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Post by stuckintherocks on May 9, 2023 19:44:11 GMT -5
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Post by fishsci on May 9, 2023 21:10:05 GMT -5
Calm down its my first time here on the forum but yesterday on the south pier past the bait house around noon on live greenback. Lost about 4 spoons and 4 long shank hooks that had live greenback and activity died about 3 when the dolphins showed up. Around 7ish people near me were being bit off and they were using greenbacks so I'd imagine macks but who knows. Hope that's enough info. Sorry, I had no idea that that was your first post here. There has been an ongoing discussion about how everyone benefits from posts that give full information. You, being new, would have not been aware of that. Your thorough and detailed follow-up report is greatly appreciated and helpful to all. Also sorry to see, in the post following yours that some saw your good second post, but still do not get it. It is up to those who have been regulars here for years to encourage others to have a sense of community that helps others and even helps them. I think I have done the best I can.
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Post by tears143 on May 9, 2023 22:40:33 GMT -5
That looks like a very nice pomp. 14-15" pomp?
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Post by carlf on May 10, 2023 6:23:20 GMT -5
I was using 40 pound fluorocarbon as my leader Wow, must have been a bunch of big macs or maybe small kings, in the area to have that many cut-off using 40#. The one in the pic was definately not coming off the hook!
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Post by Flatsrunner on May 10, 2023 7:16:41 GMT -5
Nice to see Pompano being caught off the pier, Hopefully there is more to come.
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Post by stuckintherocks on May 10, 2023 7:32:53 GMT -5
Calm down its my first time here on the forum but yesterday on the south pier past the bait house around noon on live greenback. Lost about 4 spoons and 4 long shank hooks that had live greenback and activity died about 3 when the dolphins showed up. Around 7ish people near me were being bit off and they were using greenbacks so I'd imagine macks but who knows. Hope that's enough info. Sorry, I had no idea that that was your first post here. There has been an ongoing discussion about how everyone benefits from posts that give full information. You, being new, would have not been aware of that. Your thorough and detailed follow-up report is greatly appreciated and helpful to all. Also sorry to see, in the post following yours that some saw your good second post, but still do not get it. It is up to those who have been regulars here for years to encourage others to have a sense of community that helps others and even helps them. I think I have done the best I can. If anybody wants the exact spot coordinates, gps configuration, exact time, water temp, bait, and methods used for catching these fish private message me, I’ll give all the information to everyone except fishsci
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Post by fishsci on May 10, 2023 11:08:21 GMT -5
Gee, even after I apologized, and complimented him for giving all the details in his follow-up post?
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Post by Mackerelman on May 10, 2023 21:42:18 GMT -5
You people that are getting Cut-Off using 30 & 40 lb. leader are not reeling fast enough. A few years back I showed a bunch of people from here plus others what they were doing wrong when reeling in the Macks. A few of the people were reeling too slow. When I had then to reel faster they brought in the Macks. It was a very productive morning that day. Macks were ranging from 16" to 24". When Fishing for the Macks with a Spoon You have to reel faster especially if You hook into a King. If You are using a Greenback with a short hook & You get a hit, You also have to reel fast or the Mack will chew through the leader to get off.
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Post by conureman on May 11, 2023 7:59:14 GMT -5
You people that are getting Cut-Off using 30 & 40 lb. leader are not reeling fast enough. A few years back I showed a bunch of people from here plus others what they were doing wrong when reeling in the Macks. A few of the people were reeling too slow. When I had then to reel faster they brought in the Macks. It was a very productive morning that day. Macks were ranging from 16" to 24". When Fishing for the Macks with a Spoon You have to reel faster especially if You hook into a King. If You are using a Greenback with a short hook & You get a hit, You also have to reel fast or the Mack will chew through the leader to get off. Thanks for that info. I'll try again when I'm out there on sunday. Hopefully I'll get more than one.
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Post by saltybass on May 11, 2023 8:53:08 GMT -5
Slack line with toothy fish doesn't end well. You don't have to force a fish in if it wants to run but keep your line tight. Reel fast on a heavy drag to avoid feeding dolphins.
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Post by conureman on May 11, 2023 9:28:32 GMT -5
I was using a popping cork as a bobber with a #30 fluorocarbon leader with a long shank j hook and let it out with a greenback. That's how I caught the mackeral in the photo. Is that a good rig for mackeral or is there another rig that yall guys can recommend besides the spoon and wieght combo as I use that as well. Thanks for the info.
