Been looking forward to catching my first Spanish and went out Sat am to try. On the water by 6. Started of trolling with one gold spoon deep and one silver on the surface. Basically followed out the submerged N jetty from SI. My first fish was my new favorite fish, initially I thought it was a baby tarpon but learned it was actually a Ladyfish. What a great fighting fish, lots of flying out of the water, can see why its called the poor mans tarpon. It hit the silver up top, was trolling right at 5mph on my GPS. Saw a bunch of diving birds and headed that way and hooked up with my first spanish mackeral, again on top with the silver spoon. Stopped trolling and threw a silver gotcha plug and caught another 3 or 4. Nothing on the deep spoon. I thought I had caught up on the bottom with the silver gotcha only for it to take of like a freight train. I had to chase after it with the boat to get line back, kept getting over the fish and tried to get it up to the surface only for it to take off again. Had it on for at least 30 minutes before trying to pull it up the lure just came back. Almost like whatever had it just let go of it, really weird and whatever it was felt huge. Caught some more Spanish on the silver,the pic shows a baitfish that a spanish regurgitated on the boat. Shows why the were hitting the silver.
Went out again this am, same spot,nothing. Went out further, def a bit choppier this am and the water seemed more colored. Tried to keep in the clean water, and this time picked up 2 or 3 small spanish on the deep gold spoon. Same speed, right around 5 mph, caught them further out on the N jetty.
Went out to where the N jetty is just below the surface, was seeing <5’and the gold got hit again, a really nice ladyfish. Took the weights of the trolling lines for the shallow water and changed both to gold and picked up a few more spanish before heading in around 11.
Gotta say, this is prob my new favorite type of inshore fishing, moving around, casting to where birds are diving, and the ladyfish is great
What a fun report! Thanks for sharing. I’d love to see photos of the spanish you caught.
Don’t be left out!Use Jim Clark’s Famous Clarkspoon! I hope you tied it on with the improved clinch knot.haha. I remember trolling out there with C.G. Westendorf ,he lived in the house on the hill out on Sullivan’s island.Plenty of space underneath for boat building and such.My pap and CG would always salt down a couple kegs of Spanish for us to snack on during the winter.By the way,did you get rained on.
Thanks gentlemen. I didn’t get a pic of the Spanish, we did just finish eating one though!
There is a lot of meat on them, the one I brought home was plenty for my wife and I, but she ended up not really liking the taste, I loved it.
I didn’t get rained on today, we didn’t see any real rain until pretty late in the day, looks like MD is getting hit pretty badly.
Sman, thank you for your reply, an you tell me more about salting them down for the winter please?
Cheers
Great report
I think they taste great
im diffinently going to try similar fishing when my boat is done with repairs. Wonder what that big one was, king mackerel maybe?
Evant T.
king mack? could’ve been
Ya know, it must be nice living in Neverneverland. Remind me to come visit you, when I need a break from reality.
Most lures like Gotcha’s come with crappy dull treble hooks. It’ll cost you a bit more, but you’ll hook fish better if you swap out the stock treble hooks for sharper ones like Owners or Gamakatsu’s.
quote:
Originally posted by pitcherMost lures like Gotcha’s come with crappy dull treble hooks. It’ll cost you a bit more, but you’ll hook fish better if you swap out the stock treble hooks for sharper ones like Owners or Gamakatsu’s.
Thanks Pitcher, gonna head to hadrells and get some more gotchas and will do what you suggest. Want to get out again this week.
cheers
Nice Report. We did well Thursday thru Saturday. Trolling bite was hot from 5:45 to 7:30 each morning. Set a PL of 14", caught 50-60 every morning before 7:30, kept 2 man limit each day. Gold and silver clark’s on #1 planers deep and 2 gotchas WTHB subsurface, no luck on top. More schools and better quality fish seem to be in in 30-35’ versus close to beach.
[quote]Originally posted by SURFSIDER
Nice Report. We did well Thursday thru Saturday. Trolling bite was hot from 5:45 to 7:30 each morning. Set a PL of 14", caught 50-60 every morning before 7:30, kept 2 man limit each day. Gold and silver clark’s on #1 planers deep and 2 gotchas WTHB subsurface, no luck on top. More schools and better quality fish seem to be in in 30-35’ versus close to beach.
Wow, nice fish and great pics. I think I may head out in the AM, sounds like I may have to set my alarm a little earlier than I have!
Cheers
Anybody seen in them in the harbor yet?
A calm sea never made a skilled sailor
Thanks drterry. Didn’t mean to high jack your thread.
We fish north of you with access to artificial reefs in the 30’ range; makes it a lot easier to find them.
Best of luck to you.
quote:
Originally posted by SURFSIDERThanks drterry. Didn’t mean to high jack your thread.
We fish north of you with access to artificial reefs in the 30’ range; makes it a lot easier to find them.
Best of luck to you.
Hey, it was great seeing your pics, I may try heading out to a couple of nearshore reefs in the am and give it a go based on your post! weather permitting.