# How big of a risk would you take?



## Slodrift (Oct 28, 2006)

Guys are getting desperate, they are walking the top of the wall to get out on the North pier  for those who can't picture what I'm talking about go to the surf/pier reports, go to page 5 maybe 6 by now and click on the thread titled Oscoda Tips,(or now you can just scroll down, why didn't I think of that) there are a few pictures of the wall. Would you risk it for a salmon? I know where I'd end up!:lol:


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Heck no! I wouldn't walk that wall if it meant I could catch a World Record Salmon - which you cannot in Oscoda. Years ago I used to fish the south pier quite a bit - I could just walk up and down and make drifts for the last hour of daylight without much effort. I saw a LOT of guys have to be rescued by the Coast Guard, because they walked out on the north pier in heavy weather, and got stranded when the weather got worse, and could not get back in. The CG had to boat up from Tawas, so they always sat out there cold and wet until they were rescued, which was always kind of a dicey proposition - having guys climb down a steel ladder into a bobbing boat in heavy seas can be dangerous. The times I have fished the north pier, I have used a boat to get out to it. If I couldn't get out in a boat, it was too rough for me to fish it. I have ROWED a rowboat out to the ladders on the riverside, and rowed back up to the launch before. It really isn't that hard to do, but can be challenging in high waves, until you get in past the rocks that anchor the insides of the piers.


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## HarleyDHawger (Nov 30, 2005)

Well, seeing how your probably gonna end up on the south pier, don't expect much. The north pier is 10x better for the kings that are left in Huron. Just go and fish hard, you can still get fish. This is the pier to be on, but the way out is gone right now, except by boat:

Try casting all night, then dragging all your **** and three salmon off this!



























The sweetest breakwall in the State:lol:!


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## Slodrift (Oct 28, 2006)

Yep, simple as that! :coco:


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## wannabapro (Feb 26, 2003)

I am trying to figure out how I would negotiate that and I haven't come up with anything yet.  Unless you have size 17 shoes....:idea:


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## wannabapro (Feb 26, 2003)

Just figured it out....Make some "snowshoes" out of 2X6s of appropriate length. Slip them over your shoes and walk across the top. Call them "North Pier Specials".:lol:

Having never been there before and just looking at the pics provided, that's what I would do. But I am assuming you can climb up on the very top.

If so should be an easy deal.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

North wall is easy when there's boards and iffy when there's not. Boards have never been an issue till this fall, why I don't know. I know if I was still living in Bay City, I'd be pissed I couldn't fish the north wall. By the way, nice pics, who took those?



> Heck no! I wouldn't walk that wall if it meant I could catch a World Record Salmon - which you cannot in Oscoda. Years ago I used to fish the south pier quite a bit - I could just walk up and down and make drifts for the last hour of daylight without much effort. I saw a LOT of guys have to be rescued by the Coast Guard, because they walked out on the north pier in heavy weather, and got stranded when the weather got worse, and could not get back in. The CG had to boat up from Tawas, so they always sat out there cold and wet until they were rescued, which was always kind of a dicey proposition - having guys climb down a steel ladder into a bobbing boat in heavy seas can be dangerous. The times I have fished the north pier, I have used a boat to get out to it. If I couldn't get out in a boat, it was too rough for me to fish it. I have ROWED a rowboat out to the ladders on the riverside, and rowed back up to the launch before. It really isn't that hard to do, but can be challenging in high waves, until you get in past the rocks that anchor the insides of the piers.


If you were fishing Oscoda for salmon or walleye, and serious, you fished the north wall. I've always fished that pier, and had/seen some ridiculous days out there. I also almost got swept off once.....


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## eddiejohn4 (Dec 23, 2005)

If I could carry 2 -2x6 boards with me.


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## spk131 (Mar 31, 2004)

why couldnt u just turn around and hope ur butt on top of the wall and just scoot along? u would need some heavy gloves and maybe some padded pants but it could work?


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## Slodrift (Oct 28, 2006)

Easier said than done when your carrying a couple poles and gear, then if your lucky you'll have a fish or two with you on the way in, 20 years ago I would go for it in a heart beat but now, I don't think so!


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## cane crazed (Jul 22, 2008)

guy' s iam lost for words. do they put boards between the open structures of the pier? i value my life and even though i have been acussed of stupidity i do not believe i have ever gone that far


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

I wouldn't go out there for skunky black salmon is not worth it to me!


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## UltimateOutdoorsman (Sep 13, 2001)

Boardman Brookies said:


> I wouldn't go out there for skunky black salmon is not worth it to me!


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

I wouldn't even bother walking. I would just take a canoe or a small boat out there and tie it to the pier.


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## Slodrift (Oct 28, 2006)

Sometimes you can get out there by boat but the wrong wind and it gets pretty rough. We tried to go by boat Fri morning, we got out there but if we had tied off to the wall the waves would have swamped the boat for sure. That's the third time we had tried by boat this year and were turned back by rough water. You are right though that's the best way to go weather permitting.


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## stormwigeon (Oct 11, 2007)

about 6 years ago a knucklehead walked out in the end of Sept to do some last light casting. NE wind came up and started throwing whitewater over the wall. poor bastard couldnt walk back and spent the night. first trolling boat heading out the next morn saw him. guy was so hypothermic he couldnt even stand up. coast guard boat pulled up and he kinda rolled off the pier into the bow of it:lol:


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Boardman Brookies said:


> I wouldn't go out there for skunky black salmon is not worth it to me!


Then the north pier isn't for you! If fishing was as good as it was back in the days, I would be out there as much as possible. I miss the north pier days like crazy! When the Huron makes a combat, you can bet your best fishing rod i'll be out there again. Hopefully the boards will be around by then.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> but if we had tied off to the wall the waves would have swamped the boat for sure.


I seen that happen in 2004. The north pier had it's usual crowd of guys on it, and some guys brought a boat out. It was a hard SE wind, and big waves were rolling right upto the back corner on the river side, and spraying up over the wall. It only took about 10 minutes before they noticed alot of water in they're boat:lol:! I can't remember what happened after that(), but it was pretty crazy.



> Then the north pier isn't for you! If fishing was as good as it was back in the days, I would be out there as much as possible. I miss the north pier days like crazy! When the Huron makes a combat, you can bet your best fishing rod i'll be out there again. Hopefully the boards will be around by then.


Yeah, those were the best times I ever had for pier kings. The huge mob of boats all cluster****** out in front of the piers fighting with each other, people on the piers fighting with boats, the north pier guys talking $h!t to the south pier because we caught more fish then them most of the time(a good 6-7:1 ratio) and the herd of Ohio guys that came up every year around mid-September. The whole atmosphere of salmon season over there was unequaled for me. It's a different feel and atmosphere over there now, but I still like hitting fish over on the ol' north wall.


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