How to Fish the Rocky Shoreline
The northeast’s beaches and shorelines are what most would consider “rocky terrain.” In fact, a large portion of the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts coastlines are dotted with boulders, rocks and gravel, creating a terrific habitat for the predator fish and their food of choice. While fishing the nearby beaches and their connected rock piles, another man-made rock structure cannot be disregarded by the angler.
The Jetty
Jetties are rock structures made by human hands that were built for a host of reasons. Rational reasons include curbing beach erosion, quelling storm surges, and creating a causeway leading into a river or salt pond. They are all good reasons, but the most important fact to a fisherman is that they all will hold fish at some point.
Bluefish, false albacore, weakfish and striped bass love these areas for the turbulent, fast-moving waters. The reason is that most baitfish get disoriented in these waters and therefore become easy prey for these predators. You can often find large numbers of these predators not up against the walls of a jetty enjoying an afternoon snack of baitfish. This is where the water is the most turbulent.
The jetty has become home to whelks, mussels and periwinkles and they are often joined by scup and tautogs. These fish love the jetty for the protection they believe it offers – initially they feed of the algae and moss but eventually they feed on each other. The jetty does offer a significant advantage to them – the rocks allow them to nestle in and stay away from their larger predators.
Like the neighboring beaches, it is often best to make plans to fish jetties as close to high tide as possible. In general, you will find that you have deeper water to work with at this time and fish will also have a tendency to be more focused. If your chosen jetty is part of a causeway leading into a river or pond, you will regularly find baitfish running from predators into the channel during the incoming tide and out of it on the outgoing tide.
If you love fishing for blackfish and porgies, the advantage is they seldom get too far away from the jetty wall. These fish find all they need for their survival in the rocks and allow you to take advantage of the jetty. Blackfish and porgy fishing allow for shorter casts and requires little weight to be added to your bait.
Using the right gear in these situations is absolutely essential. You will discover what rod and reel combination suits your kind of fishing on the jetties. It is important not to overlook safety when fishing the rocks, however. Those that fished here know that one of the most important pieces of gear for negotiating the rocks is a good pair of cleats. The rocks stay wet a good portion of the season and tend to grow moss and algae, which can cause an angler to fall very easily. Falling into the surf is a distinct possibility, as is breaking an ankle, arm or leg. A personal flotation device (PFD) is another significant safety item. With the improvement of inflatable PFD’s, you can no longer claim that “it gets in my way” or “it’s too bulky.” You can now wear a PFD around your waist, and simply pull a ripcord to deploy it.
If you have not had the opportunity to take advantage of these great grounds for beach and jetty fishing, you are missing out on a great trip. The shores of the northeast are rich in opportunities to have a memorable fishing trip whether it is with friends, family or all alone. The entire area allows for the best of beach and jetty fishing and a trip that will almost surely guarantee you a large catch.
There are many supplies that are helpful when fishing on the rocky shoreline. Some of these supplies include: Daiwa Fishing Rods, Shimano Calcutta Reels, and Saltiga 30T.















