Catch/Caught list

I've been at this pier fishing stuff for going on 8 years... About 7 of that has been at GSSP with you guys and gals. My little crew has enjoyed every moment of fishing.

I have been checking off fish on my hit list over the last few years and i'm almost complete,

1. Bluefish
2. Flounder(only 1 legal)
3. Pompano(Chillin learned me how to catch them
4. Spadefish(accidental catches but tasted great anyhow)
5. Black Drum
6. Redfish
7. White Trout
8. Whiting
9. Hardtail
10. Jack Crevalle
11. Ladyfish
12. Spanish
13. Lookdown(accidental)
14. Remora(accidental)

I've had a small handful of Kings on but the hooks pulled or I got sharked or lost them waiting on a gaff. I had one mangrove break me off on a piling, and i've found it less than possible to make a sheepie open their mouth. I lost one nice speck, amidst a chew down in the shallows a few years back..
I don't really care to catch a cobia, although it would be interesting. I have no interest in Tarpon or Bobo's at this time. e

I plan to catch a Sheepie or two this next week. May even try for a king if time permits, would it even be worth my time to try snobbling a cig?

Priorities for this summer are
#1 King
#2 Mangrove
#3 Specks

Any finer tips on how, where, when, why, to what extent... would be appreciated. .

Sincerely ,

A non-resident Googan :D

Well my wishes are for sheepshead and keeper pompano, but I tend to not be able to slow down and fish bait. My bass fishing tendencies take over. I had plans to do just that last fall but the hurricane hit.

As far as mangroves go, I catch several small ones off the jetty in the fall on artificials as well as dead shrimp pieces. I’ve caught specks in the backwater during guided trips, but I caught one keeper last fall, once again at the jetty. I tend to start the morning with topwater lures and then switch to jerkbaits afterward.

You need to add pinfish, pigfish, hardhead, sail cat, stargazer, striped burrfish, puffer, sea robin and croaker. Specs require live shrimp, luck and patience. You can catch the mangrove on the octi(and a few from the seawall at the pass) in July-October on bull minnows. Good luck with the kings. Save me a few sheepshead for week after next.

Don't forget the ever-popular lizard fish and African pompano.

Fishing for kings from the octi is a bit like fishing for specks in the shallows, in that it's largely a matter of having a good bait in the water in the right place at the right time - to "get bit". A king is going to make a good long run and MY strategy is to set my drag so that he doesn't break the line, but so that he tires himself out on that initial long run. Then, it's a matter of bringing him right back in and having someone gaff it for me. Hooks pull - that's just a part of it - and sharks get their share. But yeah, Mr. C. You should go after those species on your hit-list! I like cigs for kings, because big Spanish will hit them, too.

You'll score on sheepshead! I try to keep my live shrimp or TWO fiddler crabs (it covers the hook better) right against the façade of the piling, gently lowering the bait to the level where the fish are (hopefully, it's clear and you can see them). Sometimes, if the water is really clear, you can see the sheepshead's gills flare as it inhales your bait. You've got him! I take BOTH live shrimp and fiddlers, because sometimes they want one and not the other. As we get closer to the end of March, they should be biting with regularity.

Go get 'em! Catch a bunch!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chillinfish

You need to add pinfish, pigfish, hardhead, sail cat, stargazer, striped burrfish, puffer, sea robin and croaker. Specs require live shrimp, luck and patience. You can catch the mangrove on the octi(and a few from the seawall at the pass) in July-October on bull minnows. Good luck with the kings. Save me a few sheepshead for week after next.

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Chillin, i have those on my "non-bucket list" list. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Haywire

Don't forget the ever-popular lizard fish and African pompano.

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Mr. Wire, I remember seeing pics of you landing a pretty African Pomp some time ago. Is that something that normally occurs in small numbers or just by accident?

That is a good list. I have been living and fishing down here for a year now and my list is much shorter.
Whiting
Croaker
Pinfish
Pompano (all small)
White Trout
Stingray
Remora
Sailcat
Hardhead catfish

Outta talk to mr. Harley when it comes to specs. That man makes fish bite his hook. Almost like a supernatural power. Haha. I started copying him down to the way he holds his mouth a couple summer back and started catching trout. I've caught hundreds of trout in the bay and rivers in the fall and none of them are as finicky as the trout on the pier. You need some light line and a fat shrimp or finger mullet. The mullet tend to run and flick more than shrimp and intice a bite more often. Another thing to look for is the "packed up" trout. They compete for bait and are a lot easier to catch then the 5-7 pound lone wolf trout.