Pier Fishing Guide: Best Rigs, Baits, and Species From the Pier

Pier fishing is the most accessible saltwater fishing on the coast. No boat, no trailer, no slip fees. Pay your daily admission, walk to the end, and you are standing over water that holds everything from 3-pound pompano to 60-pound king mackerel. Some of the biggest kings caught in North Carolina every year come off piers, not boats. Jennette's Pier in Nags Head and Seaview Pier in North Topsail Beach produce trophy fish season after season, and the regulars who fish them know their water as well as any charter captain knows theirs.

The appeal goes beyond the fishing. Piers are family-friendly. Your kid can drop a bottom rig while you run a king mackerel setup off the end. Grandparents can sit in a chair and soak bait. Everyone catches something. I have seen 8-year-olds outfish grown men on piers more times than I can count, usually because they are patient enough to leave their bait in the water.

Top Pier Species on the East Coast

King mackerel are the crown jewel of pier fishing. From mid-April through October, kings cruise the nearshore waters within casting distance of long piers. A 40-pound king on a pier rod is one of the most exciting fights in saltwater fishing. The slow-troll rig (more on that below) is the standard technique, and some pier anglers have it dialed to a science. For a deep dive on targeting kings, see our king mackerel guide.

Spanish mackerel show up in schools and provide fast action on light tackle. Cast a Gotcha Plug past the school and rip it back through. When Spanish are blitzing bait on the surface, a Gotcha will get hit on nearly every cast. It is the single most productive pier lure ever made.

Pompano run the beach in spring and fall, and piers that extend into the outer bar zone produce consistently. Sand fleas, shrimp, and Fishbites on a double-drop bottom rig bounced along the sand are the standard approach. Our pompano fishing guide covers seasonal timing and rig details.

Flounder hold around pier pilings and channel edges. They ambush bait that drifts past in the current. A live finger mullet or mud minnow fished tight to the bottom catches flounder all summer.

Bluefish are the brawlers of pier fishing. They hit hard, fight dirty, and tear up tackle. They travel in schools and when they show up, the pier lights up. Cast metals, Gotchas, and cut bait on bottom rigs all work. Read more in our bluefish fishing guide.

Black drum and sheepshead hang around pier pilings eating crustaceans. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs fished on a small circle hook tight to the pilings catch both species. Black drum in the 20 to 40 pound range are common on NC piers in spring.

Essential Pier Rigs

Bottom rig: The workhorse. A pyramid sinker on the bottom (2-4 oz depending on current), with one or two dropper loops 12-18 inches above, each holding a hook and bait. Eagle Claw Circle Hooks in size 1/0 to 3/0 reduce gut-hooking and improve release survival. Tie your drops with 20-25 lb Momoi fluorocarbon leader. This rig catches pompano, whiting, croaker, spot, black drum, and flounder.

Float rig: A popping cork or fixed bobber 2-3 feet above a hook keeps bait suspended off the bottom for species that feed in the water column. Live shrimp under a float catches speckled trout, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel around pier pilings. Use an Epic Fishing Co. Crane Swivel between your main line and leader to prevent line twist from the cork spinning in current.

Gotcha/sabiki rig: The Gotcha Plug is a weighted jig with a reflective tube body that imitates glass minnows. Cast it out, let it sink 2-3 seconds, and retrieve with a fast, jerky action. It catches Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, and is the best way to catch live bait (small blues, pinfish, spot) for your king rig.

King mackerel slow-troll rig: This is pier-specific. Rig a live bluefish, menhaden, or mullet on a Trokar Live Bait Hook with a stinger treble, connect to a 3-foot AFW Tooth Proof wire leader, and let the bait swim out with the current. Lower it from the end of the pier with a balloon attached to your line as a float and distance marker. When a king hits, the balloon pops and the fight is on. Use a snap swivel to connect your wire leader to the main line for fast leader changes.

Bait: What Works From the Pier

Live shrimp is the universal pier bait. It catches nearly everything - flounder, trout, drum, sheepshead, pompano, and more. Hook through the horn (the spike between the eyes) on a circle hook for the longest life.

Sand fleas are free if you rake them from the beach before heading to the pier. They are deadly on pompano, black drum, sheepshead, and whiting. Hook them through the hard shell from bottom to top, leaving the point exposed.

