Tactics
Ask ten pier regulars when to turn up and you will get ten answers, but they will agree on one thing: moving water beats slack water. Everything else is refinement.
Current pushes bait along the structure, and predators set up to intercept it. The couple of hours either side of a tide change are usually the most productive part of the day, while slack water at the top or bottom of the tide tends to be slow. Which direction fishes best is local — some piers switch on with an incoming tide, others fish better on the fall — so ask, or keep your own notes.
Free tide predictions for Florida stations are published by NOAA Tides & Currents. Pick the station nearest your pier and plan around it rather than around lunchtime.
Low light is a genuine advantage. Early morning and the hour around sunset are classic windows, and lit piers can fish extremely well after dark — the lights concentrate baitfish, and predators patrol the line between light and shadow. Check whether your pier stays open at night, since many close at a fixed hour.
Florida's water is fishable year-round, which is the whole point of the place, but the cast changes. Cooler months push some species offshore or south while others move inshore; spring and autumn bring migrations along both coasts and are often the busiest, most productive stretches on the piers. Summer means heat, afternoon thunderstorms, and an early start if you want comfort.
What is actually biting on a given week is best answered locally — the pier's own bait shop, its social media, and the anglers already on the rail will tell you more than any general guide. Note that seasons and limits are set by species and by region and change from year to year: confirm current rules with FWC before you keep anything.
A pier is a long concrete or timber finger sticking into open water, which makes it an unwise place to be in a lightning storm — Florida leads the country in lightning strikes, and summer storms build fast. Watch the National Weather Service marine forecast, and leave when you hear thunder. After hurricanes and major storms, piers frequently close for structural inspection and can stay shut for months or years, so check before a long drive.