Coastlines all over the northeast are riddled with rocks, gravel, boulders and other connected man-made rock piles. However, these areas located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey are ideal grounds for predator fish and the food that they so love to eat. This makes it great grounds for superior fishing as long as you don’t disregard the man-made rock structure that you need to contend with.

The Jetty

A jetty is a man made structure that was created along the shorelines to prevent storm surges from damaging property, to help stop beach erosion and to create small causeways into the rivers and salt ponds in the northeast. For the fisherman, these grounds are rich with fish at some point or another and if you understand when, it can enhance your catch any time.

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.

Beside the above-mentioned fish species, blackfish and porgy also take advantage of the jetties. Crabs, mussels, periwinkles, and whelks all use rocky structures to make their homes. The scup and tautog start housekeeping in these areas for the same reasons as other fish; they offer shelter and food. They are able to roam the stretches of the jetties to feed on the crabs and mussels, and can also wedge between the rocks to hide from bigger predators.

The ideal time for fishing at the jetty is high tide. In fact, the closer you can start fishing to high tide the more abundant your catch will be. Baitfish tend to be more focused during this time as the water is even more turbulent and they tend to need to stay more focused to keep their bearings. Causeways that lead to local rivers and ponds will be filled with baitfish as the tide ebbs and flows.

Along the walls of the jetty you’ll find a rich supply of porgies and blackfish – they need not venture too far from the wall since what they need to survive is readily available to them. For you, this means a fertile fishing ground that allows you to use simple baits with very little weight and shorter casts. Blackfish and porgies are comfortable in the wall area as they feel secure knowing where their next meal is coming from.

Safety is essential if you are planning to fish in an area that is rich with jetties. First and foremost you must take into consideration that you want to remain safe during your fishing trip. Your number one priority should be a personal flotation device (also called PFD). Excuses are not acceptable – a fall into a jetty can easily result in a deadly accident – the risk is too great, and the cost is too great. Another required piece of gear for jetty fishing is a good pair of cleats. Consider the ground you are fishing from – these rocks stay wet all the time because of the ebb and flow of the tide and during much of fishing season these rocks are laced with algae and moss. Because they are so slippery, you can easily lose you footing and take a fall – why risk a broken ankle or leg (or worse) because you failed to take the proper safety precautions.

As you can see, if you have not yet made use of the jetties you have been missing out on some excellent fishing opportunities. Some days the beaches will offer the most fish, and other days the jetties will. The important thing is that now you can fish both areas in one trip. If both areas seem to be missing bluefish and stripers, then you can totally shift gears and fish for blackfish. This is just one more excellent option to add to your surf-fishing approach. It could turn a miserable evening of fishing into one that you will never forget.

There are many supplies that are helpful when fishing on the rocky shoreline. Some of these supplies include: Daiwa Fishing Rod, Shimano Calcutta Spinning, and Daiwa Saltiga 30T.