Cut mullet and menhaden produce for larger species. Chunk bait on a bottom rig with egg sinkers slides along the bottom and gets picked up by drum, sharks, and big reds.

Caught-your-own live bait is the key to king mackerel fishing. Use a Gotcha or sabiki rig to catch live bluefish, menhaden, or cigar minnows right off the pier. Fresh-caught live bait outperforms anything you buy at the shop by a wide margin.

Spinning vs Conventional: My Take

For 90% of pier fishing, spinning gear wins. It is easier to cast from a raised platform, easier for beginners to use, and handles the lighter presentations (1/2 oz to 3 oz) that catch the most species. A 7-foot medium spinning rod with a 4000 size reel spooled with 20 lb Diamond Braid covers everything from pompano bottom rigs to casting Gotchas to running float rigs.

The one exception is king mackerel. For the slow-troll rig with live bait in the 1 to 3 pound range, a conventional reel with a clicker gives you better drag control and the clicker lets you hear the bite when you step away from the rod. A heavy spinning setup works too, but conventional is the tradition for a reason.

My pier setup for a full day: two spinning rods (one rigged for bottom, one for casting) and one conventional rod for kings. Three rods covers every situation. Pack extra terminal tackle - pyramid sinkers, hooks, swivels, and leader material - because you will lose rigs to snags and toothy fish.

Pier Etiquette

Piers are shared spaces. Respect the regulars and follow unwritten rules:

• Do not cast over someone else's line. Walk to open railing space before casting. If the pier is crowded, fish straight down or slightly to the side.
• Reel in when someone hooks a big fish. When a king mackerel or large shark is on and running, everyone in the area reels up to give that angler room. This is non-negotiable.
• Keep your pier cart organized. A 5-gallon bucket, a small cooler, rod holders that mount to the railing, and a tackle bag. Do not spread your gear across 15 feet of rail space.
• Use the pier net. Most piers have a large hoop net on a rope for landing fish. Do not try to lift a big fish by the line. Wait for help with the net.
• Clean up. Pick up your scraps, bait, and line. Leave the pier cleaner than you found it.

Best Piers on the East Coast

Jennette's Pier, Nags Head NC: 1,000 feet long, concrete construction, and home to insane king mackerel action. In spring 2025, bluefin tuna were hooked from this pier, setting off a national debate about shore-based tuna access. It does not get more exciting than that.

Seaview Pier, North Topsail Beach NC: One of the best king mackerel piers on the East Coast. The regulars here are serious anglers who have the slow-troll technique perfected.

Kure Beach Pier, NC: Good year-round bottom fishing with pompano in spring, Spanish in summer, and drum in fall. Family-friendly atmosphere.

Sebastian Inlet Pier, FL: Snook, redfish, and flounder right at the inlet. Strong current requires heavier tackle but the fish are there.

Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, VA: Cobia, king mackerel, and big red drum make this a destination pier in summer.

Tips for Better Pier Fishing

• Fish early and late. The hour before and after sunrise and sunset consistently produce the best pier action. The midday crowd is mostly tourists. The serious fishing happens at the edges of daylight.
• Watch the water. Bait schools, birds working, color changes in the water, and current seams all tell you where to cast. Do not just throw blind.
• Use the pilings. Fish tight to the pilings for sheepshead, black drum, flounder, and tautog. These structure-oriented species rarely move more than a few feet from the pier legs.
• Upgrade your line. Braided line lets you fish lighter sinkers for better feel and farther casts. Diamond Braid Gen III in 20 lb is the sweet spot for general pier work.
• Bring a bucket of sand fleas. Rake them from the beach on the way to the pier. Free bait that outperforms store-bought shrimp for pompano and drum.

Pier fishing is honest fishing. No fish finder, no GPS, no $50,000 boat. Just you, a rod, and whatever swims by. Fish smart, bring the right rigs, and respect the pier and the people on it. Tight lines.

Questions about pier fishing tackle? Call us at 888.453.3742 or email help@thetackleroom.com.

Know Before You Go: Regulations change frequently. Always check current size limits, bag limits, seasons, and gear restrictions with your state fisheries agency before heading out. For Atlantic species, visit ASMFC.org for interstate management updates.