# Ala. gulf State Pier



## Thunderstruck (Oct 21, 2007)

I got a chance Sunday to ride by the new pier in my boat. They have started construction and it looks like they are about ready to start coming out over the water. They have a big area marked off with bouys with a big yellow bouy straight out in front of the construction. I hope that is where the end will be. I know pier fisherman and boats don't always get a long. I fished the old pier for 18 years and bought a boat after it was gone. I love the social side of pier fishing and the side by side competition. Any way just a up date.


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## Dr. Fish (Oct 3, 2007)

Thanks for the update. I fished the pier many years before moving to Destin. Still have some lifetime friends from the pier. Glad to see they have finally started rebuilding. Hopefully it will get finished befor we have too many more funerals of the old guard.


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## ratzila (Sep 28, 2007)

What was the water depth at the markers out there?


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

They say the end of the pier will sit in about 25 feet of water and I belive it is supposed to be 1522 FT. long.


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks for the update Thunderstruck.

It's been a long (too long IMHO) wait to get this far, but hopefully this time next year it will just about be ready to open.

Here's a couple of links to updates I've posted...

http://emeraldcoastpierfishing.myfastforum.org/about951.html

http://emeraldcoastpierfishing.myfastforum.org/about716.html


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## Thunderstruck (Oct 21, 2007)

Hey as far as the depth at the big yellow marker I don't know. There is a big area marked off danger do not enter. I was out with the kids, they wanted to swim till they hit the water and I was not going to press my luck. But I would say its 25 to 30 feet deep. From the side view that marker is twice the lenght of the old pier.


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## 3boys (Oct 2, 2007)

Also grew up fishingthat pier. Can not wait to take the kids out there


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## CJF (Feb 12, 2008)

CANT WAIT! I LIVE ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THAT PIER. USED TO FISH IT QUITE A BIT BEFORE IVAN. HAS ANYONE HERE EVER DONE ANY SNAGGING FOR MULLET OFF THAT PIER. IS IT LEGAL? I'D LIKE TO TRY IT.


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## Thunderstruck (Oct 21, 2007)

Yea! I still have snag hooks waiting on the new pier. One night ole Harley and I had over 150 on the pier. They were big big mullet too. They don't care for it when the pier is crowded but late night and early morning se to be ok.


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

No snagging (or trolley fishing) will be allowed on the new pier. 

Who wants to put a hole in a perfectly good fish anyway ;-) LOL


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## Thunderstruck (Oct 21, 2007)

Who come up with the new rules. It had to be some cry baby free liner. Before someone gets pissed off about my statement you can't tell me that it fun to free line in even a 7 knot wind. Free lining with strong currents is bad enough. Trolley fishing on the upwind and up current side should be ok like all ways. If the free liners would buy another rod and try it its nice to be able to go pee and not loose your spot on the rail. Hey but thats fine I'll watch the basket weaving classes from the boat.


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## CJF (Feb 12, 2008)

What the heck is trolley fishing?


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

> *CJF (3/4/2008)*What the heck is trolley fishing?


casting a pyramid weight, usually on a big rod with heavier test mono as far as you can. secure the rod after the weight settles.You needa clip, piece of mono (3'-4') and clothes pin in that order. Take the pole you'll be fishing with and secure the clothes pin to your swivel above the leader. Clip that onto the trolley you have set out andfreespool your live baitfishuntil itand the water and bait meet. The bait just swims around and around and when he gets eaten, the clothes pin releases your leader and you fightthe fish...at least that is how I've done it...


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## ironman172 (Sep 28, 2007)

I think its a great way to fish in the wind....to bad it won't be allowed(maybe, maybe not).....great presitation for live bait.....dagling the bait right on the surface.


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## CJF (Feb 12, 2008)

SOUNDS INTERESTING. THANKS FOR THE INFO.


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

I can remember plenty of days on the State Pier when the trolleys out-fished the freelines. The two-rod method is just like kite-fishing, only instead of a kite you have an anchor rod. As someone mentioned, the bait just dangles on the surface and swims around and around and around, its tail kicking up a fuss and sending out all those "dinner bell" vibes. I used to get really pumped watching my bait on a trolley rig and see a big king just materialize out of nowhere, stalk the bait, and then disappear. You knew what was coming next...one heck of an awesome bite. I've seen cobia swim past a dozen freelines to get to that dangling LY on the trolley...really an effective way to fish. But then again, on some days, the trolley side of the pier was dead and the freeliners got all the bites. Luckily I was equipped to fish both ways, and, after a while fishing out there, had the sense to switch methods when one was producing better than the other. And I was one of the trolley guys who would reel up my rig so someone could land a good fish and reset it after it was gaffed. I wish I knew if the "no-trolley" rule was truly going to be implemented when the pier re-opens; I'd write the powers that be and at least present some good reasons why it should be allowed; otherwise there will be days when one whole side of the end of the pier will have no fishermen on it!


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

OOPS! :blush:

Sorry guys, I was just funnin about the new rules (I really have no idea)

One thing fer sure, there will plenty of room for LOTS of people to come out there and get tangled up ;-) LOL!

HINT: (wink) ;-) and LOL, mean I am just kidding around again :doh

BTW, here's a good article comparing the new pier to the old... ENJOY!

http://www.orangebeach.ws/Gulf_State_Park/Gulf_State_Park_Pier.html


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

The article link below has a video embedded showing the pier progress as of Thursday March 13, 2008

http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/gulf_state_park_pier_update/11512/



> "We're making progress out on the water and that's the big thing we're off land and we're actually off land about 100 feet," says project superintendent Greg Thacker.
> That's prompted a "No Boat Zone" around the pier says Thacker. "Currently it's 300 yards west of the old pier, 300 yards east of the new pier and 300 beyond the 1510 feet that the new pier will go out. The main reason keep people from getting in around the barges and keep someone from getting hurt. It's not that we don't want people fishing cause that's what this is all about fishing."
> Construction of the pier is on schedule maybe even ahead of schedule. But, be patient. Building a pier is like building a bridge, it's just a bridge to no where.


Here are some excerpts from the video. (Thank you WKRG TV 5 for the update 8)


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## ironman172 (Sep 28, 2007)

WOW,that is a pleasent site!!!!!thanks for the update and pic's!!!:clap

It's been way to long....at least its started.


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## fmitchell (Oct 19, 2007)

W


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## fmitchell (Oct 19, 2007)

What do they plan on doing with the old pier - Dump it for a reef?


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## fmitchell (Oct 19, 2007)

What do they plan on doing with the old pier - Dump it for a reef?


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

Here's one of my fondest memories from the old Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores...be glad to see it rebuilt.

http://www.al.rodngun.com/POTB/PicView.asp?PicID=23164

Have a great spring, everyone.


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