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Post by Mackerelman on May 11, 2023 11:02:20 GMT -5
I was using a popping cork as a bobber with a #30 fluorocarbon leader with a long shank j hook and let it out with a greenback. That's how I caught the mackeral in the photo. Is that a good rig for mackerel or is there another rig that yall guys can recommend besides the spoon and weight combo as I use that as well. Thanks for the info. In My Opinion & Past Experience, a Long J-Hook should always be used when trying to catch Macks. I have even filleted Macks & found short & small hooks & small spoons in them. If You hook a Mack or a King, the Fish will always try to de-hook itself if You don't reel fast enough. That is one way of getting cut-offs. The other way of getting cut-offs is when the Fish Bites the leader ahead of the Spoon or Hook. That is why the Faster Retrieving Method is always the best when Fishing for Macks or Kings or Bonitos.
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Post by conureman on May 11, 2023 11:37:09 GMT -5
I was using a popping cork as a bobber with a #30 fluorocarbon leader with a long shank j hook and let it out with a greenback. That's how I caught the mackeral in the photo. Is that a good rig for mackerel or is there another rig that yall guys can recommend besides the spoon and weight combo as I use that as well. Thanks for the info. In My Opinion & Past Experience, a Long J-Hook should always be used when trying to catch Macks. I have even filleted Macks & found short & small hooks & small spoons in them. If You hook a Mack or a King, the Fish will always try to de-hook itself if You don't reel fast enough. That is one way of getting cut-offs. The other way of getting cut-offs is when the Fish Bites the leader ahead of the Spoon or Hook. That is why the Faster Retrieving Method is always the best when Fishing for Macks or Kings or Bonitos. Appreciate the info I'll make sure to retrieve my spoon faster so I don't get cut off like I did on sunday.
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Post by carlf on May 11, 2023 13:09:05 GMT -5
"I was using a popping cork as a bobber with a #30 fluorocarbon leader with a long shank j hook and let it out with a greenback."
When I fish small finger mullet, greenbacks or small white bait (or big live shrimp), I free-line with no cork or use a 3" foam cork, a 6-12" 50# mono leader and a #1 hook. Sometimes a split shot above the hook if there is a lot of current. I get some cut-offs, but not many. Check your leader after every bite or fish landed. If its nicked up, replace it. Mono is cheap!
Sometimes I use a short (~4"), light single strand wire leader, 27# wire at the most. Works OK in dingy water but you'll get fewer bits in clear water unless the fish are schooled up and in a feeding frenzy.
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Post by conureman on May 11, 2023 14:01:03 GMT -5
"I was using a popping cork as a bobber with a #30 fluorocarbon leader with a long shank j hook and let it out with a greenback." When I fish small finger mullet, greenbacks or small white bait (or big live shrimp), I free-line with no cork or use a 3" foam cork, a 6-12" 50# mono leader and a #1 hook. Sometimes a split shot above the hook if there is a lot of current. I get some cut-offs, but not many. Check your leader after every bite or fish landed. If its nicked up, replace it. Mono is cheap! Sometimes I use a short (~4"), light single strand wire leader, 27# wire at the most. Works OK in dingy water but you'll get fewer bits in clear water unless the fish are schooled up and in a feeding frenzy. How far do you free line your bait as I leave two lines one closer to the pier and one farther out
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Post by stuckintherocks on May 11, 2023 20:03:55 GMT -5
That looks like a very nice pomp. 14-15" pomp? 15 inch to the fork ! Was delicious ! First one I’ve got off the pier in a while and I got it on a spoon
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Post by stuckintherocks on May 11, 2023 20:05:26 GMT -5
Gee, even after I apologized, and complimented him for giving all the details in his follow-up post? Haha I’m just kidding, I’ll do a full fishing report shortly
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Post by fishsci on May 11, 2023 20:14:33 GMT -5
You had me going...LOL!
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Post by fishsci on May 11, 2023 21:10:13 GMT -5
Cutoffs -- It seems to me in my long time (probably longer than any here) fishing for mackerel, that there are two types of cutoffs. The first is a cutoff that happens immediately when the strike first occurs, or within the first few seconds after the strike. In that case, it is likely that the cutoff is due to the bait being immediately swallowed deep enough for the hook to be far inside enough of the mackerel's mouth that the teeth immediately cut the line/leader. Sometimes that can happen if the fish gets the leader in its mouth above the hook and almost immediately cuts the leader. That kind of cutoff happens more often when fishing live bait and the fisherman lets the fish take the bait for a while before setting the hook. Sometimes it seems that that kind of cutoff occurs when the fish are feeding very aggressively and quickly swallow the bait.
