Thread: spanish mackerel live bait rig

Hey guys, I'm new and I haven't fished there yet, but I went last week to lurk around and learn a little bit before I showed up looking like a rookie. It looked like most people were fishing for Spanish mackerel with a live bait rig; could someone send a pic or at least a description of the rig? thanks in advance!

I think that most people fish for spanish with artificials.

I use:
1) Gotcha plug
2) Looney Spearhead (as opposed to round-head or football shaped lead head) Jig (or another similar jig) in white.
3) Bubble rig - a specially designed bubble-float that you half-fill with water so it will cast a mile and you trail behind it a white or shiny neutral-weight lure. It mimics fish feeding at the surface and they strike at what seems to be a fleeing baitfish. In the old days, guys would use a piece of a drinking straw from McDonald's as the lure. That still works, but now I use a lure made by "STORM".

Do a SEARCH and there's a picture of a bubble rig somewhere on this site.

I use either 60 lb. clear leader or steel single-strand leader for these toothy critters. When I use live bait for spanish, I use, essentially, a king rig with a small barrell swivel, a 14" length of singlestrand wire leader with a haywire twist (cut tags with pliers) and a fairly smallish treble hook, freelined with no weight. Occasionally, spanish want a large live shrimp, so I'll use that OR a small sabiki-caught baitfish for my live bait. On occasion, I've caught spanish on 1/2 of a cigar minnow when they wouldn't hit ANYTHING else!

Jeff not many people do use live bait for spanish What you probably saw were people fishing for kings Most spanish are caught on artificials Gotchas looney jigs plugs or bubble rigs Its not difficult but I realize it can be intemidating if you re new Not sure how long you re down for but how about this based on the wind etc I'll probably not fish again til Sunday morning but if you're here and would like I'll be out there between 5:30 and 6 I carry everything a spanish could think about wanting If you're out there look me up and I'll be glad to show you what to use and how to use it I pull a large pier cart with big grey sand tires and have a yellow flag with my name on it on my cart Cant guarantee fish but can show you what to catch them on if they are there

I am old and get wore out too quickly throwing artificials. I do occasionally free line a live bait with a floracarbon leader for Spanish. It seems like I catch larger ones that way but you cannot do that in the middle of a group of people throwing artificials. You do get some cutoffs but more hookups than with a wire leader. I am not greedy and a few large filets make me several nice meals. If the Spanish are running good I will often use sub surface jigs and it seems that I can pick up larger Spanish and not have to work so hard to get them. A heavy monofilament leader with the jigs will give some cutoff protection.

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

...a 14" length of singlestrand wire leader with a haywire twist (cut tags with pliers)

Please don't do it this way. Those small diameter singlestrand tags are nasty. Learn to break off the tags by back and forth swinging of the tag using the end of your barrel rolls as the pivet point.

Originally Posted by DRH

Please don't do it this way. Those small diameter singlestrand tags are nasty. Learn to break off the tags by back and forth swinging of the tag using the end of your barrel rolls as the pivet point.

I've done it this way for forty years without the tags being "nasty". Good pliers will clip the tags close enough to where the burr doesn't protrude enough to be a hazard (if that's what you're talking about by nasty).

Next time we're on the pier together, I'll show you the quick and easy way to deal with those tag ends that leave your leader slicker than a Congressman's promise.

I'm a bass guy at heart and love watching a fish strike on top water lures. Its awesome seeing Spanish come up and smack a bubble rig on top but I have been skunked more than once by guys using live shrimp or small LY under a cork. The LY may get eaten by a red or a king and I have seen a few stud pompano take off with a shrimp just past the restrooms. Go by J&M in Orange Beach and pick up a small sabiki rig or ribbon net, some #10 swivels, #2 bronze 4X treble hooks, and 15# 7 strand uncoated wire and make up a few 12"-14" leaders for live bait. The 7 strand is easy to tie in a figure 8 knot. I do think single stand is stronger but I seem to kink the wire on every other one which leads to break offs. Catch a bunch and post some pictures.

Speaking of the sabiki rig... couple years ago I was trying for some bait just before the rest rooms. I hadn't brought my cooler cause I was just messing around and the bite had been bad all day. Gave two to a charming Vietnamese gentleman in exchange for a palm reading before the cooler arrived for these 3.IMAG0218.jpgIMAG0218.jpgIMAG0219.jpgIMAG0219.jpg

Speaking of bubble rigs, I have 50' of clear 3/16 tubing. It's the tubing used by people who are on oxygen theraphy. I have no use for it and was thinking about cutting it into 3" pc's to use on bubble rigs. Don't know if it would work, what say you folks?