st. petersburg beach/pass a grille fishing

Question
i'll be staying at the south end of the island and have access to a fishing pier between the gulf and intercoastal waterway.  what rod and reel should i use what bait i'll be there mid june just want to get a jumpstart

Answer
Hi John,
For pier fishing you  will need about a 6 ft. rod in order to cast out.  It should be heavy enough to lift fish back up on to the pier and of course the line needs to be at least 30 lb test for that.  In addition, around the pier pilings there are barnacles that can cut lighter line. Your reel can be a spinning reel that you should get to match the rod.  You don't have to pay very much for this kind of tackle.  The reel should be large enough to store 200 yds of 30 lb line, monofilament being best.  If you are familiar with fishing then you can get a revolving spool reel which is a little harder to handle, gets backlashes, but is more reliable with its star drag.  Your bait from a pier can be cut mullet, whole live or dead shrimp and cut up as well.  You'll need sinkers, the pyramid type if it is a sandy bottom, or egg-shaped if there is structure on the bottom to hang up a sinker.  and a leader of fluorocarbon about 50 lb test.   Hooks depend on what is being caught and your best bet is to check with a bait and tackle store or walk out on the pier and see what the regulars are using.  All of the above is for fishing with bait, and if you want to use artificials, then you will need different equipment.  Good luck.  Boris