Brighton Breakwall Fishing

Brighton Breakwall Fishing

Fishing Areas and Conditions

• Brighton Pier continues into a rock wall, giving anglers access to deeper water.
• Cast lures and soft plastics from the rock wall toward the moored boats for flathead and smaller snapper.
• Weed beds toward the sea baths provide squid fishing by day or night.
• For larger snapper, try dawn or dusk on an incoming high tide, particularly when the wind has raised a light chop.

Rigs, Bait and Lures

• Curl-tail soft plastics on 1/8 oz jig heads have caught smaller snapper, salmon and snook here. Expect occasional snags.
• The rocky bottom makes bait rigs prone to snagging. A 7–10 ft medium-weight rod can cast beyond the rocks; a paternoster rig with strong line is one option.
• For snapper, try a running sinker rig to a swivel, followed by 50 cm of strong leader and a whole pilchard or squid head. For smaller snapper, try raw chicken breast on a paternoster rig.
• Other bait options include squid strips, blue bait, silver whiting and mussels.
• For squid around the weed beds, smaller slow-sinking size 2.5 or 3.0 jigs can reduce snagging. A 7½–9 ft squid rod with a 3000 reel is one setup used here.
• A long landing net or gaff can help land fish over the rocks or onto the pier.

Access and Hazards

• Paid parking is available at the pier entrance.
• The narrow fishing area can become crowded, with anglers casting nearby. Rocks can be slippery, so children need close supervision.