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Post by YodaFisherman on Jul 13, 2017 6:45:49 GMT -5
I will be back in the area shortly and for the first time will have a boat with me. As we travel around the area I want to do some trolling where possible. All of our watery travels will be inshore. We will be traveling over to Egmont Key and out by the Skyway, but other than that will be in the intercostal waterways or just off the beach in the gulf. Any suggestions on what lures and setups to use would be most helpful.
In Maryland and North Carolina waters we use downrigger planers and the lures are spoons, squid and hoochies for most species. For Rockfish (Striped Bass) we use rubber eels and white colored swim baits. But I suspect these may not be the lures of choice in the Tampa bay area. I'm sure Spanish Mackerel will hit this stuff but not all the species will.
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Post by Mackerelman on Jul 13, 2017 8:03:38 GMT -5
When in a Boat, We use Downriggers, Planers, Spoons & Deep Diving Lures just like You do up north of Us. The Fish are Fish and most are attracted to everything that You have. If You leave something at home, You may wish that You should have brought it. We Welcome You back.
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Post by YodaFisherman on Jul 13, 2017 8:24:13 GMT -5
When in a Boat, We use Downriggers, Planers, Spoons & Deep Diving Lures just like You do up north of Us. The Fish are Fish and most are attracted to everything that You have. If You leave something at home, You may wish that You should have brought it. We Welcome You back. Honestly my favorite are Hoochies, but I have not noticed them in the tackle shops down there. Spoons I get, they always work. As for diving plugs, never used them up north. I have a few I use for grouper on the Skyway and I'll give them a try. But I know to be careful because the water isn't deep like up north. I plan on doing the same thing I do up here, you never know what will work. I was just looking for some ideas of stuff that may be used down there that I don't know about. It's funny how deferent things are used in different areas. After I bought my first Doc's Goofy Jiggs I tried them on the Outer Banks. Worked great for Pompano and Whiting from the piers. A few of the locals were asking me what the lure was and I showed them, many never heard of it. I thought it interesting that those types of lures were not popular up there. Another interesting rig is the Mullet rig. It is used heavily in the mid Atlantic but I've never even seen them sold in Florida. I used them at Flagler and Daytona piers and surf with success. I've also used it in on the Skyway, but with little success, only mackerel hit it and I'm catching more at the surface on Gotcha and spoons. I did use it in Costa Rica in 2015 with great success, all kinds of stuff were hitting it no matter what bait I put on it. A local I got to know well was quite interested in it. I gave him the two I had with me.
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Post by fishingmagician on Jul 13, 2017 14:41:01 GMT -5
I have been working the edge of the channel, I search for fire on my depth finder, way point it and drop pins, (fire is a scramble look) that is the plants growing on the caves, also using 8 to 10 inch diver plugs at 4 mph in tha same area, have you looked at the satalight pics up in sticky notes? A lot of anchors being lost at the Skyway, I was using a old brake drum but lost it, now I have mine hooked with zip ties to break away with chain bolted to bottom of anchor, some people are using cinder blocks, much cheaper than buying a anchor every trip. Plenty of room on the Bay side of pier to give the pier fishing people their space and not ruin their day and is loaded with Key West grunts, again if you like your anchor don't drop it there. What ever you plan is keep us updated and have fun! Ps Egmont has a artificial reef also, I have not fished it but have the GPS numbers if you want them.
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Post by Mackerelman on Jul 13, 2017 19:18:51 GMT -5
I have been working the edge of the channel, I search for fire on my depth finder, way point it and drop pins, (fire is a scramble look) that is the plants growing on the caves, also using 8 to 10 inch diver plugs at 4 mph in tha same area, have you looked at the satalight pics up in sticky notes? A lot of anchors being lost at the Skyway, I was using a old brake drum but lost it, now I have mine hooked with zip ties to break away with chain bolted to bottom of anchor, some people are using cinder blocks, much cheaper than buying a anchor every trip. Plenty of room on the Bay side of pier to give the pier fishing people their space and not ruin their day and is loaded with Key West grunts, again if you like your anchor don't drop it there. What ever you plan is keep us updated and have fun! Ps Egmont has a artificial reef also, I have not fished it but have the GPS numbers if you want them. One of my friends broke his anchor off on the Bay Side of the Skyway also last year. He has not has his boat down there since. It is rather Costly to Anchor at the Skyway due to all of the concrete & columns & steel that was dumped there to make the New Rock Piles added to the Prior Rock Piles that had already existed there.
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Post by YodaFisherman on Jul 13, 2017 20:02:02 GMT -5
Anchoring in areas like the Skyway needs to be planned. I have done it in a few rocky places before. I use anchors I make myself out of cheap concrete mix. I pore 15 lb. in a 5 gallon bucket with a plastic bag in it. I use a steel cable in a loop in the concrete and use the lightest rope possible. If you have to cut it you don't loose much.
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Post by Mackerelman on Jul 13, 2017 20:14:06 GMT -5
Anchoring in areas like the Skyway needs to be planned. I have done it in a few rocky places before. I use anchors I make myself out of cheap concrete mix. I pore 15 lb. in a 5 gallon bucket with a plastic bag in it. I use a steel cable in a loop in the concrete and use the lightest rope possible. If you have to cut it you don't loose much. That is the Smart way of Anchoring.
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Post by YodaFisherman on Jul 13, 2017 20:45:06 GMT -5
I have been working the edge of the channel, I search for fire on my depth finder, way point it and drop pins, (fire is a scramble look) that is the plants growing on the caves, also using 8 to 10 inch diver plugs at 4 mph in tha same area, have you looked at the satalight pics up in sticky notes? A lot of anchors being lost at the Skyway, I was using a old brake drum but lost it, now I have mine hooked with zip ties to break away with chain bolted to bottom of anchor, some people are using cinder blocks, much cheaper than buying a anchor every trip. Plenty of room on the Bay side of pier to give the pier fishing people their space and not ruin their day and is loaded with Key West grunts, again if you like your anchor don't drop it there. What ever you plan is keep us updated and have fun! Ps Egmont has a artificial reef also, I have not fished it but have the GPS numbers if you want them. My thoughts on the skyway was to fish the other side of the bridge. Those rock piles shouldn't get as much pressure as the side the pier fisherman can get to. Also, being a pier fisherman I can't be the anal vent I scoff at when on the pier. I will stay out of their way. I found the web site with all the artificial reefs on it and have the few nearshore ones already marked on my GPS. Currently I plan to troll all the way over to Egmont Key and back, albeit the cargo freighters could interrupt me. I will also do some trolling around the Skyway. The rest of the time I see me bottom fishing.
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