Jetty Fishing: How to Keep Your Gear in the Game

The stacked rocks of a jetty were installed to manage the ocean’s force, prevent erosion and guard the navigational channel, but for anglers the ancillary benefits are significant. Most Florida coastal jetties host an assortment of fish, from sheepshead and snapper to seasonal visitors like snook and mackerel. The challenge for anglers is twofold—one, you have to figure out how to get your gear out there, and two, you have to figure how to keep from snagging rocks.

Jetty Fishing Tackle and Gear

Gear carts popular among surf and pier anglers are also practical for paved/capped jetties, where they exist (Boca Raton’s South Inlet Park, Sebastian Inlet, etc). But for many jetties you’re gonna be doing some rock-hopping. For carrying rods, two Velcro straps—one high, one low—provide a simple rod-bundling solution. Pipe cleaners also work.

Where to put your rods while fishing? Some jetty anglers jam the butt of a rod into a crevice between rocks, but that’s a quick way to chew up your grips. A better bet is a piece of PVC pipe, which reaches deep into the rocks for a more secure position. I use one about 3 feet long. When I relocate, I slip the PVC over a rod butt. With a notch into the pipe’s upper end, I use an independent Velcro strap to cinch the rod to the pipe.

For cutting bait, bring a cutting board or block of 2X4. Don’t cut bait on the rocks—you’ll ruin your blade. Shears are another good idea. The 5-gallon bucket is essential. I use mine to carry bait and chum from one spot to the next. At each location, I’ll dip about half a bucket of water for hand washing and for temporarily holding fish while I grab my camera. Lids and battery-powered aerators are available at tackle shops, if you’re using shrimp or other live bait. Think about what tackle trays, various tools and refreshments you might want—but keep it light.

A soft side tackle bag with shoulder strap or a backpack is all you need. Make sure your bag has a water resistant bottom, or carry a heavy duty lawn/leaf bag to repel wet surfaces. For quick-access items like hooks and weights, as well as a cell phone, I wear a fly fishing chest pack.

Sturdy, grippy footwear is important. Some jetties include paved or otherwise flattened tops. Where only rocks exist, adventurous types may billy goat their way into key vantage points. Fully enclosed shoes with firm, no-skid soles and ankle support are a good start. Better yet, invest in a pair of Korkers carbide-cleated overshoes like the Rocktrax or Casttrax ($69-$99). Be aware that waves and overwash present serious considerations, so know the weather and sea conditions before venturing too far.

Snag-less Rigs & Tactics

Jetty rocks attract fish, for sure, but they also grab hooks and sinkers. Some anglers seek to avoid snags by making long casts to the center of the inlet. That’s not necessarily a wasted effort, as fish transit deeper waters; but during prime boating hours, you’ll find this a less appealing option.

Working bucktails, spoons, swimbaits, and shallow divers roughly parallel to the rocks will produce, as long as you mind your spacing (and current drift) amid other anglers.

If you’re fishing bait, ditch the snag-prone fishfinder rig in favor of a bottom-weighted dropper loop style setup and you’ll spend more time fishing and less time re-rigging.

In its simplest form, one or two hooks hang from the leader with weight below making bottom contact while keeping your bait high and visible. Tie one or two dropper loops in your leader (double overhand knot works fine) and attach hooks by pinching the loop and passing it through the hook eye, bottom to top, over the bend and snugging it against the hook eye. This method allows quick changes to accommodate various hook sizes.

Use 20- to 40-pound fluoro leader for heftier targets and 10- to 12-pound for smaller snapper, triggerfish, seabass, grunts, and sheepshead. For these smaller panfish, bait with short, tug-proof squid chunks, triple hooked, or thumbnail sized shrimp nuggets peeled and centered on the hook.

Pyramid sinkers are fine if you’re casting a clean, sandy spot, but for “walking” across rocks, there are too many angles that grab rock edges. Round, teardrop, or bank-style weights are better. An ounce or two usually does the job. Put a snap swivel at your rig’s terminal end for easy weight changes.

Dialing in your timing and selecting a zone that allows you to make a controlled tumble past several rock faces without directly encountering a big one might allow enough presentation time for a snapper, grouper, or other desirable fish to zip out and commit. Just plan on donating a few rigs during the learning process. Take time to watch how local anglers do it.

If the current is particularly swift, try floating a bait down the jetty face. Hang a chunk of cut bait or a live shrimp under an adjustable, peg-style popping cork; add split shots above the hook to keep your leader straight and vary leader length based on depth, dropoff angle and rock height. Another great approach is fishing a live shrimp or other bait on a ¼- to ½-ounce jighead, just heavy enough to suspend over rocks without falling into them.

Lob the rig upcurrent of your target zone, manage slack throughout the drift and stay ready to quickly move a hooked fish away from a rocky escape.

Last but not least, if you’re fishing with kids or anyone fascinated with the colorful and unique species hugging nearshore rocks, downsize to a light spinning outfit and offer bait chunks no bigger than a pencil eraser on a dropper rig with No. 10 or 12 hooks and a 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-ounce weight. If the heavy-hitters aren’t biting, the small resident fish along jetties—little wrasses, filefish, blennies and such—offer guaranteed entertainment.

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• This article was featured in the August-September issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe.

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