# empty boat kinda day....



## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Ran out of east pass today in a buddies 23 Robalo to see what we could do, we ran out to the miss Louise first and did a little trolling with the mackeral trees and with no luck there we trolled west over to the tanks and eglin barge. Couple boats there and didn't look like much luck for them or us either. I took us a little farther west and tried to do some bottom fishing over the brown barge with no avail with cut goggle eyes or whole, we just kinda did the drift over the wreck thing but you know. As we went to leave to head back to the pass we saw a bunch of Spanish hitting bait on top so we decided to cast and troll spoons and Mack trees.... Not one strike!!!! Couldn't believe it, yesterday we got a good bit of Spanish?!?! On the lighter side, we did see a LARGE sea turtle and then flipper put on a good show for us on the ride in. Hopefully we have a more productive day soon!! Almost embarrassed to tell the story Haha


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## devndeb (Mar 16, 2008)

Try plain old white jigs on heavy mono on those busting spanish...see them every trip and KILL THEN with those things...even a lead head and a white grub will work...they are feeding on rain minnows and small LY's...match the hatch...


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Sweet!! Thanks for the advice! Those Mack trees have been doing so well until today, I was running my friends from out of town who were out on vacation and brought there boat. Felt like I let them down today! Haha but you know its fishing not catching lol. Any tips on staying over wrecks in deeper water? Fish all the way on the bottom or a little above it? Different each day? What can I expect to catch on these close water reefs?


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## COALTRAIN (Jun 28, 2012)

devndeb said:


> Try plain old white jigs on heavy mono on those busting spanish...see them every trip and KILL THEN with those things...even a lead head and a white grub will work...they are feeding on rain minnows and small LY's...match the hatch...



I second that. I had such a problem finding 3/8oz white on white jigs I finally just bought the stuff to make them myself. They work crazy good. I use a 12in steel leader though. You never know what you will catch. Heres a king I cought on one a week ago throwing at spanish.










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## COALTRAIN (Jun 28, 2012)

BTW the measureing board is 37in long.I was out about 300 yards off the sandbar in perdido.

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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Awesome!! I am going to have to invest in some of those.. I threw gold spoons, doa shrimp, and Mack trees no strikes but ill look into some of the jigs. Are we talking about the deer tail jigs or what?


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## coin op repair man (Aug 28, 2012)

a white Looney jig works great on them


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## COALTRAIN (Jun 28, 2012)

Yea buckhair jigs. Good luck finding any. Thay are a pain in the ass to find in any size let alone the right size.

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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

I can't wait to try it now! It's almost depressing to see them going off like that and then not hitting anything you throw at them! I'm sure others have been there lol


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## Gamefish27 (Nov 13, 2009)

BlaineAtk said:


> Any tips on staying over wrecks in deeper water? Fish all the way on the bottom or a little above it? Different each day? What can I expect to catch on these close water reefs?


to stay over the spot you will have to keep the back of the boat into the wind in most case. yes you may get wet if the wind and waves are 2 or bigger.. if no wind keep the back of the boat into the drift.. someone will have to drive the whole time until you get good enough to fish at the same time. I never anchor it is a wast of time . it is really easy to do just takes patience...

If the fishfinder is showing the fish 20 feet off the bottom try to fish that.. fish where the fish are unless you feel you can pull a grouper from the bottom..

close water reefs are fished hard so it is spotty on what you will catch.. but you will luck up ever so often

good luck to ya


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Ok sounds easy enough, I was trying to anchor over it for a little while and never could seem to stay on top and just drifting across the wreck kept it under us for a grand total of about 3 whole seconds. Haha thanks for the tip!


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

don't sweat it, I was out yesterday and have NOTHING to report except people puking over the side! If Joe Pattie was out there with a fish I could have bought, I must have gone right past him without seeing him.......


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## Smitty81 (Sep 19, 2012)

I cast small Clarkspoons and Kastmasters (silver and copper) on mono for Spanish. I retrieve them as fast as I can. They have never let me down.


