# Starting to Show Up!



## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

Been fishing a lot, but usually don’t fish for trout during the day much during winter. Night fishing is awesome, but I’m usually ready to get back on the flats and start sightfishing again. Hit a spot yesterday just to check, and found what I was looking for. 

Started off with the sun high in the sky, and saw a few gators moving around, but very skittish. Kept moving and taking note of where they were for the return trip. Set up on a small patch of grass on the way back, and saw her trying to sneak off into deep water. Waited for the perfect timing, made a perfect cast, and she inhaled my croaker jerkbait in an instant. Great fight, very strong and fast fish. Really glad to be seeing them already, and it felt great to get that first sightfish of the year.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Nice fish.


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## bassmasterffej (Feb 4, 2020)

Nice one!


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

fry that thing up and call us when it's ready. good job sightfishing.
jack


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

No hooks?


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Jeff don't need no damn hooks!


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## Ronb (Jul 22, 2019)

First Cast said:


> No hooks?



Good catch .. pun intended! Great fish no matter how caught!


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

Wow Jeff you continue to prove you are the Gator Man in this area..
Great catch!


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

jack2 said:


> fry that thing up and call us when it's ready. good job sightfishing.
> jack


Big specks taste fishy. Smaller ones are sweet tasting, it's the diet.

But if you freeze everything, it all tastes the same.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

kanaka said:


> Big specks taste fishy. Smaller ones are sweet tasting, it's the diet.
> 
> But if you freeze everything, it all tastes the same.


i like the taste of mackerel and blue fish, so go figure.
jack


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Nice fish, Jeff! Thanks for sharing!


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

First Cast said:


> No hooks?


That was right after the clear coat cured.


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

Bodupp said:


> Jeff don't need no damn hooks!


 I do need all the help I can get with these fish


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

Boardfeet said:


> Wow Jeff you continue to prove you are the Gator Man in this area..
> Great catch!


Thank you sir, they are so much fun to chase. Trying to put the puzzle together each time out and find that needle in a haystack keeps us going back for more.


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

kanaka said:


> Big specks taste fishy. Smaller ones are sweet tasting, it's the diet.
> 
> But if you freeze everything, it all tastes the same.


I agree. I don’t really care for them but not gonna waste them either. End up gill hooking a few each year and I take them home. Always full of worms and like you said, fishy taste. Definitely prefer Mangroves and flounder.


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

jack2 said:


> i like the taste of mackerel and blue fish, so go figure.
> jack


That explains it all


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## lsucole (May 7, 2009)

JeffBfishing said:


> That explains it all


It does kinda explain his whole avatar thing doesn't it ! Awesome trout Jeff, especially for this time of year !


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice one Jeff ! After the mass exodus from the river, I figured that a grass flats or dock light report from the big water would be posted soon . You are definitely the Man when it comes to monster trout !
Good looking lure too !


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Hmmm, weren't you using the Jackall swimbait thru rigged quite a bit? Back to hardbaits or is it a tactical lure choice this time of the year?


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

lsucole said:


> It does kinda explain his whole avatar thing doesn't it ! Awesome trout Jeff, especially for this time of year !


 No comment on the avatar... Thanks brother, used to hate this time of year but that’s changing fast.


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

THE POMPANO KING said:


> Nice one Jeff ! After the mass exodus from the river, I figured that a grass flats or dock light report from the big water would be posted soon . You are definitely the Man when it comes to monster trout !
> Good looking lure too !


Thanks, I appreciate it. Spent some hours trying to get that croaker looking right. They are definitely moving around now, getting ready to spawn. Looks like one more cold front coming so your fish should still be around for a short time. These fish are slowly moving onto the flats though.


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## JeffBfishing (Jul 17, 2020)

kanaka said:


> Hmmm, weren't you using the Jackall swimbait thru rigged quite a bit? Back to hardbaits or is it a tactical lure choice this time of the year?


Oh yeah, spent the last 3 months throwing the line thru, but strictly at night. It’s productivity in the cold months is incredible, but as soon as it starts to drop off, I change location, lure choice, and no more night fishing. I throw hard baits during the day in all seasons. Super slow and subtle with the swimbait during the winter vs. super fast and aggressive during the summer with the jerkbaits.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Thanks for the reply. I like the ability of blasting a cast with the swimbait with the rod action you suggested, med lite fast action, vs the heavy fast action I was buying because of pier fishing mentality. The hardbaits like the 52M, haven't tried it yet with that rod, should try that even with the weight difference of the lures..

Anybody reading this thread, this is what the PFF used to be, a sharing of knowledge, but not secret spots.


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