Winning Strategies to Dissect a Dock for Inshore Fishing

Natural fish structures change as you move around the state, from red mangrove roots, to oyster bars, to spartina grass edges. There is one thing that’s found in all of these ecosystems, though, and that’s thanks to man, docks!

These man-made structures hold all kinds of inshore gamefish for many rea- sons, and I find myself frequenting them almost anywhere I go in the state. Docks hold fish! I’ve spent many days hanging lures on pilings and cursing the world, trying to figure out the best way to break down these fish-havens from an anglers’ perspective. Although frustrating, it’s one of my favorite ways to fish.

It’s obvious why gamefish like these structures—it’s just that, structure. Where structure is found, micro-organ- isms grow and start the food chain. Structure also breaks up current, forming eddies and breaks where fish can stage without exerting much energy.

Which brings me to my first point. When pulling up to a dock-filled shore- line, I first observe which way the tide is going and how strong it is, then start on the down current side and work into the tide. It is much easier to control the boat into the current than down current.

This will also determine what I throw. Fast current, I’ll tend to throw something a bit heavier, a swimbait for example.

The weight of this lure helps with reducing a belly in my line when casting cross-current and allows the bait to get a bit deeper in the water column.

Slow to no current, a lighter, finesse-style bait that suspends in the water column is my go-to, allowing the bait to stay in the strike zone longer. A soft-plastic weedless jerkbait is a good option. Fish tend to be more lethargic in lighter current situations where these finesse-style baits excel. No matter the current, soft plastics are the go-to for the main reason of being able to skip these baits up under the dock.

Now that we know what we’re throwing, let’s figure out the best way to fish the structure. If there’s any bit of tide movement, 99 percent of the time the fish will be facing into it. Current pushes water through the gills, allowing fish to breathe. Two, forage tends to move with the tide, not against it.

Picture this with me. Imagine you’re on the trolling motor, parallel with a “T” shaped dock. Start with a couple casts up-current of the dock, lining yourself up so that your bait comes by the up-cur- rent, outside corner of the dock. This is a good prospect for any fish that may be staged up-tide of the dock in open water or holding right on the outside corner. No bites? Make a skip-cast under the first “hole” under the dock, on the up-current side. Hit each opening, as you slowly drift down-tide. At this point your bait will be working across current, so be mindful where you bait will be swept by the tide. It’s easy to hang up on a piling if not paying attention.

Always be thinking of other spots fish may favor around the docks. A piece of an old piling left causing a little different current break? An obvious one many miss is the big boat in the dock slip! Chances are that slip is dredged and much deeper than the surroundings. A great spot for species like seatrout to congregate, especially in the winter when water temperatures drop.

Lastly, don’t pass up the zones between the docks! They’re worth a few fan casts, as they tend to have structure like seawalls or mangroves or even seagrass that fish like. I find these areas are better on a slower tide, when fish seem to venture out from the structure.

---

• This article was featured in the July 2024 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe.

---