# Destin Nearshore Report 3/10



## wackydaddy (Jul 24, 2009)

Took the wife out for her first time into the Gulf, against the predictions of 3-5ft seas we tested the waters and it was calm enough to run 26kts the whole way out. Hit our AJ spot where we knew they were but were probably not big enough to keep, first drop of the jig landed a pretty small AJ near the surface. Each drop after that yielded bigger and bigger AJ's. Most were around 25-26" inches in length. 
Anybody ever heard of the pre-rigged jigs that have 2 J-hooks hanging off the solid ring having the wire break? I mean these were not keeper AJ's and twice I had AJ's on with a single hook and the wire holding the hooks broke right at the surface. Nothing but the single hook wire broke, and it wasn't the wire pulling out of the crimp, the wire straight broke.
Anyways out came the diamond jig, hate it because of the treble hooks that all seat themselves in a fishes mouth and you have to fight to get all 3 hooks out.
After 2 hours of fishing we headed in and had a large pod of dolphins hang around the boat for awhile, we didn't feed them but the wife loved seeing them interact with the boat.
All in all a great day, no intention of keeping anything just wanted to "ahem" break the wife in on the Gulf and get back on the water after having a 2 month dry spell.
BTW, I was drifting over the structure when some chuckleheads decided to anchor in the middle of my drift. Okay whatever I drove close and around them, then another boat decided to also get right in my drift and because the anchored boat was getting a little bottom action this other boat literally was getting close enough to the anchored boat that they were tossing their lines close to the anchored boat to essentially fish the SAME spot! How ridiculous do you have to be? Are you that desperate to catch fish that you have to fish on top of somebody else? I bet they said to themselves "Hmmm, lets drive around a bit and see where people are fishing, we can just swoop in and show them how to really catch the fish". They are lucky one of my 16oz sinkers didn't find its way into the side of their boat.
Next time, pictures will be posted of the numb nuts.


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## Captdroot (Jan 18, 2012)

*Looks like calm day.*

*Some folks just need to have company............. cause they're lost!*

*Did you fish natural bottom or a wreck/artificial?*


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## SteveFL (Aug 2, 2010)

I jusssttt don't get how in the world someone has to fish right next to another in the Gulf????? I experienced this on inland lakes and never ever would've thought the morons would do the same with literally "millions" of other places to go?

Anyway, I have had those jigs hooks break. The ones I got were off of ebay so I guess they're built cheaply. The latest batch came from another source that I'll post if they work out well.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Try replacing your jig hooks with Owner assist hooks, the hook quality is excellent and I have yet to have one break off. I think they are around 7-8 bucks for two but they are well worth it. You can replace the treble on the diamond jig with them as well, just remove that crappy treble and attach the assist hook at the solid ring.


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## wackydaddy (Jul 24, 2009)

Captdroot said:


> *Some folks just need to have company............. cause they're lost!*
> 
> *Did you fish natural bottom or a wreck/artificial?*


Wreck


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## wackydaddy (Jul 24, 2009)

sniperpeeps said:


> Try replacing your jig hooks with Owner assist hooks, the hook quality is excellent and I have yet to have one break off. I think they are around 7-8 bucks for two but they are well worth it. You can replace the treble on the diamond jig with them as well, just remove that crappy treble and attach the assist hook at the solid ring.


 Thanks Adam, I'm going to try to take the jig back to half hitch today to see what they think about it. I mean the wire broke in the same spot on both, that's defective. If they dont' replace it then I'll of course keep it and add the owner assist hooks to it. It's the same complete jig I used in the same spot we went in January, except this time the fish took the hook instead of the whole jig. I guess that is better than losing it all.


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## ryanbr (Oct 10, 2007)

Remember that public is public. The boats that pulled up on you had the idea that they wanted to fish that spot as much as you did. With that being said courtesy is key. However, once someone has anchored everyone's now working around them. That includes divers as well. Public spots are like dealing with the parking lot at walmart. You have to take others as they come and go.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

The thomas hayward and places like that are the most fished wrecks out of destin, I rarely pass it without seeing 3 to 5 boats sitting there. Got to expect that kinda thing but working with the other people fishing is way more productive that competing with them.


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## wackydaddy (Jul 24, 2009)

ryanbr said:


> Remember that public is public. The boats that pulled up on you had the idea that they wanted to fish that spot as much as you did. With that being said courtesy is key. However, once someone has anchored everyone's now working around them. That includes divers as well. Public spots are like dealing with the parking lot at walmart. You have to take others as they come and go.


When there are no other boats in sight for miles, and you know there are another dozen options for structure within sight, I would never go park my boat where somebody else is, I move on. Courtesy is key when you don't get in the middle of somebody else when they were there first. It is possible for multiple boats to fish the same spot, it happens every summer, but there is no need to shove people off their spot when there is so much ocean, where is the courtesy in that?
You don't see people parking next to you at Wal-mart and pitching a pop-up tent over your vehicle to reserve the spot for a bake sale while you are still parked there do you?


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## wackydaddy (Jul 24, 2009)

bigrick said:


> The thomas hayward and places like that are the most fished wrecks out of destin, I rarely pass it without seeing 3 to 5 boats sitting there. Got to expect that kinda thing but working with the other people fishing is way more productive that competing with them.


 I've seen the liberty just as popular...I don't know where the Thomas Hayward is, but if its that crowded I probably don't want to.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

wackydaddy said:


> I've seen the liberty just as popular...I don't know where the Thomas Hayward is, but if its that crowded I probably don't want to.



Those are one and the same, if you know when to fish it you can sometimes have it all to yourself and it can be very productive; see my last offshore report:whistling:


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

one in the same. Thomas Hayward Liberty Ship. 7 miles SW of Destin.


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