# Nearshore Trolling Destin - 4/24/08



## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

After looking at Reefcast for today & tomorrow, we decided today to be the better day to go - so we finished mowing the lawn and loaded up the boat. We were on the water around noon & rounded thru the pass at 42mph shortly after. Seas were less than 1' and not that windy at all.

First stop was a bottom area near the Miss Louise. Trolled with no hits.

Second stop was the Landing Craft & Janet. There was a lot of patchy weeds. Water temp was 69.7 and 69.3 when the clouds covered the sun in the late afternoon. We were trolling 3 lines - 1 ribbonfish, 1 frozen cigar minnow on a pirate plug, and 1 naked dead cig. First hit was [email protected]$%%#$%$ freeloading remora. We had two more King strikes but missed the hooks both times. All 3 fish were hitting the naked rig. 










Got frustrated with the sh*tty bait we had - I guess we bought a bad box of cigar minnows from Justin- they werejust not worth a sh*t to put itgently- when they hit the water they just fell apart - busted from their @$$hole back - disgusting. 










We dumped the rest of theworthless bait and came home - we were back on the hill at 6pm and at AJs bar by 7:30 for dinner & drinks..


----------



## ReelDuel (Oct 4, 2007)

do you clip the pec fins off when trolling dead cigs?? and squeze the guts out like you would do on a bally.


----------



## d45miller (Oct 2, 2007)

Kinda looks like what a frozen cig looks like when it's trolled for a while. Might want to try brining some before the next trip. Would probably make them last a little while longer. Hopefully some of the more experienced king fishermen will chime in with better advice. Shouldn't be too long though! Keep the reports coming.


----------



## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

> *ReelDuel (4/25/2008)*do you clip the pec fins off when trolling dead cigs?? and squeze the guts out like you would do on a bally.


Nah, we keep them intact. Wetypically brine them the night before but I dropped the ball on that one - I forgot to :banghead. We took them straight out of the freezer to the ice in the fish box. I thought they would be ok, but the pic above is how they looked an hour later. I hadnever seen them do that. :S


----------



## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

> *d45miller (4/25/2008)* Shouldn't be too long though! Keep the reports coming.


 I wanted our first king of '08 so bad yesterday - LOL -I gotta work on being more patient


----------



## ditchdoctor81 (Oct 3, 2007)

There's always next time :letsdrink


----------



## wirenut (Sep 30, 2007)

Well atleast ya wet some lines


----------



## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

you think maybe the cigs were thawed then refrozen???... possibly a power-outage at the bait shop you got them from and the bait thawed???

that's what it looks like to me, bait that was thawed and refrozen

sucks about the remora too.

better luck next time.


----------



## ReelDuel (Oct 4, 2007)

I usually put a duster in front of a frozen cig. Sea Strike makes a good one. I use the lure the has a v wedge on the front of the lead. I only troll live cigs naked.


----------



## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks for the info!! I hope I can get backout there Tues or Wednesday and try it again- I have a freakin corneal ulcer andmy eyestings like a beeeeeech. :-( I have been stuck inside in the dark wearing sunglasses all weekend.NOTE TO SELF: Never fall asleep with contact lens in EVER AGAIN.. :reallycrying I am ready to get this thing healed and go fishing again!!!!!!


----------



## Magic236 (Oct 1, 2007)

We took a stab at it on April 27. Fished the bridge rubble as it was rough. Three king strikes, no fish and like you the worst cigs I've ever had. This Sunday (5/4/08) fished near the 18's. Much better box of minnows, that wenever used, as we had plenty of live bait. 3 Kings (One decent, one legal, one throw back), 3 Snapper (2 Keepers), 1 Throw back AJ, and 1 marginally legal cobia that I released for fear it was short. All fish but one was caught w/ skirted live cigs, deep off the downrigger.


----------



## Lucky #9 (Jan 5, 2008)

I had some minnows do the same thing from same supplier...Think the brine will help, but had a lot fall apart just cutting up to bottom fish!:banghead


----------

