The pier angler's tools and checklist: landing, cutting and staying organized

A pier puts you above the water on a hard deck, usually among other anglers, with wind, sun and slippery bait. The problems are different from the beach or the bank: how to get a big fish from the water to you, where to put your rods and your bait, and how to stay out of each other's lines. This guide is about the tools and habits for that. Pier fishing on the Texas coast covers the fishing, licenses and rigs.

Landing a fish from a high deck

You cannot lift a heavy fish straight up on the line without risking the leader and the rod. That is why pier anglers use a net that is lowered on a rope. A drop net, which is a weighted hoop net on a rope, is the usual answer. Measure how far the deck is above the water on your pier at a typical tide, then carry a rope longer than that, with a clip or a knot for the net, and practice before a fish is on. A big fish and a low tide mean a longer drop.

Check the rules. TPWD's Legal Devices page says a gaff is any hand-held pole with a hook attached directly to it, and that gaffs may only be used to aid in the landing of fish caught on other legal devices, means or methods. It says a dip net may also be used to aid in landing fish caught by other legal devices. It does not name drop nets or hoop nets, so ask TPWD or the pier operator if you are not sure, and read the pier's own rules, because many have their own limits on gear. The page also says it is unlawful to use a pole and line to take, or try to take, a fish by foul-hooking, snagging or jerking, and its trout schedule page adds that Community Fishing Lakes, and docks, piers or jetties within a Texas State Park, allow no more than two poles per angler.

If you plan to release the fish, a gaff is the wrong tool. A net lets you keep it in the water and handle it as little as possible, which is what TPWD asks for in its catch and release tips.

Tools for a crowded deck

A clean, quiet deck

Hurt on a pier

First-aid notes here come from MedlinePlus and other pages named at the bottom, and they are for information only. They are not medical advice and do not replace a clinician, 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. If you are unsure, get medical care.

A pier has stray hooks, rough wood, rusty hardware and shell, and the fish themselves can hurt you. Sea catfish are common on the Texas coast, and Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine says hardhead and gafftopsail catfish have three serrated, barbed, envenomed spines, and that the venom is in the slime on the spine and is believed to be rendered inert at temperatures above 105°F, so it recommends a hot rinse and soak for a puncture; some cases need a hospital. A ray caught from a pier has a barb too. MedlinePlus says to soak a stingray sting in water at 104°F to 113°F, or as hot as you can comfortably tolerate, for 30 to not more than 90 minutes, then wash the wound, and to seek medical help right away.

For a hook in skin, MedlinePlus describes the line method and the push-through-and-cut method for a hook just under the surface, and says not to try if it is deeply embedded or near a joint, tendon, eye, eyelid or artery. A hook in the eye is an emergency room visit. It also asks that you keep your tetanus shots current, with boosters every 10 years. A small kit with antiseptic wash, tweezers for splinters and shell, and sterile dressings is cheap.

Weather on a pier

Checklist

Keep reading

This is general information from the pages named below, on the dates shown, not medical or legal advice. Rules on gear and licenses change, and every pier has its own; check TPWD and the pier.

For more reading, we suggest these articles

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