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Post by parkpass on Mar 13, 2019 14:34:13 GMT -5
Was out there again this morning, caught 3 right at sunrise on a gold Krocodile spoon, lost 3 more(dang treble hook). All 10 feet from the pier and then it died. Switched to a yellow/white Gotcha and got an 18 incher, lost 2 more and that was it. Moved back to the entrance and had dozens chase that Gotcha but they wouldn't touch it, went home
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Post by justfishin2 on Mar 13, 2019 15:02:14 GMT -5
My suggestion would be, if anyone sees this happening you should videotape them and make certain you get a face shot and license plate, then call the FWC and report
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Ssp 3/9/19
Mar 13, 2019 15:03:25 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by parkpass on Mar 13, 2019 15:03:25 GMT -5
Yup that front screwed it all up oh well guess ill wait a while more
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Post by parkpass on Mar 13, 2019 15:14:37 GMT -5
Tomorrow morning looks good, low tide around 4am then rising all day. Very weak tide but macks don't care, bait will be on west side for the entire rise, might give it a shot
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Post by tears143 on Mar 13, 2019 18:36:59 GMT -5
Got there right after you left around 10. Was that the old timer in the front kicking the macks back in? Bite turned on around 4 and lasted about 45 minutes then it was over. Landed a 24, 17 and missed several hard strikes on Clark spoon. Huge bait schools showed up around 3:45 and stuck around until about 6. Proved my point. Macks sometime doesn't bit all the time. They have a window where they feed like crazy and then can suddenly just stop. I am not saying people are catching or not out there but sometime you have to be at the right place at the right time.
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Post by snapperx on Mar 13, 2019 19:36:46 GMT -5
Got there right after you left around 10. Was that the old timer in the front kicking the macks back in? Bite turned on around 4 and lasted about 45 minutes then it was over. Landed a 24, 17 and missed several hard strikes on Clark spoon. Huge bait schools showed up around 3:45 and stuck around until about 6. Proved my point. Macks sometime doesn't bit all the time. They have a window where they feed like crazy and then can suddenly just stop. I am not saying people are catching or not out there but sometime you have to be at the right place at the right time. Typical for most fish, they'll feed all day when bad weather is a day out or sometimes the full moon will do it for your night species. If you want consistency the 400lbers. at the buffets feed all day everyday sometimes hours at a time.
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Ssp 3/9/19
Mar 13, 2019 19:57:26 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by parkpass on Mar 13, 2019 19:57:26 GMT -5
That's classic snapperx...and they stuff their pockets full before they leave.....hahahaha
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Post by mackdude on Mar 14, 2019 7:25:26 GMT -5
You want to hear the issue. Here it is: Spanish mackerel are migratory fish, we all know this. Very little people understand how they migrate though. I’m not talking north and south migration, I’m talking the advanced migrational details. Spanish mackerel are slow migratory. They don’t all migrate to one location at once. They come in smaller waves through our area. Meaning each week or less, a new wave will come through. If people desperately keep going to the pier, trying to suck out all the Mack’s, each wave of Mack’s coming in will fade as the people catch them. One wave comes in, the next two days, that wave gets caught and killed: they are all mostly gone. THE KEY POINT: Leave the piers alone for a while in terms of Mack’s. Let those waves build up, for a couple of weeks, and all of a sudden, the pier will be filled with them. It’s not weather that’s the problem, it’s the desperate people that are killing out the species after each wave. The bait is not the problem, just leave em be for a couple of weeks, and in April, you will see what I mean.
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Post by seabird on Mar 14, 2019 8:38:08 GMT -5
mackdude: Interesting angle on the macks regarding the migration. But I don't think people are fishing them out. There are some anglers who catch and keep many (not me). But the waves consist of many fish, most make it past the piers and get into the Bay.
There are other anglers out there who don't target macks but go after sheephead, snapper, grunts etc.
I heard there is commercial fishing for mackerel which I view as a bigger threat. Red tide and pollution are other larger threats to our fisheries.
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Post by silverspoon on Mar 14, 2019 10:09:34 GMT -5
With regard to macs during spring of 2019, the weather and presence of food are the primary factors controlling where the macs go, the stock has not been depleted, yet.
