# Pier Fishing Etiquette - Rod Length



## Snk-Byte

I do most of my pier fishing on the Avalon Pier. I'm usually not out on the end with the King Mackerel and Cobia fishers, but I'll go out there in the jigging area once in awhile when some Spanish or Blues are around. I usually just take a 7' Ugly Stick with a Penn 430SS (with a Sting Silver, Gotcha or Clark Spoon) and I can get a decent cast, but not great. I have a 9' Diawa with a Penn 550SS that I can sometimes cast 100 yards with a 2-3 oz. Sting Silver from the beach. I would like to get more distance from the pier when the Spanish and Blues are around, but I feel that a 9' stick is improper for pier work especially when there are "sight seer's" and kids around.

Any thoughts on this or does anybody care?


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## Reelturner

*No longer*

than 7-6". I would keep using the 7 ftr myself If I were yourself.

If you go up to 8'....you miightt reach them, but you are really going to tire yourself out a lot quicker with the longer rod and at the same time trying to work the gotcha properly.

Go with 7' to 7-6" max.



RT


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## LyNn-PiEr-FiShEr

i wouldnt try to work a gotcha with a 9 fter but a sting silver would work, i would throw it (just have a half a mind when slinging it). but i would try to get a 8 ft


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## Drumdum

Distance ain't always where it's at with a gotcha plug,manytimes they are right beside the pier.. As the other poster said,9'er is going to be tought to work a gotcha the way you really should work it without getting pooped out... If you feel distance is an issue,why not go to a braided line with really small diameter.. I think you would be shocked as to how much further you can throw that thin stuff over the thicker mono.. Just tie a 30lb mono leader about foot and a half long to the end of it so ya don't get cut off and ya should be good to go.. All I use is 8lb fireline (breaking strength probably 15) with 30lb mono,7' troutrod,and can get out there as well as anyone else with a gotcha.. If your looking to throw that gotcha as far as a stingsilver it ain't gonna happen.. jmho...


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## flathead

You already have good enough equipment,just do what DD said and you'll be fine.


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## fishloser

Accuracy is more important than distance on the end. Just be sure you can keep lure between the king rods otherwise problems will arise!


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## sunburntspike

what everyone else has said is true,the only thing i would change is your rod not the length.thos uglis got alot of whip and sometimes don't load a small bait like a gotcha well.try some of the enexpensive diawa shocks(been using mine for years) and you'll probably be surprised how much of difference it can make


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## USEF THE MAG

i catch almost all of my spanish jiggin very close to the pier.


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## Carolina Rebel

I know what you mean about wanting to cast a littel farther with that Gotcha, sometimes it's the difference between catching a fish and not catching a fish when those menhaden slicks come through. I've fished the Penn 4300SS with mono and then braid, braid made a good difference. I've tried baitcasters, which are great with the wind behind you, otherwise forget it. Longer rods will get you a little more distance, but not worth the hassle/loss of action. Best setup I've found is a good 7' rod, M power fast action, with a Daiwa Tournament 1300SS reel. This reel has a long cast spool, great drag, loaded with braid it will cast a mile and a half. I started out using a 750SS but found a 1oz Gotcha plug would cast all the 10lb braid off of it with a strong tailwind.


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## Frogfish

if you arent an idiot when it comes to casting, the longer rod should be fine! Just make sure you check behind you before you cast. All my pier rods are 9' in length


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## tbird6971

8# braid or 12# mono on the same setup u have with a 30# mono leader about 1 1/2ft long tied directly to the mainline works great for me. just my 2 cent


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## skunk king

how do you work a gotcha plug? I've never had much luck with them, but then again, haven't fished them much.


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## Drumdum

skunk king said:


> how do you work a gotcha plug? I've never had much luck with them, but then again, haven't fished them much.


You want to work it pretty much like you would a jerkbait.. For spainish or alberts you want to be jerking it with rapid jerks and moving fairly quickly(not ALWAYS the case,but for the most part). With bluefish slower down a bit. For grey trout,slower down even more,might even be pulling it across the bottom like an artificial worm.. As you can easily see there are many ways to work a gotcha,but with spainish you need that quick "side to side".. Jmho...


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## dialout

skunk king said:


> how do you work a gotcha plug? I've never had much luck with them, but then again, haven't fished them much.


by no means one of the experts...but 
I aim my rod at the water, and yank...crank...yank...crank...yank...crank...get that gotcha shootin all over the place like a baitfish being chased


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## smacks fanatic

seven feet is fine with me. thats what most people use(or what ive seen most)


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## CobiaChaser

Not to sound mean but when you see a school of spanish or blues you have to ask the sight seers to move. I fish seagull and when i toss out cobia bait like cut bait or live spot they look at you like ur a muderer. just sayin


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## ncsharkman

You might be "mean" but your no murderer! Only us "sharkers" are murderers!


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## Scrapple

Throw with whatever rod length you like, just do it safely. The idiots that go out on the crowded end and insist on throwing side arm or at about 2 o'clock position, I've seen them tear some people up.


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## CobiaChaser

ncsharkman said:


> You might be "mean" but your no murderer! Only us "sharkers" are murderers!


I use the same bait for sharks that i use for cobes


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## Slabslayer

I think Tourist and Kids are improper,when your trying and paying to fish!!!


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## Smally

Slabslayer said:


> I think Tourist and Kids are improper,when your trying and paying to fish!!!


Lol I saw an old man on Avon pier once that must have had that same philosophy. He was slingin a gotcha plug about twice per minute & NEVER ever looked over his shoulder. I was scared to death I would hear a scream & turn to find out he hooked a child, thank god it never happened (@ least while I was there, lol).


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## DavB

Throwing gotchas is about my favorite thing. Love watching the fishies flash and scramble to get at the bait. Only get to go a few times a year though.

LEARN how to work a gotcha plug on an empty part of the pier, and hopefully in clear water so you can see what it looks and feels like when worked properly. Once you are safe casting the darn thing join the crowd at the end. - But don't forget to cast behind the breakers sometimes. Often there are fish to practice with there.

Some of you might know me... I always cut off that middle trebble. Dang, you get a pissed off blue or spanish throwing its head and teeth around, and that back trebble is dangerous enough!!!

BRIBE the king fishermen with a few blues. Makes it harder for them to cuss you if you tangle them. And... If you only have the one trebble, untangling can be much easier. Hate it when they cross their lines across the supposed space devoted to jigging. An inverted V is no fun at all. Just discovered Oceanna Pier (and... 'resort' ha!) last fall. They do not allow king fishing. The promised land for me!!! I will be throwing gotchas there next summer all d*mn day long, whoo hoo!

When fish and crowd conditions allow, my favorite set up is a 5'6" St Crox Priemer rod, 2500 or 3000 series Schimano reel, and 8 lb mono w/ 15 - 25 lb floro leader. This is a pretty whimpy set up, two things:
1) If the fish are big and or the crowd thick, I beef up my equipment to avoid human hook ups.
2) If fishing a whippy rod, when landing the fish around the pilings, let the reel do the work! - Point the rod straight down remoning most of the tension and load. You reel the fish up the side until it is about at your feet, sing out FISH TEETH HOOKS and quickly bring it over the rail as best you can. Doing it like that reduces the load and pop if the fish suddenly drops off, as you only have about 24 inches of line off the end of the rod at the end game point of things.


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## NC KingFisher

just use whatever your comfertable with. all my spanish were close to the pier, and i already have enogh problems with blues on my king rig.


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