How to catch Ladyfish

Saltwater Inshore Discussion
1

I know that ladyfish are not like the big game to go after around here but I have caught one or two good sized ones and they made me think they were baby tarpon. For real. They were jumping, pulling a good bit of line from my reel, etc. The most recent one I caught was a couple months ago, and I caught it on a old piece of cut mullet on the bottom. So, my real question here is…how do you target these fish? I would really like to hook up on some more.

“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman

2

Ray,
I agree with you regarding how much fun Lady Fish are to catch. This summer I picked up 2 or 3 of them while trolling clark spoons for Spannish Mackerel. I was fishing around the mouth of Port Royal Sound. In the past I have caught them using live shrimp under a popping cork with the ebb tide flowing out of a marsh creek. Every time I have caught them it has been not the fish that I was targeting.
Rick

18 scout cc

3
quote:
Originally posted by coosaw rick

Ray,
I agree with you regarding how much fun Lady Fish are to catch. This summer I picked up 2 or 3 of them while trolling clark spoons for Spannish Mackerel. I was fishing around the mouth of Port Royal Sound. In the past I have caught them using live shrimp under a popping cork with the ebb tide flowing out of a marsh creek. Every time I have caught them it has been not the fish that I was targeting.
Rick

18 scout cc

Same here.

“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman

4

live shrimp…loosen the drag on your reel to where there is almnost no resistance, let them run a bit,then adjust the drag… you wont lose as many fish

5
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster

…they made me think they were baby tarpon…

</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>They have many common or nick names. The funniest one is “poor man’s tarpon”. Tarpon is a poor man’s fish so, to say a ladyfish is a poor man’s tarpon is to say a “poor man’s fish” is a poor man’s fish even smaller poor man’s fish.

Pizza pizza! :smiley:

Oh… how do you catch them? Buy a fishing reel with a high rate of retrieve or strip your fly line with both hands. I do both. :wink:

6
quote:
Originally posted by TyOneOn
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster

…they made me think they were baby tarpon…

</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>They have many common or nick names. The funniest one is “poor man’s tarpon”. Tarpon is a poor man’s fish so, to say a ladyfish is a poor man’s tarpon is to say a “poor man’s fish” is a poor man’s fish even smaller poor man’s fish.

Pizza pizza! :smiley:

Oh… how do you catch them? Buy a fishing reel with a high rate of retrieve or strip your fly line with both hands. I do both. :wink:

This is confusing…heheh

“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman

7
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster

…This is confusing…heheh

</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>To catch them, use a fast retrieve with a topwater lure. Or, use a very fast retrieve with a topwater fly.

Yes, they look like baby tarpon. :wink:

8

Their numbers should be thinning out this year.
DOA shrimp twitched just under surface usually gets a bite…
They move quickly… Be fast.

Newman
www.gtownkingfisher.com

9

Caught plenty on top-water lures. You will see them crashing schools of finger mullet along the banks. They are fun and even better if you can get them to unhook themselves before they get to the boat, cause man they can make a mess.

10
quote:
Originally posted by TyOneOn
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster

…This is confusing…heheh

</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>To catch them, use a fast retrieve with a topwater lure. Or, use a very fast retrieve with a topwater fly.

Yes, they look like baby tarpon. :wink:

Hey thanks! Alot of you say topwater so top water it is! Btw tyoneon whats a good starter fly rod and reel? I have been wanting to get into it.

“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman

11

Tarpon and lady fish are in the same family (Elopidae). I knew they were in the same family but I did have to look up the scientific name of the family. Did not just happen to know that.

  • I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
12

RiverMonster I believe there is a subject on a beginning fly rod in reel in the Fly Fishing part of the forum.

13

Jimmy, they were in the same family for a long time- a couple years back the tarpon were placed into a new family, Megalopidae. genetic studies have resulted in quite a lot of re-classification of fishes in the last few years.

14

thanks,I know that with some of the black bass there have been a lot of changes as well. Sorry for the misinformation.

  • I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
15
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster
quote:
Originally posted by TyOneOn
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster

…This is confusing…heheh

</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>To catch them, use a fast retrieve with a topwater lure. Or, use a very fast retrieve with a topwater fly.

Yes, they look like baby tarpon. :wink:

Hey thanks! Alot of you say topwater so top water it is! Btw tyoneon whats a good starter fly rod and reel? I have been wanting to get into it.
Man, I sure wouldn't put much money into a starter rig. My first K-Mart rod and reel are still in the fishing closet and they still work fine. CabelasDotCom has a Redington combo rod/reel for under $140. They offer the 6wt and an 8wt. I see that you fish ponds so, I would get the 6wt. 8wt is way overkill for ponds. 6wt will work for all ponds and even handle reds easily up to about 25". But, if you want to spend a lot more money, I can help you with that too. :smiley:
16
quote:
Originally posted by TyOneOn
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster
quote:
Originally posted by TyOneOn
quote:
Originally posted by RiverMonster

…This is confusing…heheh

</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>To catch them, use a fast retrieve with a topwater lure. Or, use a very fast retrieve with a topwater fly.

Yes, they look like baby tarpon. :wink:

Hey thanks! Alot of you say topwater so top water it is! Btw tyoneon whats a good starter fly rod and reel? I have been wanting to get into it.
Man, I sure wouldn't put much money into a starter rig. My first K-Mart rod and reel are still in the fishing closet and they still work fine. CabelasDotCom has a Redington combo rod/reel for under $140. They offer the 6wt and an 8wt. I see that you fish ponds so, I would get the 6wt. 8wt is way overkill for ponds. 6wt will work for all ponds and even handle reds easily up to about 25". But, if you want to spend a lot more money, I can help you with that too. :smiley:
Hey thanks man yeah, I knew that they can get pricey, but that will probably be after I catch a bunch of them on the fly.

"In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I

17
quote:
Originally posted by StuckonLand

RiverMonster I believe there is a subject on a beginning fly rod in reel in the Fly Fishing part of the forum.

I'll look for it thanks!

“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman