Thread: Fishing times

What is the best month to fish from the pier from now till Dec? How long do the kings stay around Gulf Shores? Next question. I fish for Tarpon a lot and have changed to braid due to just holding so much more line and not always having a good second to drive the boat. Do you find it spooks the fish? I have heard that it hums in the water. Since I am blind it helps me see the line when pier fishing. Would you rec going to FC before the wire for Kings? Just asking

October is probably the best month. The kings usually vacate the area for the most part from sometime in June or July until it cools down in September. Though things have slowed down they aren't gone yet, so this year who knows. I don't think braid scares fish, unless you're using white or some hi-viz color without some color (black Marks-A-Lot) and or leader on the end. Humming in the water? Some braids are noisy on certain guides, other than that I haven't a clue what you're talking about. If you think braid helps you see your line better then you are using hi-viz or you really are blind and you just think you see your line better. Fluorocarbon line isn't needed for kings mono works just fine.

I'm not a tarpon expert or even claim to be, but I'd think that straight braid wouldn't be the weapon of choice to target poons with. Since it lacks stretch, you'll lose shock absorption you'd have with mono. Hooks would pull and line would break more readily with braid. Also braid is awfully thin and adds very little resistance itself when a big fish is dragging a few hundred yards of it through the water as compared to mono. I would say that the resistance of 200 - 300 yards of mono does more to fight a fish than the pressure that the average fisherman can or will put on a big fish. That is not to say that braid isn't wonderful stuff as backing to boost a reels overall capacity. I like having 100 - 150 yards of mono on top of however much braid I can fit on my reel. Until someone can prove to me that there's a better combination for all around pier fishing, I'll say that that is the way to go.

As far as braid on the pier, please don't. I'd say braid is the number one reason fish are lost on the pier.