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fishermanx14
05-04-2012, 11:51 PM
Hey guys ill be heading out to San Clemente pier on Sunday at about 2 or 3pm. I am borrowing a rod from my uncle but what type of setup should i use and how ,Much weight and hook size? and if i do catch a fish what kind will i mostly catch and do i just reel it up to the pier? and last but not least do most people keep the fish they catch off the pier, and if so where do i keep it? just gut it and put it on ice or what?...sorry about all the questions but i have never fished saltwater before.

smokehound
05-05-2012, 06:48 AM
Hey guys ill be heading out to San Clemente pier on Sunday at about 2 or 3pm. I am borrowing a rod from my uncle but what type of setup should i use and how ,Much weight and hook size? and if i do catch a fish what kind will i mostly catch and do i just reel it up to the pier? and last but not least do most people keep the fish they catch off the pier, and if so where do i keep it? just gut it and put it on ice or what?...sorry about all the questions but i have never fished saltwater before.Gutting and icing promptly after catching is the best way to handle ANY fish. Generally, you'll be catching mackerel.. But all sorts of fish hang out around the pilings, calicos (rarely ever legal), scorpionfish, Various perch species, opaleyes, zebra perch, etc. But the most action you'll see there will be mackerel. Occasionally some undersized barracuda and decent bonitos will show up-- both viciously strike spoons like Krocodiles. Halis are caught occasionally, but most of our popular game fish are never legal sized around the piers. =(

If you cant get a cooler with ice, the next best way to keep fish fresh is to put them in a gunny sack, drench the sack in ocean water, and place it in the shade. The evaporation of the bag will keep the fish cool. If using Ice, try making your own saltwater ice. This will break down into a slush, and will preserve the fresh taste far longer. Just dont use iodized salt, use sea salt.

It's wise to bring a heavier setup, because batrays, shovelnose guitarfish, and leopard sharks will prowl the end.

Remember to spool the reels up, Catalina is a high pier, you'll lose alot of fish on the way up because of this.. You'll need an umbrella net (or pier gaff, though I HATE those things) in case you catch a large fish.

Sharks DEFINITELY need prompt bleeding and icing. If not, the flesh will be soaked with Urea, and will smell like piss.


My advice is to avoid the end of the pier, get some mussels/shrimp, find a nice mussel-encrusted piling, then right up against the piling, drop straight down, and let your bait hit the bottom, you'll feel it. Let it sit for 10 seconds to let the fish forget, and slowly reel it up until you feel bites. Live sandcrabs are great for this. Dont look for the fish around the pilings, in most cases, they're hiding inside the crevices around the shells.

Dont use a C-rig for this, get some 3-way swivels and make high/low rigs, OR tie dropper loops. But if you want mackerel, by all means, hit the end!


Good hook size is #2..

fishermanx14
05-05-2012, 11:23 AM
thank you so much...if i caught a non legal sized fish its safe to just chuck it off the pier right?

smokehound
05-06-2012, 03:24 PM
generally, yes. Small fish have less mass so the impact on the surface of the water is weaker. bigger fish wont survive that though, which is why I suggest an umbrella net, which can be used to safely release fish on piers.