# Frustrated need suggestions



## eternalbbfan (Mar 5, 2014)

Hello folks, I need some help. I'm not catching anything but catfish and rays with the occasional sea robin, small flounder, and beer bottle. I've tried the Intercoastal at Johnson's and Big Lagoon. I've tried the end of Palafox, the Pensacola Fishing Pier, and a few places on base. 

What am I doing wrong? I fish almost every day from 4-8ish and can't catch any real "food fish". I'm using mono line and 3 different poles. A 2 oz pyramid or egg weight attached to a swivel. I'm using a mono 18" leader with a circle hook or bait hook. I've tried using cut bait from catfish, frozen finger mullet both whole and cut, fresh and frozen shrip, artificial fish strips, frozen menhaven both whole, and cut. I've also tried using a cork attached to my leader to keep the bait off the bottom.

Does anyone have a tried and true method for catching dinner other than a boat and a really good guide?


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

as noted on another post started past day or so, it is really slow right now on the flats. Best fishing is early morning or evening. If you're in a boat go find a channel edge next to a flat or go fish bridge/dock pilings. Fishing up the river mouths might be an idea also (I had good luck north of highway 90 bridge last August). 
If all else fails watch the Crocodile Dundee movies again and observe how he lights and tosses the dynamite .... :whistling:


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Yes- water temp is up, fish are looking for cooler water. Probably a good time to fish the dock lights at night. And like said, fishing deeper water will produce better results. The edges of channels and drop-offs. Depending on current and tide, mornings and evenings may be better. 
Grass flats and shallows will probably be really slow until fall and cooler temps.


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## PierGoogan (Jul 9, 2014)

Get yourself a gotcha and 20 lb wire leader and go to the beach pier again and go 3/4 of the way down and throw it out and jig and reel. You'll catch spanish, bluefish, lady fish, hardtail, etc.


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## Bravo87 (Jun 19, 2014)

From the pier, sabiki hard tail and whatever baitfish is around. Take them live and toss it out, much better chances with live bait.


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## Skeeterdone (Jun 21, 2014)

Don't feel bad I have a boat and doin about the same...New to this and gets pretty boring catchin cats!! I hate slime!! Got into a bunch of specks once but all under 12"..I have fished sunup till sundown.. around the clock same ole do do! cat cat cat!! one ladyfish.. even paid for a charter..and cats! one keeper trout at dusk. 200 bucks a fillet...lol might just spend this weekend at crab island and watch the kitty's..


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

Is that 4-8AM or PM? This time of year the water heats up fast and stays hot till well after dark so fish are pretty lazy most of the day. That leads into the next problem which is soaking bait on the bottom. This time of year, you're best bet is to fish artificial lures which provoke fish to bite from reaction strikes not necessarily from hunger.

Your best bet is topwater first thing in the morning until a little after sun-up. After that, may as well go home and wait till after it get's dark again. Night-time docklights should be good this time of year. Go take a walk West from shoreline park and let us know what happens.

The other thing is to hire a guide and see what they do. I know it seems like a lot of money up front but compare that to spending thousands of $$$ and hundreds of hours over the next 5 years trying to figure it out on your own.

Good luck!
Alex


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

just echoing what other people have said.... 4-8 it's gonna be hot and your fish are going to move to deeper/cooler water... +1 on the artificial baits as well, or live baits... like otehrs have said... wait until a couple hours after dark and hit the lights... throw shrimp, gulp, m17 mirrodines, storm paddle tails, or just about anything honestly to the edge of the light and retrieve


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## Skeeterdone (Jun 21, 2014)

stauty trout said:


> just echoing what other people have said.... 4-8 it's gonna be hot and your fish are going to move to deeper/cooler water... +1 on the artificial baits as well, or live baits... like otehrs have said... wait until a couple hours after dark and hit the lights... throw shrimp, gulp, m17 mirrodines, storm paddle tails, or just about anything honestly to the edge of the light and retrieve


Dumb question..do the fish ambush from the dark?


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Skeeterdone said:


> Dumb question..do the fish ambush from the dark?


Not a dumb question. They sit out in the dark and wait, facing toward the light and wait for a target to come into the light and they usually attack when it is going out again into that interface area toward the dark. Same as they do on a grass flat. In the grass, looking into the sand pockets


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## Skeeterdone (Jun 21, 2014)

so I have been parking my boat on them....that's funny!! I figured they were chasin bait because of all the movement in the light.. so they are more like walleye don't like the light but hang in the shadows.. now during the day do they hang in the down side of breaks? cooler water and wait for bait to be washed over edge?


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Like I said before, in the mornings, now, they are in the grass looking into the sand potholes. When the heat comes up, they move off the lip of a drop-off and you should be in the deep, casting to the shallows and looking for the bite when your bait goes off the lip of the drop-off.


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## salty_dawg (Mar 21, 2013)

Skeeterdone said:


> so I have been parking my boat on them....that's funny!! I figured they were chasin bait because of all the movement in the light.. so they are more like walleye don't like the light but hang in the shadows.. now during the day do they hang in the down side of breaks? cooler water and wait for bait to be washed over edge?


I've pulled up 40-50 ft out all the way up to practically sitting on the light and caught fish. I think the key is to approach with almost "Ninga Stealth". I use either a power pole or iPilot to hold the spot. I've also found that if it is mostly trout on a light, the bite will shut off for 10-15 min after you catch one if you are using artificial. If you are using live bait, they tend to not be quite as finicky.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Skeeter;

When we say DEEPER water around here, we're talking a change from like from 2-3 feet to 5 - 6 ft....not a drop-off like in a walleye lake, from 6 to 16ft.

Trout and reds both will drop off to just a bit deeper water when it's hot like this.

When fishing dock lights, ease in slowly...stay out about 20-30 yds. just sitting there watching the lights.

Even though you snuck in, the fish know you're there.
Step back and watch the lights...if there's action, let wind, current push you thru the area slowly and quietly...remember you're only fishing water from 2 ft. - 5 ft. most likely.


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