I think red tide is the biggest threat as it wipes out huge areas in a short period of time, indiscriminately killing everything in its path. It is true that red tide is naturally occurring but polluted stormwater runoff from the State is fertilizing the red tide, even though some agencies deny it. After red tide, commercial fishing would probably be next biggest threat, as they are allowed to catch huge loads of fish per day. One day of the commercial fishing season probably takes more fish from the stock than an entire year's catch at the pier. The recreational guys are not the problem but we are the ones restricted the most.
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Post by mackdude on Mar 14, 2019 11:15:28 GMT -5
I agree. Commercial fisheries are the single biggest threat to our fisheries. Sad to see. Just recently I found out that a commercial fishing company actually cast nets spanish mackerels, with 12-15 foot cast nets. RIDICULOUS. Something should be done. You know what Im tired of. Red Snapper regulations. Oof, dont even get me started.
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Post by sigeptrooper02 on Mar 14, 2019 14:47:02 GMT -5
I agree. Commercial fisheries are the single biggest threat to our fisheries. Sad to see. Just recently I found out that a commercial fishing company actually cast nets spanish mackerels, with 12-15 foot cast nets. RIDICULOUS. Something should be done. You know what Im tired of. Red Snapper regulations. Oof, dont even get me started. As long as commercial fisheries lobbyists are in the back pockets of our politicians, funding campaign efforts, the recreational fisherman will continue to get screwed...….
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Post by redwrecker on Mar 14, 2019 15:47:55 GMT -5
I think there are plenty of macks. The hardest part is just locating them. You have to be mobile and try different spots along the pier until you find them. Then keep finding them to get bites. Every time I go out in the boat they are around from this time of year through fall. Fished the New Port Richey area today from boat for trout today and kept getting bit off by macks. I don’t catch them every time I target them at the pier. It’s all a learning game I’m still trying to figure out the piers.
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Post by silverspoon on Mar 16, 2019 6:14:21 GMT -5
Fished ssp yesterday, only saw macs being caught at end of pier, guys using weight and spoon rigs and gotcha plugs, they were pulling one over the rail every couple of minutes, I fished as close as I could get without crowding them using fresh cut bait on long shank hook and got 2 in the cooler and lost 3, had to leave to meet delivery guy, doh! They were still catching as I drove away.
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Post by parkpass on Mar 16, 2019 8:14:24 GMT -5
I was out there at the end, mostly watching. My guess is there were over 200 macks caught there yesterday. By 5:30 the bait was moving down the pier and so were the macks but they got bigger in the 21" range. Lost some bigger than that. Around 6pm guys started using small scaled sardines and were getting the same big macks. Hope this drop in temp doesn't run the bait off. Afternoon bite turned on when the wind shifted from the south to the SW
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Post by snapperx on Mar 16, 2019 12:00:00 GMT -5
Landed 10 keepers biggest was 24 again. Had about a 26 or 27 up to the top after several violent runs and was going to pull it up by the leader like a grouper, then out of the blue some carnie in a white truck stops in the road and starts hollering flip it over come on, the mack hit the top rail and fell back in snapping the line taking my last Clark spoon with it. Should have had the Redbone heavy action rod on the reel after catching those 24's instead of the walmart special that brim could bend in half. Good day of fishing the macks are fattening up.
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Post by parkpass on Mar 16, 2019 12:57:52 GMT -5
Get anything on that green/chrome Clark spoon?
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Post by jhast1 on Mar 16, 2019 13:48:52 GMT -5
Kid caught his first mack 18" couple mangroves and small sheep. We're out til Sunday to see what happens. Mack on a minnow BTW.
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Ssp 3/9/19
Mar 16, 2019 17:47:28 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by jhast1 on Mar 16, 2019 17:47:28 GMT -5
Kid caught his first mack 18" couple mangroves and small sheep. We're out til Sunday to see what happens. Mack on a minnow BTW. Haven't seen bait but once today, pulled 2 gags out no more macks. Between bathroom 2 and the bait shop.
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Post by parkpass on Mar 16, 2019 18:06:28 GMT -5
The bait I've seen in that area is big Threadfins, macks can't swallow those monsters. Small scaled sardines and small Spanish sardines are out toward the end and so are the macks
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Post by snapperx on Mar 16, 2019 19:28:20 GMT -5
Get anything on that green/chrome Clark spoon? Figured I might a run into you the odds, ha. Not 1 stirke about 50 casts, I don't think I had enough weight on the rig it was getting to the top quick. Left about after you did macks were still flying over rail all over the place. It was good talking to you.
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