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Post by conureman on Jul 9, 2023 18:12:16 GMT -5
 One on spoon and the two others on live green back. One was 17",13" and 15". |
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Post by seabird on Jul 9, 2023 19:00:11 GMT -5
Where did you catch those? Boat or pier? Nice artistic photo.
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Post by conureman on Jul 9, 2023 19:07:12 GMT -5
Where did you catch those? Boat or pier? Nice artistic photo. On the south side past the bait shop |
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Post by Mackerelman on Jul 9, 2023 23:06:30 GMT -5
Where did you catch those? Boat or pier? Nice artistic photo. On the south side past the bait shop You found My Spot !  |
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Post by conureman on Jul 11, 2023 21:46:36 GMT -5
So any tips would be helpful.
I leave two rods out with a bobber and live bait on a long shank hook and I get a lot of cut offs. Is there anything to minimize these cut offs like longer shank hook or do I have to use wire?
I stay nearby them casting a spoon in case something gets hooked.
30# mono leader in case anybody asks
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 11, 2023 21:58:17 GMT -5
Can't help with that, I'm a one rod kinda guy
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Post by carlf on Jul 12, 2023 6:43:51 GMT -5
Move up to 40 or 50# mono or flourocarbon.
I normally use 50# with a standard #1 baitholder hook and get few cutoffs.
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 12, 2023 16:36:44 GMT -5
Trying to fish 3 rods is the problem, not the line strength.
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Post by fishsci on Jul 12, 2023 21:55:01 GMT -5
Move up to 40 or 50# mono or flourocarbon. I normally use 50# with a standard #1 baitholder hook and get few cutoffs. All the tests that I have seen have shown that flourocarbon is less resistant to cutoffs than standard nylon mono. Other studies of flouro show that is very slightly closer to the refractive index of water than nylon mono is, so flourcarbon might be slightly less visilbe than nylon. However, other tests have shown that flouro, in clear water, gives off flashes of light as it rotates relative to the incident sunlight, and those flashes might spook fish. I have fished for Spanish mackerel almost everywhere they are typically caught, and I have found that 50# leader does not work well, and that in most places 25#-30# is the highest that can be used and not greatly reduce strikes. However, there are places and times when macks are so abundant and so aggressive, that even #5 wire will still catch them and eliminate all cutoffs. One of the places where I have seen that heavy mono or even wire is effective is along the upper GOM coast during the summer. The macks there can be so abundent and so aggressive that 50# mono or flouro is standard and does not seem to reduce catch. I think that maybe Carlf is extrapolating for his experience there. However, I would strongly suggest that at the Skyway piers, and most times, using such heavy leader will substantially reduce your hits and you catch. I would not advise anyone to use any leader above 30# there. You might get a few more cutoffs, but many more strikes will make up for it. Interestingly, some of the cheapest brands of mono are less flexible and harder than the premium brands, so buy cheap mono for your leaders, and not spend many times as much as expensive mono, and maybe 10 times as much as flouro. Back in the day, we went out of our way to use Mason Hard Mono. That stuff is so hard and stiff that you would never want to use it on your reel, but it is much more resistant to cutoffs. I just checked quilckly, and it is still availablt at Bass Pro, probably other places too. If you do not want to spend extra to buy the Mason Hard Mono, you can get almost the same thing by buying cheap clear 25# or 30# mono and stretching it between a couple of trees or posts in your yard, and leaving it out there for a couple weeks, after which time the sunlight will drive out most of the plasticizers in the mono that make it softer, and it will become much harder, and very straight. Just don't wrap it in a small diameter spool or coil, or it will take a set and not be straight at all when you go to use it. |
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Post by fishsci on Jul 12, 2023 22:03:37 GMT -5
On the south side past the bait shop You found My Spot ! Could you please help out others by telling us if you caught those macks before or after the tide started back in that afternoon? If you tell us what time, we could look at the tides for that day (9th), and hope that if we can fish that tide a few hours later in the next couple days we might catch a couple too. Thanks. |
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Post by conureman on Jul 12, 2023 22:37:42 GMT -5
You found My Spot ! Could you please help out others by telling us if you caught those macks before or after the tide started back in that afternoon? If you tell us what time, we could look at the tides for that day (9th), and hope that if we can fish that tide a few hours later in the next couple days we might catch a couple too. Thanks. From 7 t0 8 is they were hitting live bait. Not very interested in the spoon beside the 17". I'll try again over the weekend to see if I can catch more . |
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Post by carlf on Jul 13, 2023 4:52:54 GMT -5
You are correct most of my experience is along the AL coast.
