pier fishing

Question
Can I use a drop shot rig or a carolina rig for pier fishing?  If so, about what size hook?  On the average, about how much weight would you need with either technique?  What would be your recommended bait?(I will be fishing off the coast of North or South Carolina.

Answer
Hi Steve, thanks for asking.

There is a variation of the Carolina rig in saltwater fishing called the sliding egg sinker rig, this is one of the "fish finder" rigs that we use. Substitute the bullet sinker commonly used for bass fishing with an egg sinker. The size of the sinker depends on the line you have spooled as well as the current. Generally 1oz is good. a rule of thumb to follow is to use just enough weight to get your bait on the bottom and have it stay there. you can use lures and bait, depending on what you're after really. I've used dropshot rigs in saltwater with small soft plastics in estuaries and have found good success on bream and grunters. as far as hook sizes go, I usually use size 1 or 1/0 and 3/0 hooks, depending on the size of the bait I use and the size of the fish I'm after.

Baits; squid is on top of my list where ever i may be fishing. Shrimp is also good and if you can get the live ones, even better. I would ask around the tackle shops in the area to determine what fish bite what bait, this is the best and most reliable way especially if you are in an area where the preferred bait changes from season to season.