Pier fishing Rockport. Need pointers.

[medic911]

Ill be down in rockport this weekend. Hotel we are staying in has a pier to fiah off of. Suppose to be the longest one in Rockport. Plan to fish afternoon into the night. Any pointers.??? Btw i have never fished from a pier just striper fishing here at home.

[JEG8233]

Live shrimp under a popping cork, free lined shrimp into the lights, or I’ve had some decent luck with gulp on a spec rig too.

[kd350]

If they have lights, go to the end at night. Live shrimp under a cork, gulp shrimp under a cork, or concanoe minoow on a jighead. Go to tackletown there in rockport and they will help you out with what plastics to get. Chances are you’ll catch all the 12-14” specs you want to mess with

First thing in the morning up shallow should do alright as well if the conditions are right

[speck1]

If you don’t want to mess with shrimp throw small white or glow swimbaits. DOA Cal shad or small jerk baits work great. Rig them weightless and use fluorocarbon leader. Cast them into the dark and bring them thru the edge of the light. Good luck.

[Robertt]

If they have lights, go to the end at night. Live shrimp under a cork, gulp shrimp under a cork, or concanoe minoow on a jighead. Go to tackletown there in rockport and they will help you out with what plastics to get. Chances are you’ll catch all the 12-14” specs you want to mess with

First thing in the morning up shallow should do alright as well if the conditions are right

Go to dinner at Shempy's or anywhere else. Come back and hang out until at least 11pm. The lights come on, bait fish slowly come in then the bigger ones come in after that. Caught some of my best trout around 1am under the lights.

[doug]

Can you throw a cast net? If so try throwing into the grass patches you can see off the pier. Keep the little small piggys or croakers or whatever small fish you catch, small meaning 1 to 2 inches. Fish those live right next to the pilings with a fairly stout rig. Lots of time mangrove snapper will hang tight to those pilings and mostly hit live bait. Usually arent huge but theres no size limit and they are great to eat. Be warned though they are a tough fish even when small so you may lose a few rigs from them hanging you up. Few years back i used to kill them doing this but havent been lately.

The trout are usually easy to catch but small. I always liked small glow in the dark shad. Like the others said fish late into the night and edge of the lights for the bigger ones.

Good luck!

[justindfw]

As said live shrimp around the lights. They also make glow is the dark sassy shade that worked well for me in rockport in the lights at night

[medic911]

Thanks everyone. Im guessing when yall take swimbaits you mean small. I might have some 3 inch stuff but most is 4-6 inch. Ill stop at tackle shop for sure.

[panhandlehunter]

Find you some of these right here and buy a pack or two of replacement bodies. These will catch you all the fish you want at night under lights.

[doug]

Find you some of these right here and buy a pack or two of replacement bodies. These will catch you all the fish you want at night under lights.

Exactly what i use!

[brokeno]

Make sure they are legal. There will be plenty undersized ones.

[bowhntrmatt]

It has been a while but I’ve spent lots of hours on the pier at probably the place you are staying or the one next door. Live shrimp are best but if you don’t want to deal with it, tandem rigs like the one above are the ticket. I used to take several rods rigged with different lures. When they stop biting one you can usually switch up and they will start right up again.
Be prepared to throw back 20 for every keeper. But it’s a lot of fun!

Don’t even bother walking out before it’s good and dark, and the later the better. Then walk all the way to the end.

[Mjjust]

Like said above the bite usually starts about the time everyone else gives up and goes in. Son and I spent many a nights fishing till 2-3 am. Gulp shrimp or white/clear/silver minnows fished weightless with fluorocarbon. We would often smash the barb to make it easy to release fish as 98% will be dinks but fun still the same. If you catch a good one just keep steady pressure and don’t try to pull it up too quick.

[txhunter007]

Bring a drop net