The second type of cutoff is when the leader is cut while the fish is being brought in. That probably usually, when the hook is in one side of the mouth, and the fish turns such that the leader slides through the mouth and against the teeth -- cutting the line. In that case, reeling the fish in fast with heavy line that does not allow the fish to turn any way except directly toward the fisherman would surely reduce some cutoffs. Similarly reeling in a spoon very fast probably results in most of the fish taking the lure from behind as it is reeled in. The combination of the two, is very likely to reduce the number of cutoffs a fisherman suffers.
That is all good if your ideal of fishing is just to bring in as many mackerel as possible. As I have said before, my idea of sport fishing is not limited to how many fish I bring up. Landing a 1-lb mackerel that is winched in by reeling it in on 30-lb line is not all that much sport. I almost always fish with 8-lb mono for mackerel, and maybe 10-12-lb when swimming a live bait out. Catching a 1-lb mackerel on 30-lb is the equivalent of landing a 5-lb snook fishing with 150-lb line.
To each his own. However, it would be interesting to know how those many reported cutoffs happened -- right at the strike -- or later on the way of trying to bring the fish in.
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Post by stuckintherocks on May 11, 2023 23:18:28 GMT -5
Started Monday night around 11pm, caught the end of outgoing tide and fished the night on ssp a little after the bait shop, fished for snapper the last hour of outgoing got 5 or 6 11inchers but decided not to keep.. worked my way to the beginning of the pier for the first hour of incoming and got the trout freelining greenbacks with the current under the pier.. action got slow so I took a nap.. woke up around 5 or 6 and started again, moved to the north pier at the very beginning, tons of bait but no surface activity, I tried jigs and gotchas for a bit with no strikes, switched to a weighted spoon, 1oz weight with only about 5 or 6 foot of 25lb fluoro,1/2oz gold Clark spoon, casting far, letting it sink til it hits bottom then jig to surface, let it drop n repeat, I’m about a 30minute span of action around 8:30-9:00am but his is how I got the 2 macks and to my surprise the pompano as well, I tried with the spoon for another 20 minutes or so and then switched to a pompano jig to see if any more were around… only caught small blue runners and a lizard fish on the jig. Gave up around 11am
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Post by stuckintherocks on May 11, 2023 23:20:13 GMT -5
Seemed like a good haul, but I busted my @$$ for those fish lol
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Post by carlf on May 12, 2023 6:44:45 GMT -5
"How far do you free line your bait as I leave two lines one closer to the pier and one farther out"
I mainly fish Desoto Gulf Pier or the Gandy from my 14' Smokercraft.
When at Desoto, I free line the bait anywhere from almost straight down to 100' from the pier, depending on current, water clarity and what the macs and jacks are doing/how aggressive they are. I fish only one rod, drop the bait down right next to the pier and then free line as the current carries it out. Keep moving and recasting. Usually use a cork but when the macs are agressive and the water is clear, no cork. I like fishing a bubble rig with the macs are aggressive and schooled up. More action.
In the boat, I fish the incoming tide, placing the boat crossways along a West bound bridge pier cap, with anchors at the stern & bow up on the pier caps. They I float two lines out, with corks, bait baout 4'-6' under the cork, one about 50' another about 100', and put the rods in the holders. The current holds the line tight. Usually the fish are hooked as soon as they hit the bait. When schools come through, double hooks ups are common.
You don't need a big expensive boat to catch a ton of fish on the upper Bay. I spent less than $2000 on my whole rig. I rarely burn more than a 1/2 gallon of gas fishing around the Gandy.
