Saltwater board

[SirSnookalot]

What's the chances of starting a saltwater board?

[Bassn Blvd]

What's the chances of starting a saltwater board?

Just start typing.  What do you want to know and I'll tell ya. ;D

[GLADES]

If anyone in the pompano beach area likes to buy fresh caught fish, the charter fleet at the hillsboro inlet sells kingfish, dolphin, tuna, snapper, etc for cheap.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought 2+ lbs of fresh kingfish, filleted, for $6

[GLADES]

Tell me where your secret snook spots are?  

[SirSnookalot]

Tell me where your secret snook spots are?  

LOL,

Well just to name 1 real quick Boynton inlet, that spot alone I caught somewhere around 200 about 15 tarpon there too.

I snook fish almost every day, leave the house about 3:am(after March, not now).  Boynton is a safe place that time of night, places like Lake Worth are not.

[Bassn Blvd]

I haven't fished Boynton inlet in a long time. I sometimes fish the dock behind the Marine unit and catch a few. I almost refuse to fish on the jetty when there are lots of people on it. Especially on the weekend nights. Too many drunks and A## ***** that aren't fishing causing a ruckus.

[SirSnookalot]

I've been in Florida for 4 years now and fish Boynton the majority of my time.  Palm Beach county is a dead zone and the inlet area may be the worst of the bunch, but when they are on, they are really on.  The Icw there is not good, way better up around Southern or Okochobee bridges, Lake Worth bridge can get very hot.

My motis operundi is hitting the inlet about 4 am working the inlet and or the beaches.  After sun up we cast for cuda using tubes(awesome), the bait boys are up at the top and the casters work the wash by the pump station.  Everything is predicated on the tide.

[roadwarrior]

What's the chances of starting a saltwater board?

This section is for saltwater and all "other species". Otherwise, this is

a bass fishing forum. If you look around just a little, there are plenty

of saltwater forums, both national and state specific.

You stated on another thread that you hardly fish for bass, so why not

find a more suitable site? I don't find posts about saltwater trash fish

interesting and when I'm out to sea, only fish for them when collecting

bait. Yellowfin tuna, marlin and sailfish trip my trigger, but Jack Carvalle

are just bloody baitfish fit for nothing but sharks.

[SirSnookalot]

I have found interest in fishing for other species Jack Crevelles among them.  I respectfully disagree with your appraisal of them being a trash fish.  Many people down here eat them and say they are delicious, not to mention the tenacious battle they wage, many say pound for pound that they are "thee" fighting fish.

I'm originally from Michigan and have been catching fish nearly 60 years.  From the shores of Georgian bay in Canada, down to Baja California, other international trips as well and I would agree that the Jack Crevelle is a top notch fish to catch.

[GLADES]

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

I like fishing in both fresh, brackish, and salt water.

Being in south florida, we are fortunate to have excellent fishing 365.

If the freshwater bite is off due to high water or cold fronts, there is usually something biting in ocean or bays.

Bass fishing is my favorite, but sometimes it is great to change up.

I once caught a 30lb blackfin tuna off a small boat using a 15lb rigged medium action spinning rod. That was the most memorable fish I ever caught. He took my line down to the spool a couple of times, leaped out of the water,came to the edge of the boat then took off again.

Finally he tired, about 40 minutes later, I boated him.

Mighty tasty grilled over charcoal.

[SirSnookalot]

I bet.........I've yet to catch a blackfin tuna, but I've caught many bonita and if the tuna fight anything like them, I'm in.  I get offshore now and then as I have couple of friends that have boats.  They mostly drift for kings.  If the boat isn't crowded I won't drift, but I'll throw tubes and spoons for kings and feathers for dolphin.

[GLADES]

I caught the blackfin tuna while we were drift fishing for kings. We were catching about 5 bonito for every king. We were drifting in 150-250 ft off of Hillsboro Beach, 3-4 ft chop.

There is a red bouy there, I think it marks a wreck.

I would say that the bonito and tuna fight equally hard.

In my limited saltwater experience, the tuna, bonito, and kings usually swim together, you just get lucky sometimes.

[SirSnookalot]

You're exactly right.  Last year I went with some buddies just about once a week, they had me along because at 63 I was the youngest guy there, after 10 minutes of fight they handed me their rods to finish it up, lol. I loved it.  In the warmer months lemon sharks will be swimming with them as well and they go 100-150#.

NE wind 2-4 chop, doesn't get better.  As far as I'm concerned the smokers are fun to catch, but they don't match the bonita.  I caught a bonita last year at the Boynton pier on a spoon light tackle, took me up and down the pier for a good 20 minutes and it was a small one, only about 10#.

[roadwarrior]

What do you do with a bonita?  Isn't there anything worthwhile that can

be caught from shore?

[SirSnookalot]

Florida bonita are seldom caught from shore and is strictly a fun fish to catch with no value except for bait. I'll call it a "trash fish".

Pacific bonita are not the same fish, they are good to eat.

FYI ... people line up down here for jacks and small cudas to eat, they are really good, the larger cudas over 36" or so develop a kind of toxin but some people know how to prepare them to avoid any harmful effects. I personal would pass on a large cuda to eat, but they are terrific to catch. If you're intrested I would be more than happy to tell you how we do it.

