# Gulf State Pier - 5/5/2012



## ashley7219 (Oct 7, 2011)

I know this is a couple of days late, but Saturday seemed to be a fairly good day at Gulf State Pier. Lots of Spanish around, but your technique had to be right. We were there from about 11:00-5:30 and only put three in the cooler. However, the couple of guys who had it 'right' caught their limit and then started giving them away. 

Thanks to an un-named friend from north of Mobile for showing me his tricks using cut bait and to Paul from Gulf Shores for sharing his lure selection. Both those guys had it together and were very gracious in sharing their knowledge with the less-informed of us. Although we only caught three, those guys made the trip more than worthwhile with the info they shared. Next time we'll be filling our cooler as well!!

Best to All,
Ashley from Mobile


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## stevesmi (Mar 15, 2012)

what are the tricks? please share!!


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## ashley7219 (Oct 7, 2011)

stevesmi said:


> what are the tricks? please share!!


As for lures, I would just look VERY specifically at the colors on the fish in the photo I posted. If your lure doesn't look like THAT, it's not going to get hit. NOTHING else but hard lures with green on top and some kind of flash/silver on the bottom were being hit. The biggest clue is that the guys who invested in higher-end stuff were doing well. The ones using lures in the $5-8 dollar range definitely were not.

As to the cut bait, the guys who were having success were using the bellies of ether Elweys or Mackerel cut about 1" wide and 3-4" in length. Again, it had to be part of the fish with the white belly skin/scales showing so that it flashes like a smaller Elwey. If you did it right, they hit it 6 times out of 10. If you didn't, you just stood around like a big dummy ALL day.

The biggest thing I took away was that whatever you used had to flash and be the same size/shape as their natural bait or it was going to be a very disappointing day.


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## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

Spanish are funny, sometimes they will hit any gotcha sometimes its one color of gotcha. Sometimes a yo-zuri crystal minnow will do the trick(not cheap). Sometime a straw bubble rig works great.(McDonalds straw, would catch a ton this way when I was young from the beach piers) All that being said alewives with a long shank hook floro leader works 100% of the time. As long as its not that windy that is. That being said you have to get the hang of it if that swallow it they will cut you off. You will loose fish but you hook ups will multiply over steel leader.


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