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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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by eym_sirius
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).Quote:
Originally Posted by DRH
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.Attachment 3796Attachment 3796Attachment 3797Attachment 3797
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?
I Think they would need some color. Guess you could paint some white, some red, some green ......
Get the reflective tape from Bass Pro Shop Comes in all colors and works great I use it on hard plastic tubing that they can't cut and works great
Dawg, I made these using Mardi Gras beads, Mylar (inside of potato chip bags), straws etc. You can use a worm weight in front or back or leave the tube unplugged for sink variations. Lots of different arrangements, cut to size, and you can change colors almost anytime.
I haven't even thrown one yet. These are 3/8" ID but 1/2" should be just as easy. Only question is, will they catch fish?
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=3798&stc=1
I was really impressed with those lures when you showed them to me. Can't wait to hear how they work.
Something I've been wanting to try for spanish is an over-sized sabiki if you will. Length of mono with multiple dropper loops and gold aberdeen hooks with a short piece of (red/white) cocktail straw; ...of course weight on the bottom.
Not a pierfisher, so some things I read are not familiar. Drumbum, it seems you have just described an Alabama Spanish rig. I would bet money it could work. But if you caught two or more Spanish and get sharked, will you twice or more times go AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH! ?
Pop Jiggity the Mylar tater chip bag idea is pure genius. I have been trying to come up with a way to use some Mylar ice cycle on a bubble. I wish I could find a shiny swivel about 4" long and just put a hook on it.
Split rings and multiple large swivels with a hook might be an option.