[rweakley]

So I was on the injured list for a while and got into fishing a bit, mostly on the Blackwater. I am about to resume flight school, now that I've been cleared by the doc.

I plan to take my son on one last excursion, and I'm hopping it will be a really good one. I was planning on going to the pier off Pensacola beach. I figured it may yield better results, since it is actually into the Gulf rather than the bay.

I posted another help request for fishing the bottom, and was recommended the Carolina rig. I got those set up and will use either a snelled circle hook or a jig head with live shrimp on a 30 lbs clear mono leader. On my other two poles I want to fish for kings. I have read some how-to articles, but they mainly rely on two poles, one being used as an anchor line. I don't have the resources for that, so was hoping you could let me know a good rig that just uses one pole. I have a couple three hook steel leaders that I got from Academy, and some of those heavy duty weighted bobbers.

I plan to go the morning of the 22nd. Any thoughts on the location, methods or rigs I can use to make this trip a success will be greatly appreciated. If this is my last outing with my son for a while, I want it to be a good one!

Thanks to all of you in advance, this is a great forum!

 

[JD7.62]

People don't trolley fish around here. Use about 18" of 40# sevenstran and a single size 2 or 4 treble. Use a frozen cig. Cast up current/wind and let it drift back working it keeping it near the surface, you'll see how its done on the pier.

Use a Carolina rig with live bull minnows and drag it along the bottom around the pilings. You may pick up a flounder that way. Over here in Navarre I am hearing they are picking up mangroves doing this.

 

[reelthrill]

People don't trolley fish around here. Use about 18" of 40# sevenstran and a single size 2 or 4 treble. Use a frozen cig. Cast up current/wind and let it drift back working it keeping it near the surface, you'll see how its done on the pier.

Use a Carolina rig with live bull minnows and drag it along the bottom around the pilings. You may pick up a flounder that way. Over here in Navarre I am hearing they are picking up mangroves doing this.

Ditto the above information for kings. The problem right now with the carolina rig is that we have way too many remoras and you will probably catch them before the flounder have time to eat. The mangroves are hanging around the piers right now and live shrimp with light mono and as little weight, (even none), as the wind and the current will allow. Look for the mangroves underneath the pier pilings and drop the shrimp to them. Come up fast when they hit because they are notorious for taking you around the pilings.

 

[rweakley]

Not familiar with mangroves. Are they eating material?

So did I wast my money on the kingfish rigs at Academy? And also do I bottom fish for kings too?

I know peeps will be at the pier to answer my questions, but I'm pretty slow at tying up rigs and want to be prepared before I go out there.

 

[J0nesi]

Mangroves are eating material. most i've caught are too small so make sure they are 10". and i've always top fished for kings.

 

[reelthrill]

Not familiar with mangroves. Are they eating material?

So did I wast my money on the kingfish rigs at Academy? And also do I bottom fish for kings too?

I know peeps will be at the pier to answer my questions, but I'm pretty slow at tying up rigs and want to be prepared before I go out there.

Kings can come in on the bottom and will rise up when they see your bait. You do not set out a bait on the bottom for kings. Just work a cigar minnow or other bait slowly back to the pier, (maybe letting it sink a little during the process). Always watch your bait and when you see a king approach your bait, you can give it a few extra twitches and that is usually all it takes to entice a strike.

 

[rweakley]

Useful?

My wife, bless her heart, gave me a couple of these a while back. Before I even had any gear! I don't know what it is, or how to use it.

Is it useful at all, and if so, how would you retrieve it after a cast? Leader material?

 

[PompChaser315]

Just take JD's advice about the king rigs.. If you dont know how to tie one ( its super simple) just go to a bait shop and ask if they have any rigged up, i know Broxons here in Navarre does. Grab a box of frozen cigs and youre ready to rock! When you get to the pier just watch how everyone else is doing it, thats how I learned.. You will be coming down at a good time as the king bite is starting to finally pick back up around these parts. Good luck and make sure to post pics!

 

[rweakley]

One last thing...since you are fishing the top for kings, do you bobber up your rig, or keep it up top by just reeling it in?

 

[JD7.62]

You keep it at top by reeling it in. Throw into or perpendicular with the wind. The kings are looking for injured bait fish drifting with the wind so your chances of hooking up are greater when working your bait with the wind as that is what they will be expecting.

When you get there, walk to the end and watch what the guys that "look like they know what they are doing" and youll get an idea.

If you are comfortable caster and can avoid tangling up with the regulars pick a spot on the rail and join in. They wont mind. Now if you have no idea how to cast and keep crossing their lines, you may have a problem. It happens occasionally so once or twice no one cares, keep doing it and you wont make any friends. If you arent comfortable fish on the out side of the bar as it can be productive as well.

 

[KnotForReel]

Read the post about pier fishing which is at the top of the main page of this forum. Explains everything you need to know about king fishing from a pier.