Jack Visited Me Today

[Bassn Blvd]

but didn't stay long, haha.

SirSnook and I met at the beach this morning about a half hour before daybreak to have a little fun in the surf. This morning's action was just a drop in the bucket compared to what it's going to be like in a month from now, give or take a week. We were amongst a half dozen other fishermen who lined the shore excitingly anticipating the rising of the sun and arrival of the bait fish. Experience has proven that retrieving your lure through the surf before the sun broke the horizon would be fruitless so we boasted about last week’s catch to help pass the time.

Other than the small waves smashing against the beach, the ocean appeared lifeless. Then, like clockwork, the bait appeared just as the sun's rays lit up the horizon. The bait being ambushed against the shore by its predators gave the illusion that the water was boiling.

I merely opened the bail to my 2500 Stradic and allowed my lure to free fall straight into the chaos. My lure was engulfed by a juvenile Jack Crevalle before I could close the bail. The screaming of my drag and the squawking of the pelicans overhead was music to my ears. My mind easily slipped away from life's little worries and into a world of bliss as a hundred yards of twenty pound braid instantly peeled off of my reel.

My adversary was about five pounds shy of giving me a solid workout . Another ten pounds and I would have been completely at her mercy with the gear I was using. But, being the professional angler that I am , I had her conquered and in my hands within a couple of minutes.

Sadly, the action was over just as fast as it arrived, but the memory of the morning and good company of a friend lasted all day.

Thank you, SirSnook.

Doug

[SirSnookalot]

WTG Doug !!!

It was an outstanding display of the proper way to play and land a fish. Doug is selling himself short, it was 10 lb braid and the fish being nothing but pure muscle was more like 8#. He didn't have leader, a no no out here, I was remiss in not noticing. As I recall within a few casts there was a braid issue and his skitter walk went flying into the brine, as he was tying on leader and lure the jacks appeared out of nowhere, 1 cast in the nick of time is all it took.

Doug was the star of the day, I had nothing.

We will do this again....................

[SirSnookalot]

@ Bassn.............went to the spot this morning, a wonderful groundswell coming in, I just knew there was going to be a lot of fish. Daylight comes and bait is everywhere, catch a little one. About 30 yds out I see a long ripple of fish, looked like a dragon going thru China town, heave out and fish on. Within seconds about 170 yds of braid get stripped off my reel, got spooled and lost a plug I bought this morning, couldn't have stopped that fish with a Mack truck. I walk back to my car about 3/4 of mile get another rod, first cast catch the one below, nice fight and fish and bait are gone. I head back down to the rock, lady fish and spanish mackerel come in, I get off from a mack. Time to come home, lol, 3 miles of walking, spooled and 2 brand new lost lures............haha.

[roadwarrior]

So much for that light line theory!

I have never caught a really big saltwater fish, but my last one was an 85 lb AJ.

Short, stout rod; heavy mono and a giantic Penn reel. I eventually boated the

fish which totally wore me out at 8:30 in the morning! I haven't been out since.

My point is this: I hated the equipment, but any thing less would have been totally

inappropriate. Unless you are Fish Chris, you need gear that matches the quarry

you target.

[SirSnookalot]

I've caught aj's over 50# on spinning 6000 reel, 25lb hvy class boat rod with 25# braid and 40# leader, they are common in our waters. In fact I've caught 150# shark on the same outfit, 2 back to back, 3 hours or so of fighting non stop, not bad for a 67 year old guy weighing a mere 135#, that was in my youth, I was 64 then. Young guy like you should be able to handle those fish all day long, lol. The equipment you used was adequate for your aj, but may have not been heavy enough for a larger fish. In the ocean you never know what's swimming by, whether offshore or from the beach or a jettie. The outfit I was using has landed many a great fish, like that permit in my avatar, I chased it on foot about 300 yds to avoid being spooled. That same 4000 stradic on a mh rod 20# braid was used today, pretty standard fare for beach fishing, most out there had comparable gear in fact bassn was using 10# braid with a stradic 2500 on his new star 7'6 mh rod. Many guys hook a big carp or catfish when bass fishing, think they land them all?

