Art of Pier Fishing - Part I

It's not as glamorous as fly-fishing for rainbow trout in the Sierras.
It doesn't have the same appeal as tackling trophy tuna in the deep sea.
But pier fishing along the California coast is less expensive, easier to master and can be equally rewarding this time of year when the freshwater fishing is too frigid and the rockcod fishery is off limits courtesy the DFG.
This is the first in a series of pier fishing updates CaliforniaAngler.com is posting this week. Here's what makes pier fishing so great: 
* Pier anglers regularly catch some of the same sought-after species that charters seek, including halibut, rockfish and even shark.
* Pier fishing is free in most instances along the Central Coast.
* No fishing license is required because the piers are public property.
* Most Central Coast piers are also open 24 hours a day, which gives anglers legal means of wetting their line after work and provides an opportunity to hook up with the large nocturnal feeders that patrol the shallows.
* Plus it's a lot harder to get seasick on a pier than it is on an afternoon charter boat.

Coming tomorrow, pier fishing tackle and techniques.