# Small Pier 3ft Above Bay Water



## TractionControlOff (Jul 19, 2014)

Any tips on the following situation would be greatly appreciated:
Traveling w/ kiddos and grandma and the condo we will stay at has a fishing pier that goes into the bay behind Pensacola Beach. Quantity is much more important than quality, but catching something that Grandma can cook would make everyone happy. Kids will fish a little bit and Grandma and I will fish a lot.


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## TractionControlOff (Jul 19, 2014)

Here are pictures (if I can get it to work):

http://www.southernresorts.com/bre/uploads/complexes/196/original/Pier.jpg

http://imagesus.homeaway.com/mda01/e3f1f282-93b9-4656-88f0-1d340a017ae4.1.10


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## scott44 (Aug 17, 2013)

It looks to me like trout would be a possibility plus look under those lights at night,just walk easy and stay as far back as ya can.


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## The Maintenance Shoppe (Nov 5, 2007)

That is Baywatch condos, I used to live there. I've never seen anything but mullet.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Throw some cut squid, frozen or live shrimp out on some set ups!!!


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## eym_sirius (Oct 17, 2007)

I would have kids catching small pinfish with small hooks and tiny pieces of shrimp, then you and grandma can put those small pinfish out for redfish and speckled trout at night. No weight, no steel leader. Don't lay this rod down without securing it, because a redfish will take it so far and fast that you'll never find it!

On a separate line, put out a fresh dead shrimp (you can usually get those from a bait shop) with 1/4 oz egg sinker above a swivel, then use about 18" of florocarbon leader (or just 18 inches of line) tied to a "j" shaped hook or a small circle hook. You can expect to catch flounder, redfish, black drum, sail cats (you'll know them by the slime on your line!) white trout (they're silvery and have yellow throats) and hardhead catfish (no good to eat, from my experience). Your best fishing is usually in the late afternoon, at night and in the early morning hours. If you see fish schooling, they're eating fish, likely, so toss them a small pinfish.


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## TractionControlOff (Jul 19, 2014)

eym_sirius said:


> I would have kids catching small pinfish with small hooks and tiny pieces of shrimp, then you and grandma can put those small pinfish out for redfish and speckled trout at night. No weight, no steel leader. Don't lay this rod down without securing it, because a redfish will take it so far and fast that you'll never find it!
> 
> On a separate line, put out a fresh dead shrimp (you can usually get those from a bait shop) with 1/4 oz egg sinker above a swivel, then use about 18" of florocarbon leader (or just 18 inches of line) tied to a "j" shaped hook or a small circle hook. You can expect to catch flounder, redfish, black drum, sail cats (you'll know them by the slime on your line!) white trout (they're silvery and have yellow throats) and hardhead catfish (no good to eat, from my experience). Your best fishing is usually in the late afternoon, at night and in the early morning hours. If you see fish schooling, they're eating fish, likely, so toss them a small pinfish.


Thanks for the detailed response!! And thanks to everyone else as well. These tips are very helpful as I have never fished in FL before.

Do you recommend using whole small pinfish or cut?


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

As stated, If the light works on the dock , Night fishing would be a good bet with live shrimp or any small live bait as in Bull minnows , etc. Mullet can be caught with a good cast net during the day. Night also sometimes. U want a wind to your back while fishing . Any southerly wind would do fine if the pier is pointing North. An incoming wind stirs up the bottom. Bite no good then. U should have no problems. I think there's a Bait & tackle right in Gulf breeze there for all your Bait & tackle needs besides the Waffle house. Good luck.:thumbup:


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## New2ThaSport (Apr 27, 2011)

Yup outcast bait and tackle had a lot better experiences in there than I have at navarre half hitch.


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## eym_sirius (Oct 17, 2007)

TractionControlOff said:


> Thanks for the detailed response!! And thanks to everyone else as well. These tips are very helpful as I have never fished in FL before.
> 
> Do you recommend using whole small pinfish or cut?


Use live small pinfish. You can hook them through the nose or through the back. Be aware of size and numbers limits and because there's a size limit, I think that you're supposed to use a single (as opposed to treble) hook when fishing with live bait. 

It depends on what's biting as to whether you'd use cut bait or not. For the most part, you'll catch primarily hardhead catfish and sting rays with cut bait, although redfish will sometimes hit a cut pinfish. Pinfish will also hit cut pinfish or shrimp, which is why I say use live small pinfish under the lights at night for the better-eating fish. It's a good bait for reds and speckled trout!


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## osborne311 (Aug 1, 2011)

If the lights work then as stated a few times - use live shrimp at night. I would only add - do a youtube search on how to use a pop bobber. pop bobbers at night with shrimp under lights should bring you "something".

Another thing you can do for fun with the kids is to get a crab trap and put it out overnight and just let them check out what you catch. I am not into crabs so check seasons, regs before you kill anything but just looking is fun for kids that have never done it before.


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## Youngp (Jan 29, 2012)

I stayed and fished there last summer. I fished from around 11pm to 2am. We caught a bunch (bites after bites) of Pinfish and small Porgy Fish on small pieces of shrimp. I used one of the small live Pinfish as a bait, then I caught a Blue Fish. I don't know if you can eat them, but I'm sure kids will have fun catching fish. Good luck and have fun.


