Ladyfish bounty 10/27

[needfishnbuddy]

So as stated earlier, I went to the south pier Monday night arriving about midnight. Set all of my gear up out where I like it. It was drizzly and cloudy.. Had water in my live well, so I started the sabiki jigging for my bait. was pleased to grab a couple pin fish right off the bat, so I hooked em up and sent em out toward the bottom hoping for that grouper bite I am so desperately looking for.  As those lines soaked, I returned to the sabiki action. One after the other, I had huge hits on the sabiki. by now it was 2 or 3 in the morning, and one after another I was pulling in 20-24inch ladyfish.  Those things fight like crazy, and on the small 12 lb test fresh water spinning rod I use for sabiki rigs, what excitement to look down and see the splashing and zipping around of those monster ladies.
Well, I never had a hit on my wasted pinsfish. I'm still skunked on the grouper or any other edible delicasies I promised my wife when we moved here from Colorado last year. But, I reeled in 6 or 7 of those nasty ladyfish, so all was not lost. It definitely kept me awake..

Couple questions:
Does anyone use those ladyfish for cut bait? does it work?
What if I free-lined a live 20" ladyfish out toward the rock piles? (risk of shark?)

Thanks again for these awesome boards.. I'm deciding when to spend another night out at the pier. Man, what a gorgeous place at night!

[shaunbnp]

I personally haven't used ladyfish at the pier but I have used it as cut bait for redfish. Works great for reds

[havetofish]

Sure you can use cut ladyfish for grouper bait when necessary, cut mackerel works good too. This time of year I think live pins etc.. work better than cut bait. 20 inch live freelined may be pushing it a bit.

[Deleted]

Me, I would Suggest Pinfish, Pigfish, Yellow Tailed Jacks, Blue Runners & Grunts for Grouper.

[montylfl]

Cut lady fish is great bait. Snook, redfish and grouper. I like 2 - 3 inch chunks. No head or no tail. Also they make for great stock for fish sauce.

[shadowxmas]

Tears143 also has good advice for using cleaning ladyfish to eat. Seabird followed his directions and had no bones and the ladyfish were tasty.