Pier Fishing help

[bigfin]

I have started beach fishing again last year and loved it, I live just 10 mins away from Southwold Pier and fancy having a go this winter.

Can you help me in regards to tackle I need. I've got a 12ft rod and good fixed spool, but what line strength will I need, and do I still need shockleader as casting is not really required? Also lead weight, do I go heavy or lighter than beach work? (currently use 6oz).

If I then go and hook a decent fish, can I lift it up or will I need a drop net? I've never seen anyone using one on the Pier when i've been down.

Thanks

[Lewis 77]

Originally Posted by bigfin

I have started beach fishing again last year and loved it, I live just 10 mins away from Southwold Pier and fancy having a go this winter.

Can you help me in regards to tackle I need. I've got a 12ft rod and good fixed spool, but what line strength will I need, and do I still need shockleader as casting is not really required? Also lead weight, do I go heavy or lighter than beach work? (currently use 6oz).

If I then go and hook a decent fish, can I lift it up or will I need a drop net? I've never seen anyone using one on the Pier when i've been down.

Thanks

Worth using a shockleader because if something does go wrong when casting just once you could end up snapping off and hitting another angler/member of the public on the pier. Also worth using a shockleader because if you do hook into something decent chances are the fish will swim towards the pier supports and try and snag you up so you need to apply greater pressure to control it. Also if you get snagged on the seabed chances are you can apply more pressure to try and free it than you would without a leader.

Dont know the tides or current patterns around the areas you fish, sometimes fishing from a pier means you are in deeper water than a beach so could be a stronger tide running on there than the beach.

Always worth taking a dropnet, chances are if you do hook a decent fish you will probably find everyone else didnt bring a net as well.

The mainline you use depends on the ground (seabed) your fishing on . I normally use 15lb for fishing clean beaches and 18lb on rockier ground.

Best thing is to ask in your local tackleshop.

[bigfin]

Thanks for the advise, you make some great points about using shockleader but what I was thinking was to use a standard 40-50lb line on the whole spool. I just thought this would be stronger in general than using 15lb with a shockleader. You really shouldn't need much more than 120yds of line on the Pier.

I've never tried it but does this not make sense?

[Gremlin]

Use 50 lbs braid on your reel at Southwold ... learn the knots and carry superglue, though.
I still think a longer than normal, straight through, mono leader (60lbs) will be of help.

Anything over 5lbs should be netted for security.

Most piers fish from 0 - 100m (no further) and often a 30m plop will do just as well.