Pier Fishermen's Thread

For all you shorefishermen/pierfishermen and women, this threads for you! Feel free to share different techinques that have worked for you over the years from shore and/or on the piers. Whether its how you get bait, how you hook your bait to how you cook your catch. Pictures are welcome.

It would be fairly rough for a wheelchair, 3-4 inch gaps in the walkway.

please explain "getting bumpy" out there. thanks wistex

Hello wistex, I fish primarily kewaunee and manitowoc piers. I would say manitowoc is the most handicap accessible pier, it's a little bumpy getting out there, but its the most accessible.

I want to fish the piers in lake Michigan's northern half on the Wisconsin side. is there a publication for the location of the piers and their amenities ? any with handicapped access ? wistex

I really like ugly stick rods for sheer toughness, but sometimes the rods I have are not long enough for some pier applications. As for a reel, I think the priority needs to be something with high line capacity and a smooth drag. If you can pick up an used Mitchell 300 and really getting it oiled up right, they are perfect in my opinion.

Sounds like guys on the boats are picking up a king here and a king there... Hopefully it'll only be a matter of time before they'll be coming in close to the piers. Does anyone have info on when the alewives will come in to spawn? Also anyone have any suggestions for a halfway decent pole to use for floating alewives? I'm looking to spend 30 on a rod and 30 on a reel. Shoot me your thoughts!

Well here's the dirt on the Coho action from the southern tip on LM on the Indiana piers. The action has been spotty at best. I've been out probably 5-6 times in the last month and the overall report has been slooowww. Their are fish to be had but you have to have some serious time to put in to get a limit. The bet day that I've had was 2 Coho and a Whitefish in about 4 hours. This year they have been preferring a small jig floated 4-6 ft down tipped with a crawler or a piece of squid. This is completely different from last years exceptionally warm spring where limits were coming fast, 10-15 minutes. Half they time it has been unfishable this year with these northerly blows we have been having. Water temps are still in the lower 40's, so they might stick around awhile till things warm up. I've heard they have been getting them in the IL waters from he piers as well with Powerlines. Good luck.

I'll chime in! I've been thinking about casting as soon as this dirty water starts going away and the waves start to lay down. This spring is horrible. That being said, I think more guys should start using cranks down here. I have a good amount of success with them and can't wait to chuck some deep diving shad raps! I think they out fished spoons off the piers for me 5 to 1. Natural colors in clear water and crazy colors when its dingier. I seen some salmon SMASH the lure in front of me and it certainly makes it worth the while!

Well let's see if we can re-kindle some discussion on this forum. Hope everyone is getting ready and gearing up for another pier fishing season. With the season right around the corner, I thought it'd be good to share some tips and tricks that you've found over the years. This will be my fifth year fishing off the pier, so I don't have much advice to offer. I will say that if you'll be using any electronics (ex. scale to weigh fish, headlamp, or flasher) make sure you bring extra batteries. It's a real bummer when you want to stay an extra couple of hours on the pier and you realize that your flasher's batteries are shot. Well tight lines and screamin' reels to everyone! APD

the cohos are already in heavy everywhere i've been fishing, I would be surprised if they weren't in or near port yet

I still have about 2-3 pounds of fresh skein and am wondering if the Coho salmon come into the Port Washington harbor later in fall. I would like to try for them with the skein. Any help would be appreciated. I might even be willing to give you some of the skein if you are in the West Bend area.

Had a good morning on the south pier in Racine went 3-5 on the J-13 jointed Rapala firetiger.

LiL, Try Sheboygan. We have an excellent salmon run and theirs always some were to fish. If the two piers are crowded you can fish up river along the board walk . And for the most part the people are not that bad. ON the south side of the river theirs a tackle shop called Anglers Avenue, its on South pier Dr. Talk to Russel he can point you in the rite direction and FYI bring a long net, although theirs almost always someone there willing to net one for you or a kid. Good Luck and I hope your daughter gets a monster salmon.

Thanks everyone for your comments. My daughter wants to go fishing for her birthday, how could I say no. Good luck to everyone. We will be over to port in a couple weeks.

I never understood the hubbub over fall salmon. They taste like mud I prefer to avoid the riff raff.