Thread: Ft Morgan Beach fishing help

Hey guys. Ive been going to Ft. Morgan for many years for our summer vacation with the family. Ive always got on the forum and looked and see what was happening with the fishing before I come. Ive never posted before but decided to since my 3 boys are all getting big enough to want to catch fish. They like fishing but they would really rather catch fish just like the rest of us. Ive always fished from the beach with spoons and cut bait and mainly caught catfish and ladyfish. Ive been down several times in October and fished the Dixie bar for reds and had pretty good luck. I know the fishing is slow this time of year but I was really wanting some guidance on how to fish from the beach, what to fish with, what to fish for, and how far out to fish where I could get my boys hooked on it where they look forward to fishing every year when we come down. Thanks in advance for any advice that you guys can give me.

Right now not much really going on from shore. The random red has been hitting cut bait for me and I have been catching flounder and trout on gulp shrimp with red jig head (just work it SLOW on the bottom). best bet is fresh dead shrimp or cut bait for the reds and whiting. All have been caught before 8:00am or after 5pm.

thanks for the reply hunter. Another question I have is how far out do we need to fish. Seems like Ive always walked out neck deep and thrown as far as I could with a 4 oz sinker and a huge piece of cut bait. Hasn't ever really worked that well but it is fun trying. I have caught an occasional red this way. I guess even though Ive been fishing down there for years Ive never really learned how to fish. Are the whiting biting pretty good right now? Whats the best cutbait to use? Thanks for the help!!

whiting are usually very close to the beach. small pieces of fresh shrimp work best for me. try inside the breaking waves. some people like the "shrimp bites" which is a man made scent bait. Most inexpierienced people throw too far out to do well with the whiting. A small size 4 kahle style hook on a short leader with a swivel and half ounce egg sinker above the swivel produces well for me. I prefer the leader to be floracarbon and less than a foot in length. A freshwater crappie rod with 4 or 6 pound test line works great.

Thats spot on

You did not mention what ages your boys were. If they are 4-5-6 or so years old, it may be more fun for them to catch bait ( even if you don't need it ). Small hooks, 1/4 0z weights, with small pieces of fresh ( never frozen ) peeled shrimp. Sand fleas can be caught in the surf, and are a great natural bait for Pompano and redfish. They are caught with a sand flea rake that you can find at bait shops or Wal-mart, and will entertain young and old alike. This site has a Search feature you can use to find answers to almost every question you can think of, and it is available at your convenience, whenever you need it. Best of luck and smooth drags to y'all.

Thanks for the replies guys. And bode I forgot about ages but my boys are 7,4,2. We always catch sand fleas. I have a rake. They seem to be a lot easier to catch at night than during the day. I'm assuming that is because of traffic during the day. We have tried fiahing with the fleas but we have never caught one thing with them. I've always heard the Reds love them but can't prove it by me. There again I may be casting further out than I need to. How far out should I be fishing with the fleas. Thanks again.

It's not necessarily a function of 'how far' as 'where'.

You want your bait on the edge of any channel or dropoff within casting range.
During a rising tide the fish feed more up on the sandbars,
unless it is very rough, then they feed on the 'leeward side of the sandbar along the dropoff into the trough.
Any break in the sandbar is an avenue for them to traverse between the trough and outside waters.

I have had my best luck with sand fleas early in the morning, when no one is swimming. I fish either a Carolina rig, or a double drop rig I make with fluorocarbon line, 10# test. Use the least amount of weight I can, and fish on top of the first sand bar. Or just past the top of the bar, or just back this side of the bar. And sometimes as far as I can fling it without wading the surf, but always with the least weight I can get away with, fresh bait, and floro leaders. For whiting, I use small 1/6 0z. jigs or #4 circle hooks, fresh, never frozen, pieces of peeled shrimp, 10-15 ft. out. Whiting are terrific to eat and can be easy for the young fisher people to catch and contribute to the table. Two of the best tricks I know were learned on this Forum, after more than 30 yrs. of salt water fishing. I will not fish with people swimming around me, and the use fluorocarbon for leader material. Did not mean to be a bag of wind, but I hope this helps. And be sure to spend some time using the Search feature. Good luck, and smooth drags.

If your fishing for Whiting, stand a few feet back from the waterline and cast the rig and bait described by Oldfisherman into the face of the first breaker out from the beach. That could be from 10 to 30 feet from where your standing. Keep in mind that when a wave breaks it creates turbulence on the front face of the sand bar it's spilling over. That turbulence is washing up all kinds of critters that fish like to eat. When they see and smell that small piece of shrimp you threw out there they grab it and that equals fish on. Start thinking like a fish and ask yourself where the food you want is. Is it in that calm water behind the sand bar or is it where the bottom is being dug up by wave turbulance? Spend a little time learning to read the surf. Lots of info with videos on line. Go down to the beach at dead low tide and you will see the sand bars, cuts and holes where you will want to fish. Take your boys with you and show them what your seeing and why you want to fish there.