We catch lots from shore, snook, tarpon, many varieties of snapper, bluefish,spanish mackeral just to name a few........everything is predicated on season and if the bait is schooling.  Right now is the doldrums of winter and not a lot of action going on.  The better action is in the ICW (intracoastal waterway) and brackish canals where the water is warmer.  Down near Miami they are catching more fish now.

[Bassn Blvd]

What do you do with a bonita? Isn't there anything worthwhile that can

be caught from shore?

Bonita are an awesome fight, especially on #12 spinning outfit. They are a very bloody, oily fish so as table fair they are poor. But, people still eat them. You need to bleed them as soon as there caught. Soak the meat in milk and a few other steps before eating.

They make great bait though. Use for shark, or cut belly strips to troll with for Dolphin. To me though, they are a pain in the *** when you're not targeting them. You're not going to be too productive catching them if you're fishing from the beach though.

[SirSnookalot]

I've heard that about soaking them in milk.  Only time I ever caught bonita inshore was at the boynton inlet.  They were cruising to the ocean from the icw.

I don't keep the smokers anyway so I'd rather catch the bonita, they're a better battle.  My guys sell these kings for 10-20 bucks a piece, more if they a large.

I was at the inlet this morning, weather channel lied no NE wind so it was dead.  A lot of snook starting to gather but won't hit artis yet.  Cudas were abundunt before the tide change but not hitting, they can be more fussy than the snook.  They will swim after a tube at 30mph, then turn on a dime with in inches of the lure.  Cudas are really underrated, they don't bite, they slam, nearly pulling the rod out of your hands.  I'm going out there tomorrow with a heavier outfit and my cuda tubes.

[GLADES]

"Right now is the doldrums of winter and not a lot of action going on."

If you go drift fishing, or have a boat, the cobia, big grouper / snapper bite is usually good at the deeper reefs this time of year if the ocean is right.. When I go drift fishing, I bring my portable GPS to get the coordinates of the grouper spots. There is one due east of Hillsboro inlet that is outstanding. The only problem with catching the groupers deep is that sharks usually get them first. It is like pulling up an engine block. Then gone. I have lost count at the number of grouper heads I have reeled in.

[GLADES]

Snook, small snapper, shrimp

[Bassn Blvd]

I'm thinking of taking my bass boat out if the waters are calm.. I just hate going through the Boynton Inlet.  Cudas are very good eating.    I used to sell them to a local restaurant as as Dolphin when I was about 15.  

[SirSnookalot]

Winds from the North 6 mph, sea state vey calm, monday and tues the forcast calls for NE wind.

I've been thru that inlet dozens of time and it can be real rough. Did you know it's not considered a navigable inlet because it's man made and most insurance companies will not cover you.  Just thought I would throw that.

That said there is a young man about 20 that goes out in 14'alum boat no electronics, catches more kings and wahoo than guys out there with $135,000 contenders.  A bit comical, there is an old salt that I have seen going out the inlet, he uses a box from a pickup truck, made it water tight with about a 10 horse motor. and goes.

If you have second thought about the inlet and I personally would't blame you, the tide may right to do casting around snook islands in the icw lake worth.....can be a killer spot, I cast it from shore quite often.

[Bassn Blvd]

LOL, I was going to mention about that inlet not being a navigable inlet but figured no one would agree with me, HAHAHA. I used tohave  a 24' Aquasport that I would go out in. I'm very familiar with that inlet but never been in my bass boat.

[Bassn Blvd]

Another good spot.

Sugar Sands artificial reef. The ledges in 23 feet of water on the east side of the Lake Worth Lagoon, north of the Blue Heron Bridge and east of Lake Park Marina, hold snook, permit, snappers and other game fish. Try fishing with live shrimp, jigs or dead bait. You'll need a boat to get there. Here are the coordinates: 26/47.61 north latitude; 80/02.69 west longitude. The inshore artificial reef also can be a good place to find lobster.

[GLADES]

I think about taking my boat out too. She rides low in the water though.

It would have to be a perfect day. Light west wind. Speaking about the Boyton Inlet, as a teen we used to jump off that bridge, and the one at Boca inlet. Crazy teenager stuff. Im suprised we didnt get hurt. We would snorkel along the jetties as well at high tide. It was pretty cool.

The current is so strong under the bridge, and the channel so narrow, you probably need full throttle just to pass through against the tide, let alone try to swim against it.

Hillsboro inlet is pretty tame, just watch out for the reefs and sandbars. When you pass the end of the jetties, you must stear east right away or you will run aground. Follow the channel markers.

[SirSnookalot]

The winds were from the west this morning but a nice swell coming from the NE. NO FISH>>>>>>LOL. Had 1 cuda swirl, but that was it, big one too. You could have rowed out of the inlet this morning, lees than normal current.

Thanks for the Blue Heron tip, but I don't have a boat and my guy is out for awhile with a hip replacement, it ain't fun getting old, see what you have to look forward to. He likes offshore drifting for kings, I go just cause I like to get out on the ocean but I would prefer casting in the ICW or off the beach.