One of the differences between boat and shore is that in a boat you can chase the fish down, a very light outfit has not enough drag to slow the fish down and not enough line on the spool, a 40 or 50# tarpon can bust thru 15 or 20# of drag like it's nothing, that tight and your line is going to snap. I'd suggest doing what you do best and stay in your element, the fish out here can be pretty tough.

[Bassn Blvd]

Stu,

Great morning. The walk back and forth from the rock had to suck, thank goodness for the adrenaline(sp) rush, haha. Might be a good idea to carry that extra spool we talked about.

So much for that light line theory!

My point is this: I hated the equipment, but any thing less would have been totally

inappropriate. Unless you are Fish Chris, you need gear that matches the quarry

you target.

Trust me, I have the proper equipment to handle any type of Snook and inshore fishing there is, but using lightweight tackle is an art, which I'm very confident in.

One of the biggest problems is that you never know what you're going to catch, even when you target a specific species, haha.

I was on the boat slaughtering the Spanish Mack's with #6 and #8 mono when all of sudden my SM started stripping me. I was like "what the heck, this can't be." We chased the fish down with the boat, hoping I had an IGFA record kingfish on light line, only to find about a 250 pound porpoise had eatin the SM that I had been reeling in.

[NEjitterbugger]

Up north i use light tackle for Striper fishing the 2 biggest this were 11pounder and a 27pounder my PB... also enjoy to fish inshore in florida...(great jack by the way!)

[SirSnookalot]

Most inshore fishermen use tackle appropriate for the average species, as stated you just never know what's going to be out there. The line test is not the issue, it's coming off the reel so fast, it can't break unless your drag is totally locked down, even then you can't stop a bigger jack, the only thing that's going to break is your arbor knot. There is no relationship winching a 5 or 10# bass as compared to a jack crevelle of the same size.

We see pics of big fish after they have been caught, not being caught. Few fish over 50# are landed on real light tackle if they aren't chased down with the boat, there just isn't enough line on the reel, especially in the ocean, I don't care who the angler is. When you see the "pros" on tv, you aren't seeing the captain at the helm, the captain is as important as the angler.

[Bassn Blvd]

^ You're exactly right. The Capt'n aint sittin' back sipping martinins when you're targeting big fish on small gear.

I'm anxious about us going to the power plant up in Jenson Beach. Wading is fun but we'll take my boat.

[Helluva_Engineer]

^ You're exactly right. The Capt'n aint sittin' back sipping martinins when you're targeting big fish on small gear.

I'm anxious about us going to the power plant up in Jenson Beach. Wading is fun but we'll take my boat.

River or beach side? Let me know when y'all go, I live right there so I'll keep an eye out on conditions. Bait has been kind of absent right off the beach the past few days. It had been so good for the last month with tons of blues, jacks and tarpon, but the signs just aren't there. I haven't even seen the boats at the intake structure or along the beach get any bites which is rather unusual.

I went offshore today on a head boat and caught some triggers and snapper which was way better than getting skunked. Also, helps get the girlfriend into offshore fishing to have a lot of bites from sea bass.

[Bassn Blvd]

River side. I look forward to a "change of scenery" and haven't been to the river in a couple years. Hopefully it's still holding grass. I used get up there 3-4 times a year for trout and snook. Is the Snook Nook bait and tackle still around?

[Helluva_Engineer]

Yup, snook nook is still there.

[SirSnookalot]

I'm anxious about us going to the power plant up in Jenson Beach. Wading is fun but we'll take my boat.

I'm already packed.

From my experience down here, Boca by far has had the best action, since I need to disappear until 11:30 this morning I'm heading up to Hobe Sound or Blowing Rocks, maybe a redfish. Bait has been spotty, ground swells seem to bring them in more than just higher surf.

We went offshore Saturday, I had 1 strike and no fish and my partner had 2 triggers and a mutton on a guppy rig.......I really spent more time casting spoons than I did drifting with bait.

