My First Needle Fish And The Biggest Of The Deployment So Far

[clayton86]

Finally Landed a needle fish after missing a good 10 so far. Mine today made it a double also well sorta we released the other one before landing mine because it was to big to hoist up the pier where we were. We don't have measurements were just kinda judging and honor system whose is biggest so far. I caught it on a type of parrot fish I think they are Idk all I know is the little buggers got weird teeth and a beak like a bird. Hooked it threw the back and let it sit just on the surface when Mack caught his needle fish i went over to help him land his when I heard my pole slide down the railing I grabbed it and my drag started singing it put up a decent fight these guys don't fight all that hard they make a few and by a few I mean like nothing but leaps into the air till you flip them up onto the pier. I'll post pics of the bait and the needle fish.

also on a side note I picked up some long leaders from the one haji shop 4 bucks for 2 of them with the hook there pretty heavy duty at least to me I have it rigged on a "yo yo" reel like the locals use i really wanna catch some thing on it but im kinda scared to lol its gonna be one hell of a fight. I'll post a pic of that set up as well im not sure the test of the line its just labeled .8mm with a sharpie its pretty thick stuff and a PITA to tie a normal knot with.

[clayton86]

heres the yo yo spool and leader get up I got

[SirSnookalot]

Yep, that's a needle fish, not much to them, hard to hook and not much fight. The baitfish looks like one of our locals, we call them spots and they are good baits.

That Yo Yo is nothing but a spool, in Florida they call it a Cuban rig. I have seen guys put a spoon or lure on them and catch fish that way. A good bet if a guy is using a Yo Yo his rod has broken off tip and has a freshwater reel on it that's sticky as hell, and he's been using that way for years.

On a side note regarding hooks. I've been catching good fish lately, no reports or pictures that's bad karma for me lol. Yesterday we had so much bait crashing that fishing with artificial would have been difficult, so I set up a bait rod. The bait lately has been small sardines, as I said a few days ago, match the hook size to the bait and not the fish, so I put on a 1/0 circle. To my surprise we had greenies coming in, a larger bait, I did not change hook, the 1/0 was the ideal size, these medium sized fish maybe 10 pounds or so.

[clayton86]

Yep, that's a needle fish, not much to them, hard to hook and not much fight. The baitfish looks like one of our locals, we call them spots and they are good baits.

That Yo Yo is nothing but a spool, in Florida they call it a Cuban rig. I have seen guys put a spoon or lure on them and catch fish that way. A good bet if a guy is using a Yo Yo his rod has broken off tip and has a freshwater reel on it that's sticky as hell, and he's been using that way for years.

On a side note regarding hooks. I've been catching good fish lately, no reports or pictures that's bad karma for me lol. Yesterday we had so much bait crashing that fishing with artificial would have been difficult, so I set up a bait rod. The bait lately has been small sardines, as I said a few days ago, match the hook size to the bait and not the fish, so I put on a 1/0 circle. To my surprise we had greenies coming in, a larger bait, I did not change hook, the 1/0 was the ideal size, these medium sized fish maybe 10 pounds or so.

the locals fish with nothing but just them spools they have tackle bags built for them you will walk by and talk to them and see like 5 spools neatly organized in the bags and 5 more spread out along the pier laying on the ground in a perfect line. They tend to catch alot of snapper it seams. the spool is tapered also so you can kinda cast with it I still cant cast very far with it though i tried the other day and my bait when one way line went the other lol. I was supposed to have tomorrow off and i was gonna go back out again but I got put on shift again. Your right bout the needle fish not fighting much its kinda disappointing im trying to figure out them Queenfish I get them to swarm a metal jig but they don't hit it just swarm around it. So im gonna order some bucktail jigs and tip it with that fish bites squid i was reading that it works well for them and they fight really hard even the little guys will give you a run for your money.

