Despite several trips to the Keys, I’ve come to realize I’ve never caught my own bait in the Keys, specifically Islamorada. Any tips on where/how to locate ‘pogies’, shrimp, etc… down there? I have caught needle fish w/ small hooks and shrimp pieces, but wish to castnet for better amounts/type of bait in late July.
Thanks for any input!
I find that catching live shrimp down here requires a dip net and some lights and a whole mes of spare time. I usually just buy live shrimp when I want it. I also find that anchoring on a grass flat in 2-5’ of water with a bag of chum and a steady flow of current will bring hoards of pinfish and ballyhoo within range. for bait I use tiny pieces of squid or ballyhoo on tiny (bream hooks)gold or silver hooks and freeline the bait into the school. As far as pilchards go, I find that in depths of 2-10’ I have been able to raise a school of them within cast netting distance with a block of chum, however I have not specifically been able to target them and keep the pinfish, ballyhoo and snapper away. I think it has to do with location and they’ll stay on certain flats more than others. As with everything else, look for the birds diving on a school of pilchards and go throw the net to your hearts content. Good luck
yella bote
black motor
I was down there in May. We had a hard time finding bait so we bought it. Shrimp was reasonably priced. Crabs were $2-3/each and large mullet was $40/dozen and the guys selling it were telling us how we were “lucky” he was selling it to us. No lie.
The bait scene down there is screwy for sure. I was fishing with a buddy who lives in miami and fishes down there all the time. I was blown away at the whole thing.
The fishery there is absolutely amazing. We caught, in two days, from a 20’ flats boat, 5 dolphin, 9 permit, and over 10 tarpon. I would move there in a NY minute if I could find a way to afford living there.
Find grass throw chum.Work the bridges with a cast net,Look for bait on your recorder.Or just go buy it.You can walk the beach with a drag bucket for small crabs also.Buy a pin fish trap.
Stonoman
quote:
Originally posted by stonoman.You can walk the beach with a drag bucket for small crabs also.Buy a pin fish trap.
Stonoman
Sound advice!!
Newman
www.gtownkingfisher.com
Real castnest skills are needed for the pilchards. Must be able to pancake at a 10 ft net. Pinfish are easy on the grassflats w/ chum.
I’ve been told you can sabiki them on the patch reefs at night too with chum Channel if front of BNM’s, on the way to alligator, holds nice bait sometimes
Don’t know if it is the same there but, I fished up north of Tampa last April out in the gulf and we used Sabiki rods with tiny bits of squid. At times, we would pull in 3 - 4 bait fish at one time. It was actually kind of fun.
All good ideas/advice. Many thanks too.
Seems a difficult task to net much. We all see it on shows, but I’ll need to work the ‘easier’ routes this trip. I wondered about sabiki’s, so glad to see they work down there.
Been checking my charts and my old GPS #'s are still stored. Hope to have a nice week of it all. Bonus is we get the short lobster season:smiley:
It’s been WAAAAY to long between trips!!
Sabiki works where ever there are threads.I caught plenty at the Broad river on a home made pvc and small reel I made.DC thought it was ugly until i filled the bait well up.LOL
Stonoman
Have fun and good fishing to you Salt!