Which Side Of The Pier Should You Fish On? (For Spanish Mackerel)
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
Have you ever wondered which side of the pier you should fish on?
It’s a great question since one side of the pier will usually be more productive than the other.
But how do you know which one?
Sure, you could see where other pier anglers are catching fish, but if nobody is catching anything, then that’ll be tough.
But there’s one simple tip to help you make this decision and I’ve been using this tip recently to catch a ton of Spanish mackerel from my favorite pier.
See what it is in the video below!
Which Side Of The Pier Should You Fish On? [VIDEO]
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One of the biggest factors in determining which side of the pier you should fish on is which way the fish are swimming.
You want to get your lure in their eyesight for as long as possible, so you want to retrieve it in the same direction that they’re swimming.
If you retrieve your lure in the opposite direction of where they’re swimming, it’ll zip on by them and they’ll have less of an opportunity to hit it.
In the spring, fish are migrating (or swimming) north, so you want to fish the south side of the pier so you can cast your lure south of the pier and retrieve it north back toward you.
In the fall, fish are migrating south, so you want to fish the north side of the pier so you can cast your lure north and retrieve it back south toward you.
Have any questions about pier fishing?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who wants to get better at pier fishing, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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So if pier is extending from North to South in the gulf i assume following the swimming patterns of the dolphins is a good tip on east to west migration. I notice most of our pods are moving west to east close to shore in morning and sometimes catch them going opposite further out from shore in the later afternoon. Let me know if this a sound theory
Thanks! Great tip. I assume the same holds true when you’re fishing from a pier over the intercoastal waterway, when the fish are not generally heading north or south. Always retrieve in the same direction as they’re swimming, correct, knowing that the direction they will be heading will change with the tide?
Also, can you make a comment regarding the proper side of a pylon or other structure when fishing for sheepshead? The fish are not really moving, and I saw a video that mentioned the proper side, but I could not hear well what was said or the specific reason one side was better than the other.
Thanks again for the tips.
Wyatt, love you tips. Great graphics an illustrations. I have learned so much from you, thank you
Thanks so much Wyatt!
No problem Caden!