 pound test line
• #8 to #4 wide gap, bait holder or egg style hooks
• An assortment of pyramid sinkers from ¾ to 3 oz.
• Sinker sliders
• Small split shot
• Small barrel swivels
• Rod holders
• Long handle net
• Spawn bags

So here is the skinny on getting set up. My normal setup includes 2 noodle rods about 11 feet long. I am spooled up with 10# Maxima™ or Berkley XL™ in a moss green color. Run a sinker slider on to your main line and tie on a small barrel swivel. Then tie on about 18-24 inches of lighter leader material, usually 4 to 8 pound test fluorocarbon depending on water clarity and weight of your sinker. To the end of this, tie on your hook of choice. I prefer a # 8 or 6 wide gap hook. About half way down the leader, put on a couple of small split shot to keep the spawn bag near bottom. The size of pyramid sinker you use will depend on the wind and wave chop. The rougher it is, the heavier sinker you will need. Be sure to use the lightest sinker you can get away with while keeping your line tight and without your rig drifting in the rip current. Then put on a spawn bag, toss it out, and place your rod in a rod holder. You're ready to go.

Fish are most often found a good throw from the breakwall. Sandbars and troughs commonly form parallel to the pier and your best bet is trying to land your rig in one of these troughs. It is a good idea to fish one rod close to the pier and one a long cast out to cover more water until you can develop a pattern. Try to position yourself on the pier just outside of where the waves are breaking. First thing in the morning or late evening, this can be a prime spot. Later in the morning or during the afternoon, a little deeper water farther out on the wall is usually better.

Now if you are looking to fish the surf, you'll use the same basic setup. Only you will probably want a good pair of chest waders and maybe a raincoat to keep spray off of you. Wade out to the first sandbar and cast out into the next trough or even two troughs out if you can reach it. Walk your rod back to shore with your bail open but with light tension on your line. Once back to shore, place the rod in the rod holder and tighten up your line. If you don't get a hit after a little while, go ahead and reel it in a little bit to cover more of the trough or sandbar and to find where the fish are cruising.

Go ahead and mix it up a little bit if you want. Have on rod set with a spawn bag and cast a spoon like a Little Cleo™ or Kastmaster™ with the other. This is a great way to try two different techniques at the same time and will allow you to zero in on what the fish want. If the fish are hitting your spoon the most, you may be able to pick up a bonus fish on the spawn bag. But if the fish are hitting the spawn but not the spoon, you can always switch up and throw out another spawn bag and increase your odds.

There are many times and places to use these techniques. The most common areas are on piers and beaches near river mouths and harbors. In early spring, browns and steelhead will readily pick up a spawn bag tied of fresh steelhead or brown trout spawn. In fall, a large bag tied of fresh loose king or coho spawn is hard to beat for salmon or later in the fall for steelhead. Most spawn bags are tied from the size of a dime to a quarter and it is wise to tie a variety of sizes and colors to find what is working. Brighter colored bags like chartreuse seem to work better in dirty water, while more natural colors like pink or orange are best in clear water.

Tying your own bags is the best way to go. Get the freshest spawn you can get, or use freshly thawed spawn if fresh spawn isn't available. Curing is a great way to extend the shelf life of your spawn. There are a variety of egg cures available to anglers including commercially produced cures, common Borax™ cleaner (very popular) and boric acid (available in the pharmacy). My preference is to use uncured spawn and freeze it in mineral oil to keep it for long periods of time.

While spawn bags are probably the most common bait used on piers, fresh or frozen alewife, smelt, chunked spawn and night crawlers can be used with success all over the Great Lakes. I have even heard of people catching cohos and browns in the spring on small frozen shrimp. All of these baits can be used with the same basic setup or with some simple modifications if you wish.

Strikes can be anything from sudden slack in your line or a light tapping in your rod tip, to a sudden doubling over of your rod with drag screaming before you can grab it. Don't get too excited and set the hook too hard or you will bust off your light leader. Reel until you are tightened up on the fish and make a firm, smooth hookset. These fish can get wild on light line so be patient and have fun. As opposed to the river, on the beach you have little or no current to fight against and usually have no snags or logs for the fish to break off on. Just wear them down and enjoy the fight.

Pier and Surf Fishing, by Chris Brandt

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