Long story short... wife and I moved here 6 months ago. We are big time hunters from Georgia with NO experience in saltwater fishing. I did some charter stuff years ago off Dauphin Island, and she did some pier fishing in Texas years ago. So with our combined knowledge we know how to bait the hook. Read a ton of websites that lead me to spending ALL last weekend at the skyway pier. Promises of Grouper and Spanish Mackerel sent me into overdrive. We fished for baitfish off the south pier. Caught a ton of grunts. Used the 8 ounce sinker and 24 inch leader to try and catch some grouper... caught a 55 pound stingray. Hooray (sarcasm). Used something called a tsunami plug to try and catch some spanish mackerel. Caught squat. Tried a big arse cork with about 12 foot undernieth it with a whole grunt. Caught squat. Replaced whole grunt with cut grunt. Caught squat. So overall our first weekend was awesome thanks to the sunsets and weather... but the fishing... well... I've caught bigger while unstopping the toilet. I need some advice on what we should do to be more successful. Tricks of the trade if you will. I think I probably listened to one too many tourists this past weekend. We bought about 400 bucks worth of crap, and I think it's quite possibly the wrong crap. We are headed out Thursday after I get off work and are going to stay until probably lunch time on Friday.
Answers to questions that may be asked....
1.) we fished from the North pier on Friday, and both piers on Saturday and Sunday. We were around the baitshops while fishing on both piers.
2.) We caught bait straight below us, and were fishing southwest of the baitshop on the south pier, and probably due west of the baitshop on the North pier.
3.) Open face reels with 30 pound test monofiliment. 60 pound leader monofilament. (And on that 400 dollar shopping spree we bought tons of wire leaders of all sorts of weights.)
4.) Yes, we're using circle hooks.
Thanks ahead of time for any help folks.
:boat
Answers to questions that may be asked....
1.) we fished from the North pier on Friday, and both piers on Saturday and Sunday. We were around the baitshops while fishing on both piers.
2.) We caught bait straight below us, and were fishing southwest of the baitshop on the south pier, and probably due west of the baitshop on the North pier.
3.) Open face reels with 30 pound test monofiliment. 60 pound leader monofilament. (And on that 400 dollar shopping spree we bought tons of wire leaders of all sorts of weights.)
4.) Yes, we're using circle hooks.
1.) If your not on the rocks your not on the fish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8imnMaTMGc&playnext_from=TL&videos=0PUqf3PAZ18&playnext=1
http://maps.google.com/
2.) You will get most of your bait straight down. Pin's for grouper greenback's for mack's.
3.) No wire for grouper. You can for mack's but I don't like to use it. You can free-line your pinfish over the rocks ar put then on the bottom.
Pier fishing is tough. Especially on holiday weekends. Im sure there were lots of people out there, and the limited fishing area around the pier gets hammered pretty hard. There are some grouper there, but it is not like it is off shore. They are few and far between MAcks are just now showing up in the bay following the bait, which is also just arriving.
Keep at it, the fishing is just turning on. I would also look at decreasing the size of the sinkers and # line you are using. Most of the time....less is better.
Well that proves that I was listening to WAY too many tourists. I was told just the opposite. We were using a 2 ounce weight with 15 lb test and 30 lb leaders and was told we were crazy. We needed MORE MORE MORE!
I was told about the rocks. Is there a trick to finding them? I've heard something about the pilings looking different where the rock piles are. Is that true?
