Okay, I’ve caught my first King, my first Spanish, I’ve got a good spot to get some 'hadens (like most of you don’t know the Morris Island area), and a wife who REALLY wants to go and try on a King for size.
We have kids however, that are too young to take that far offshore for a serious day of fishing. We have to get babysitters, etc.
My question is, is there any difference in getting 'hadens before sun up as apposed to like say mid morning? I’ve never tried for them at any other time of day other than right before sun up. Will they still be where I’m used to seeing them early in the morning, do they move with the day, etc.?
I know that Mackerel can be caught off of trolling spoons, but I’d like to avoid that if at all possible and stick with the live bait.
It can be done but it is obviously much harder. If you go to the area where they have been thick, just listen. Sometimes they will be flipping at night and sometimes you can ride around and look at your fishfinder and see the bait ball. It is like fishing, sometimes you can go and get them right off the bat and sometimes you have to work very hard to find them. I personally will not go anymore too early to catch menhaden. Have ended up catching them at daybreak anyway too many times!
They are around, just look for them “flipping” on top.
I always had better luck in the early mornings, but usually can find them this time of year about anytime. Just my two cents
Yeah, the “flipping” I’ve keyed into. I’ll just stand on the bow of the boat, in my spot, and listen while just staring at the water. When I hear them, then I’ll move in that direction. The first little splash I see within range, I throw the net. So far, it’s worked well.
I’m glad to hear that they don’t disappear at least after the morning hours. Thanks for the help. I do appreciate it.
They are so thick right now you can almost blind cast and catch a net full. The ditch normally holds them pretty good after the early morning hours. Try to find some monster mullet as well. You can catch them the day before, keep them in a baitpen or livewell over night and use them the next day. They work well.
Thanks Half-hitched. I’ve only ever accidentally caught mullet along grass lines looking for shrimp. Around Morris, I’ve only ever caught Menhaden. Where would I find a good school of mullet?
GO up the ICW toward the Ben Sawyer bridge. The mud flat on the left has been loaded with cob sized mullet the past few weeks. Be careful not to land your net on one of the oyster mounds.
There is nothing - absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Kenneth Grahame
If you are already by Morris Island, go to the light house side and go through the inlet. The sandbars next to the lighthouse have huge gullies. They are loaded with mullet!
The main thing about time of day is the boat traffic causes them to stay down more, no flipping to speak of, and sometimes you will have to blind cast, which right now is not a problem, but normally is a BIG problem…
The rice fields in the cooper river were absolutely loaded with 12" mullet a few weeks ago. Saw probably ten thousand (no exageration). That is if you want to go the day before.