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## fairpoint (May 9, 2013)

Let me know when you are in town and I will come catch you some mullet to fry up.....
Maybe someone else here might have an extra king mackerel or Spanish to eat also....


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## Youngp (Jan 29, 2012)

fairpoint said:


> Let me know when you are in town and I will come catch you some mullet to fry up.....
> Maybe someone else here might have an extra king mackerel or Spanish to eat also....


How do you catch those mullets? I saw a big school of mullets at shallow water several times but they never even looked at the baits I used.


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## fairpoint (May 9, 2013)

They are herbivores/vegatarians and most common way to catch them is with a castnet.....In some cases where they are on top you can snatch them with a treble hook with a small weight tied below it a couple inches......
In freshwater you can chum them up with cracked corn then hook and line them with small hooks and a kernel of corn from a can....On hook and line they fight like hell,lol....


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## TractionControlOff (Jul 19, 2014)

Gentlemen, (and any Ladies that might have responded), I want to thank you all very much. We actually just got back from the trip a couple hours ago. Most importantly, the kids had a blast! We did too.  All the advice given was helpful and we will use it for years to come on other trips. 
I am very impressed with this forum as it seems to be filled with generous people!!


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## osborne311 (Aug 1, 2011)

Give us a fishing report! Glad you enjoyed your stay


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## Youngp (Jan 29, 2012)

fairpoint said:


> They are herbivores/vegatarians and most common way to catch them is with a castnet.....In some cases where they are on top you can snatch them with a treble hook with a small weight tied below it a couple inches......
> In freshwater you can chum them up with cracked corn then hook and line them with small hooks and a kernel of corn from a can....On hook and line they fight like hell,lol....


Thanks. No wonder I never had a bite when I saw 100s of them swimming by my baits. LOL


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## Sarghah (Jul 31, 2014)

I've never seen anything but mullet.


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## TractionControlOff (Jul 19, 2014)

osborne311 said:


> Give us a fishing report! Glad you enjoyed your stay


Sorry for the delay, getting caught up after vacation. So we started out catching a few small pinfish and I found some bigger ones by casting out away from the pier. We got good at catching them and that place is swarming with them. The kids really enjoyed it and actually preferred fishing to going to the beach!! Now I know they have my blood.  
There were big trout at night, but i couldn't catch any.
I wanted to try surf fishing, but my luck was really bad. When I would go without my gear the water was like a sheet of glass, and whenever I brought it I would have been better off with a surf board. I have only fished in salt water 4 times so I don't know much. I tried one last time on the last night but some nearby storms made the surf really bad so back to the pier and honestly I was a little disappointed. But it was a blessing in disguise!! It was on! We were all catching fish and lots of them. There were lots of different species too. Most were thrown back because they were not keeper size, but it was so much fun. The kids were obviously sleepy but they would not go inside until I told them they had to. (Of course that made me proud). I don't know what some of the fish we caught were, but I will name what I know: Lots of small redfish, 1 flounder, 2 puffer fish (yikes), croakers (I think), 1 hardhead. There were at least 3-4 other types of fish that I don't know.
The most successful bait was raw frozen shrimp. (some whole and some cut into pieces)
Thanks again for the advice!!


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## fairpoint (May 9, 2013)

next time let us know your here and you can get some up to date info on whats going on in the area......there was a sailfish caught on Navarre pier while you were here for example.........


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## osborne311 (Aug 1, 2011)

TractionControlOff said:


> Sorry for the delay, getting caught up after vacation. So we started out catching a few small pinfish and I found some bigger ones by casting out away from the pier. We got good at catching them and that place is swarming with them. The kids really enjoyed it and actually preferred fishing to going to the beach!! Now I know they have my blood.
> There were big trout at night, but i couldn't catch any.
> I wanted to try surf fishing, but my luck was really bad. When I would go without my gear the water was like a sheet of glass, and whenever I brought it I would have been better off with a surf board. I have only fished in salt water 4 times so I don't know much. I tried one last time on the last night but some nearby storms made the surf really bad so back to the pier and honestly I was a little disappointed. But it was a blessing in disguise!! It was on! We were all catching fish and lots of them. There were lots of different species too. Most were thrown back because they were not keeper size, but it was so much fun. The kids were obviously sleepy but they would not go inside until I told them they had to. (Of course that made me proud). I don't know what some of the fish we caught were, but I will name what I know: Lots of small redfish, 1 flounder, 2 puffer fish (yikes), croakers (I think), 1 hardhead. There were at least 3-4 other types of fish that I don't know.
> The most successful bait was raw frozen shrimp. (some whole and some cut into pieces)
> Thanks again for the advice!!


Rougher water is sometimes better in the surf. rougher surf stir things up and fish get active. You need to use very heavy weights in these conditions but the fishing can be good. That said - if a 6 or 8 oz pyramid sinker gets rolled back to the beach - it may be too rough. lol

Glad you guys had fun and the kids got to see some "exotic" to them fish.


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