However, I've had good luck at fort desoto and along the Gandy with 40 and 50# mono leaders.
But I also use short leaders, 6-8".
I've seen some guys use 1'-2' leaders, not needed IMO.
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Post by fishsci on Jul 13, 2023 9:16:16 GMT -5
Could you please help out others by telling us if you caught those macks before or after the tide started back in that afternoon? If you tell us what time, we could look at the tides for that day (9th), and hope that if we can fish that tide a few hours later in the next couple days we might catch a couple too. Thanks. From 7 t0 8 is they were hitting live bait. Not very interested in the spoon beside the 17". I'll try again over the weekend to see if I can catch more . Thanks so much for that information. It is a big help. |
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Post by tears143 on Jul 13, 2023 9:29:41 GMT -5
Yeah... when mack r biting no need for 3 rods. Just freelining with one rod is good enough.
As far as cut off, I would just use a long shank hook. The more stronger the bait runs(more lively), the easier it is for the mack to mis-strike and cut your line. I told the behavior and why it might happen. Now it is for you to think of a solution for yourself.
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 13, 2023 11:06:25 GMT -5
LOL...you just gave him the solution, one rod
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Post by conureman on Jul 16, 2023 17:28:21 GMT -5
 Caught around 2o clock at the end of the south pier. Could've caught more but i ran out of spoons.masssive mackeral chased my spoon about 11ish and seemed to be 27 inches give or take. |
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 16, 2023 18:11:05 GMT -5
Tell me, how did you run out of spoons?
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Post by conureman on Jul 16, 2023 18:28:44 GMT -5
Tell me, how did you run out of spoons? Only took 2 spoons. Was just unprepared in general. |
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 16, 2023 18:55:53 GMT -5
What spoons are you using?
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Post by conureman on Jul 16, 2023 19:07:23 GMT -5
What spoons are you using? Size 0 clarkspoon |
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 16, 2023 19:30:18 GMT -5
Have you tried Tsunami spoons? Much cheaper and I believe is a better spoon...when I use a chrome spoon I use the 3/0 Tsunami but that's for topwater only. How do you fish your spoons?
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Post by conureman on Jul 16, 2023 20:03:29 GMT -5
Have you tried Tsunami spoons? Much cheaper and I believe is a better spoon...when I use a chrome spoon I use the 3/0 Tsunami but that's for topwater only. How do you fish your spoons? Never tried tsunami spoons. I think they have different ones like lite ,flash. Which one do you recommend?. I usually have better luck with the silver spoons that the bait shop has. I think they sell them for 5.99 or 4.99.i didn't have any at hand but they work great imo. I usually let it fall to the bottom then retrieve it fast then slow it down for about 3 seconds to let fall slowly while also. Retrieving it so I don't get cut off. |
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 16, 2023 20:47:33 GMT -5
Those baitshop spoons are excellent spoons, as far as your retrieve I suggest you change and do a steady nonstop retrieve instead, not knowing what equipment you use it's hard to offer much help, but that start/stop method is a sure fire way to lose a lot of spoons to cutoffs
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Post by conureman on Jul 16, 2023 20:57:35 GMT -5
I use 3oz to 4oz trolling sinker with about 9ft to 10 feet 25pnd mono leader on a 9ft bigstik surf rod. I'll try that method out on Sunday when I'm out there. Thanks for the tip. I truly appreciate it.
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 16, 2023 21:18:56 GMT -5
Hey man, that's not a bad setup, one thing you should definitely do is stop using those trolling sinkers, get some 4oz egg sinkers with swivels built in, with a 9ft rod I suggest you increase your leader length to 12ft, hopefully you are using at least a 5000 high speed reel
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Post by conureman on Jul 16, 2023 21:22:31 GMT -5
Yes I use a penn fierce 4 5000 reel with 40pnd braid.luckily I also have those wieghts in by tackle box.
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 16, 2023 21:41:33 GMT -5
I settled on 65# power pro, it holds up longer above the sinker than smaller braid. Do you use white spoons?
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Post by conureman on Jul 17, 2023 4:25:41 GMT -5
I've used them twice before but had no luck. My go to would be the gold spoons or the ones with green and pink stickers on the back
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Post by tears143 on Jul 17, 2023 9:27:22 GMT -5
get more bite with fast and stop retrieve but more cut off. Pick your poison.
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Post by shot33gun9 on Jul 17, 2023 14:15:00 GMT -5
Conureman are you a birdkeeper?
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