[NEjitterbugger]

Is it possible for snapper to become large in the intercoastal waterways? I have caught small ones on shrimp but I am curious if there are larger ones that dwell there.

[Bassn Blvd]

I'll give you my favorite ICW snapper hole. Travel north in the ICW from Blue Heron bridge. Go to the mouth of the Irman River (I think it's the Irman). There is a BIG hole just inside the channel(west side of channel) that holds magrove snapper from small to 4 pounds. The spot also holds grouper. I believe it gets around 25+' deep around high tide. I haven't fished that area in many years but I use to tear'em up there on cut sardines.

[NEjitterbugger]

I'm assuming you have to get to this place by boat right? If so I can't get to it but i appreciate the great spot!.. And is it possible to catch African Pompano from the sea wall and dock at my grandfather's place? I have caught lookdown, if that has anything at allto do with pompano..

[Bassn Blvd]

I'd say you might be able to get some Pomapno when they're running if your granfather's place is right next to the inlet. Otherwise you're better off targeting them from the beach/surf.

Lookdowns, also known as Moonfish, are very fun to catch in ultrlight gear. They are also very good eating (I like them better than Snook), but you don't get much meat and you will probably need to be shown how to clean them if you've never cleaned one before. (not poisonus, just a pain in the ars but simple.) Live, small Moonfish also make good Snook bait. Oh yea, Moonfish have no relation to Pompano.

[SirSnookalot]

You may find this helpful in identifying some of the species.

http://www.acfishing.com/fishid/list.html

[NEjitterbugger]

Thanks for the fish identification page... and yeah i just threw that out there and realized it probably wasn't the most logical thing to say, and i never realized they were god eating. Any other fish that are preferably good to eat in the ICW?

[Bassn Blvd]

Species of fish that are frequently caught in the Palm Beach county ICW that are good eating. 4 being the highest score. Strictly my opinion and I have had them all.

Sandperch 4

Moonfish 3

Snook 2.5 (Seasonal, permit needed)

Snapper 3.5 (Mangrove being the most popular/abundant) Different species the closer to the inlet.

Grouper 4 (if you can find one of legal size)

Lobster 4 (and yes, I know some good lobster holes in the ICW.)

Catfish ??? Never ate saltwater cats, but heard they are DELICIOUS.

Sheepshead 3

Spots ??? Never at one but edible.

Flounder 4

Bluefish 1.5 (only around in the winter)

Add the following species one or two counties north of Palm Beach.

Sea/Speckled trout 1.5, 2, maybe 2.5 if eaten fresh, not frozen.

Redfish 1.5

[00 mod]

No mention of SM in your good to eat fish? I think they are one of the best! Also a rating of 1.5 for redfish? I hae a buddy who filets them with the scales on, does his thing to them and then wraps them in tin foil and puts them on the grill! Some of the best eating ever!

Jeff

[Bassn Blvd]

No mention of SM in your good to eat fish? I think they are one of the best! Also a rating of 1.5 for redfish? I hae a buddy who filets them with the scales on, does his thing to them and then wraps them in tin foil and puts them on the grill! Some of the best eating ever!

Jeff

Spanish Macks are seasonal and aren't frequently caught in the ICW.

I personaly don't care for redfish, but many folks like to eat them. It may have been the way it was cooked that turned me off.

Probably the easiest and most abundant fish to catch year round that I think are the tastiest are Snapper and Sandperch (IMO, sandperch are the specks of saltwater).

I only target moonfish if I'm snook fishing from the docks and I happen to see'em swimming around.

[SirSnookalot]

One fish not mentioned is barracuda........one of the better tasting fish. Ones under 30" are best but I've never seen a 45" one go to waste, everyone wants them here.

[NEjitterbugger]

Sweet guys thanks, caught a lot of barracuda on a charter 2 years ago, I have only seen one 30+ incher at my granfathers though... I have also caught some small flounder, and there are some very large catfish that live in a canal right in the ICW didn't know they were edible nevermind delicious. What about rays just out of curiousity, I caught one at night on a shrimp in the same canal that the big catfish live in.