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Post by conureman on May 12, 2023 11:00:23 GMT -5
"How far do you free line your bait as I leave two lines one closer to the pier and one farther out" I mainly fish Desoto Gulf Pier or the Gandy from my 14' Smokercraft. When at Desoto, I free line the bait anywhere from almost straight down to 100' from the pier, depending on current, water clarity and what the macs and jacks are doing/how aggressive they are. I fish only one rod, drop the bait down right next to the pier and then free line as the current carries it out. Keep moving and recasting. Usually use a cork but when the macs are agressive and the water is clear, no cork. I like fishing a bubble rig with the macs are aggressive and schooled up. More action. In the boat, I fish the incoming tide, placing the boat crossways along a West bound bridge pier cap, with anchors at the stern & bow up on the pier caps. They I float two lines out, with corks, bait baout 4'-6' under the cork, one about 50' another about 100', and put the rods in the holders. The current holds the line tight. Usually the fish are hooked as soon as they hit the bait. When schools come through, double hooks ups are common. You don't need a big expensive boat to catch a ton of fish on the upper Bay. I spent less than $2000 on my whole rig. I rarely burn more than a 1/2 gallon of gas fishing around the Gandy. I'll definitely look into getting a boat. Thanks for the Info I really appreciate it.
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Post by carlf on May 12, 2023 15:04:18 GMT -5
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Post by conureman on May 12, 2023 16:08:23 GMT -5
OKay I think I have an idea of what I'm going to get. I'm really grateful for everybody's advices and opinions. Tight lines Everybodyand thank you.
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Post by fishfinderbill on May 12, 2023 19:14:28 GMT -5
Went to SSP today to sun and think with a fishing pole in my hand. Was not interrupted once, by any take home fish
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Post by fishsci on May 14, 2023 13:38:55 GMT -5
Started Monday night around 11pm, caught the end of outgoing tide and fished the night on ssp a little after the bait shop, fished for snapper the last hour of outgoing got 5 or 6 11inchers but decided not to keep.. worked my way to the beginning of the pier for the first hour of incoming and got the trout freelining greenbacks with the current under the pier.. action got slow so I took a nap.. woke up around 5 or 6 and started again, moved to the north pier at the very beginning, tons of bait but no surface activity, I tried jigs and gotchas for a bit with no strikes, switched to a weighted spoon, 1oz weight with only about 5 or 6 foot of 25lb fluoro,1/2oz gold Clark spoon, casting far, letting it sink til it hits bottom then jig to surface, let it drop n repeat, I’m about a 30minute span of action around 8:30-9:00am but his is how I got the 2 macks and to my surprise the pompano as well, I tried with the spoon for another 20 minutes or so and then switched to a pompano jig to see if any more were around… only caught small blue runners and a lizard fish on the jig. Gave up around 11am Thank you again for all the details...even for me, LOL. However, I have one question, and I hope you are willing to answer it. In return, I am giving you and all here a little piece of information. First, I suspect that most here are surprised that you caught that pompano while fishing for mackerel using a Clarkspoon. Reading that, jogged my memory back to around 1960. Here is the information: At aroiund that time, there was a small trailer park on Lake Worth on the W side of the bay (Lake) right next to the big FPL power plant and across from Palm Beach Inlet. There were at least a half of dozen fishermen living in that trailer park who were snobirds, and made their living fishing in their small, inboard (Briggs and Stratton, lawnmower motors), wooden skiffs. They slowly trolled small gold spoons behind a weight and fished for and caught many pompano -- their target because even back then the market price for pompano was many times that for mackerel, and other fish. I think I remember that pompano got $1.00/lb back then, and mackerel were $0.15/lb or less. I had not thought of that for many years until I read your post. So others may want to try small gold spoons for pompano at the piers, and in our local waters. So my question is: Can you please tell us more details about the Clarkspoon you used? You said it was 1/2oz, but I checked online, ad Clarkspoon does not make any that are 1/2 oz, so you probably were just estimating the weight. They make sizes that are called 00, and the 0 is listed as 2-1/2 inches long and 3/8 oz, and the 00 is 1-3/4" and is 1/4 or 1/8 oz and is said to be 1-3/4 or 2 inches long (depending on what site you look at). Did you buy the spoon locally? I know that Wakmart stocks gold Clarkspoons. Thanks in advance..................
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Post by conureman on May 14, 2023 16:46:07 GMT -5
Fished today from 7:30am to 4:30pm Not a single mackeral or fish caught. Bait kept getting stolen by flipper and no reactions to spoon.
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Post by fishfinderbill on May 14, 2023 20:09:54 GMT -5
Conureman: Welcome to my and probably most SSP fishermen's world!
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Post by fishsci on May 14, 2023 20:25:23 GMT -5
Sorry about all the typos in my last reply. My keyboard has been not working right, and tends to cause me to make typos. I should take more time to re-check and spell check my posts before posting them. The spell checker button here seems to not be working.
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