Does anyone have any tips on catching more sporty, fighting fish?
I go fishing off this pier, half a mile long, into the york river in virginia.
All I basically catch are croaker, croaker croaker, and maybe the occasional flounder or spot.
The other day I got lucky and caught a ~100lb skate (once in a lifetime) but couldn't bring it up. But I want to know how to catch fish that aren't bottom feeders.
I use those metal leaders with two hooks of squid.
Any ideas?

A spinner or spoon will catch a fish. Nothing fancy just a brass bladed spinner or silver spoon. End thread.

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3016/reddevillure1fi6.jpg

That. That spinner is so fucking common, and yet so fucking good. I reeled in a 60lb cod with that fucker.

Have fun, you can find that spinner at, well, anywhere. I get mine at gas stations, here.

Besides using spinners and bait fish, you will do better offshore if you can afford an excursion. Also, I don't know how well they would work in VA, as I've only fished with them in the south (FL, GA, SC, Gulf of Mex.) but full size shrimp have landed me everything from tarpon to sailfish to lobsters.

I catched a Tuna while on holiday in Thailand, we were on a boat though and used an artificial bait, like a fake shiny squid.

I use spinners or herring when I go out to the ocean at West Port, WA. It takes time to find the fish, but the salmon are real fighters. Every once in a while you run into a coho or a king.edit: we go trolling off downriggers. Makes things real easy because some fuckers steal your bait without fully bitingdown.

Ugliest sea fish I've ever caught, but no idea what it was. It was pretty small so the real struggle was not getting it out of the water but unhooking it, as it was trying pretty hard to impale itself in my hand Perch-style.

Caught it in Greece using £10 telescopic rod and squid bites from the supermarket .

^ that looks related to the dogfish/sea robin...


just in a different color. but it was greece.

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the road of excess leads to the palace of madness

Its a member of the cod family.
Rock Cod


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I've been using Berkly softbaits of rocks and kayak.
http://www.zillion.co.nz/utils/get-image.php?AuctionImageID=288900&ImageType=3
Fish here go fuckin nuts on them.
Live baiting off the rocks and wharf (pier) works well too.

Take a 6 pack or two with you if they ain't biting.