Light: Pflueger Infusion 7-foot IM-8 graphite spinning rod, coupled with a Pflueger five-ball-bearing reel (holds 120 yards of 10-pound-test) is ideal for everything from sheepshead and whiting ...

I stood, humbled, next to 3-year-old Saeid Aide as he waxed me with his dime-store rod and reel. Pier fishing, or just pier watching, is good stuff - smart-alecky kids aside.

One of the best things about pier fishing is that it doesn't take much gear to get started. Many anglers walk out on the pier with two or three rod and reel outfits and a pocket full of tackle.

Rod rentals available. Call (727) 391-9398. $7 entry fee. NORTH SKYWAY FISHING PIER: St. Petersburg; 1 mile, open 24 hours. Bait shop sells live shrimp, cut bait and rents rods.

In the winter months, Byron spends a lot more time in his heated car, popping out when he sees the rod bend. But on this late summer day, when the forecast called for it to be blisteringly hot and ...

The pier stretches 1,049 feet and is 25 feet wide and 22 feet above sea level. Charleston County Parks and Recreation says its amenities include a 7,500-sq.-ft. diamond-shaped platform at the end of ...