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

I will be buying some small spoons.... All I have are biggish ones. Those Mack trees had never let me down till that day, when that didn't work I was lost!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Borrow some tricks from the pier pros - bubble rigs and/or gotchas. You can troll the Gotcha effectively holding the rod and jerking the hell out of it. Tiring, but if you're on fish, you don't have to do it long before you're hooked up.


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## panhandlephinsphan (Aug 25, 2008)

I have good luck with the gotchyas and gold treble hook spoons at high speed retrieve for the spanish usually

Thanks for the tips on staying over the wreck/reefs. I am done with anchoring. Tried it several times and it is just a PITA. 

I did pick up one of those markers that you drop over the side as you come over good structure. It has served me well with trying to stay over the spot with no anchor. I think it is the american bandit brand. cool tool.

Pan


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Awesome I will try just hovering like that. A little engine every now and then we shall see. Thanks


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*Backing up to a spot is "like a tourist!"*

Sir
If you have to back up to a spot that means you can't "hold up on one". Try to learn the GPS system looking at #'s not a dot on your plotter! Its an art but IF YOU EVER FIGURE IT OUT you will out :yes::yes::yes:fish 95% of the people on this forum!!


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

I know how the numbers work ( work offshore on a oilfield boat) lol smaller boats are just tougher to keep on spot. Practice practice practice I guess is what it takes. I'm sure I'll get it down with time. Great suggestion though


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## jmw70 (Jun 6, 2012)

Another good lure for Spanish that I never hear people use I guess because its a fresh water lure is a rattletrap. You will catch just as many Spanish with that as you will a gotcha and you don't have to do all that jerking.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

capt mike said:


> Sir
> If you have to back up to a spot that means you can't "hold up on one". Try to learn the GPS system looking at #'s not a dot on your plotter! Its an art but IF YOU EVER FIGURE IT OUT you will out :yes::yes::yes:fish 95% of the people on this forum!!


 
+1 , never understood people trying to back into spots. It takes practice but you need to point your nose into the waves and wind , on a windy way you can just about keep your boat in gear and stay on a spot and if its calm just bumping works. Bigger boats are only easier when they have twin engines. It takes practice but definatly need someone on the controls at all time if you aren't drifting, trying to fish and stay on a spot just doesn't work. If your GPS is slow sometimes its best to watch people lines to keep up with were you're at on the spot.


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## BlaineAtk (Jun 8, 2010)

Yea the boats I work on offshore is twin engine 300 ft supply vessel. Fun to operate though.


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## Deep South (Oct 8, 2007)

bigrick said:


> +1 , never understood people trying to back into spots. It takes practice but you need to point your nose into the waves and wind , on a windy way you can just about keep your boat in gear and stay on a spot and if its calm just bumping works. Bigger boats are only easier when they have twin engines. It takes practice but definatly need someone on the controls at all time if you aren't drifting, trying to fish and stay on a spot just doesn't work. If your GPS is slow sometimes its best to watch people lines to keep up with were you're at on the spot.


I would definitely say that backing down is the only way to go. If you are motoring forward the wind and waves will push you all over the place. You would have to be constantly turning the wheel and working the throttle. Backing king down the boat doesn't try to spin on you which is especially good when you have 3 or 4 lines down deep.


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## mellandry (Aug 17, 2012)

Deep South said:


> I would definitely say that backing down is the only way to go. If you are motoring forward the wind and waves will push you all over the place. You would have to be constantly turning the wheel and working the throttle. Backing king down the boat doesn't try to spin on you which is especially good when you have 3 or 4 lines down deep.


I would second, but for a different reason. If a reasonable current is involved, going bow first means the current is carrying lines toward the stern where you have spinning props. Backing carries lines away from the outboards. Especially important with cats where twin outboards are nearer the corners. I look less armature backing than I do untangling a line from a prop.


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

white bucktail jig...i make a long cast..point the rod at the jig reel it as fast as i can just barely breaking the surface...and i mean as faaast as i can..when reeling that fast it will automatically cause the rod tip to bounce and put a real tight action in the jig....the macks will catch it and you get the bonus of some sweet topwater action too...i guess it draws more of a reaction strike and they have less time to look at it and decide if they want it or not.


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