[SirSnookalot]

It's a shame you can't fish off the beach, the fight is so much better in the surf. You can out muscle some of these fish, land them and they seem to have an expression on their face as if to say " hey buddy, is that all you got? "

[clayton86]

It's a shame you can't fish off the beach, the fight is so much better in the surf. You can out muscle some of these fish, land them and they seem to have an expression on their face as if to say " hey buddy, is that all you got? "

there's 3 piers here when we first got here we were told only off the end of the longest one then it turned to any where on the long one as long as its past the ships. Last week how ever I heard it over the radio people were fishing off the wooden pier next to the beach and the MP's got all in a tizzy and were gonna go do what ever they do but then it came over the net that it was fine and they can fish there so im gonna try and find out more cuz I see more sharks by the beach and short pier where its shallow and flat. I really want to hook into a shark iv thought about just catching a ton of them spots or seabream and dicing them up like chum and seeing if i can draw in a shark or two because usually if we see one we catch it there very aggressive the needle fish used to be the same way but there getting shy as of late. Im about to put in a order from BPS for hair jigs and a few others maybe a cheap cast net.

[SirSnookalot]

You may want to bleed a baitfish, keep it alive, chum is good too.

I'm curious as to what kind of rod and reel and line you are using. It's one thing to catch one of those small groupers or needlefish, it's another to catch a shark.

[clayton86]

I have 2 set ups 1 is a 9' heavy arse thing I got off a guy we replaced that iv never heard of the brand its a Elegance 300 for 3m long its heavy though and the reel is just sadly the best thing I can buy at the haji mart I paid 20 bucks for it the other is one of the BPS off shore angler mako combos. Both are spooled with 25# bps off shore angler mono. Theres been 3 sharks caught so far all by the guys i take with me i spot the thing then they whip there lure or bait fish out there and catch it I have yet to catch one last one I had on I had on that spool but no leader there not very big sharks only 2-3ft tops at least the ones we've seen and caught. I'll post pics of the set ups I have. the 3 sharks that the other guys caught were caught on cheap collapsible poles.

it wont let me post the other pic of the mako combo idk why but its this here http://www.basspro.com/Offshore-Angler-Mako-Spinning-Rod-and-Reel-Combo/product/10213136/145454

also how would I bleed a bait fish?

[SirSnookalot]

Just cut it in the side until it bleeds...........clip one of the fins off too.

That combo should be fine, most sharks are just stronger pullers, not fighters with the exception of a few species that can go acrobatic.

[LgMouthGambler]

Funny, Ive been seeing needle fish in my canal, and its fresh water too. Im trying to catch it on my UL with a rooster tail. They are only about a foot in length.

[SirSnookalot]

I've seen needle fish in canals too

[clayton86]

Just cut it in the side until it bleeds...........clip one of the fins off too.

That combo should be fine, most sharks are just stronger pullers, not fighters with the exception of a few species that can go acrobatic.

these black tips that weve been catching like to jump

we do cut the fins some times as well if it seems like the needle fish have a hard time getting em down.

my whole squad has tomorrow off so maybe ill get out tomorrow

[trevor]

That "needlefish" is actually a houndfish, I believe.

[clayton86]

That "needlefish" is actually a houndfish, I believe.

yeah qoogled houndfish and needle fish most the pics that popped up were of the same fish

[trevor]

yeah qoogled houndfish and needle fish most the pics that popped up were of the same fish

\

I think that the needlefish is kind of the family of fish, while houndfish are a specific kind that grow quite large.

[SirSnookalot]

Yep, those houndfish were big, I've never seen a needle any where close to those, same family of fish for sure.

[clayton86]

ours have been around 48" the one we did measure they have all been +/- an inch or 2 there's smaller ones that swim in schools that are only like a foot long

comparing them to Wikipedia there the same thing pretty much other then the size they said the head is shorter on a hound fish compared to other needle fish all the same to me i'll probably never catch one again once I leave this place closest I will come is long nose gar back in new york.