# spanish cove pier, perdido bay 6-2-15



## froggy (Feb 7, 2014)

well guys had about the best night ever last night and caught more fish than the others on the pier. unfortunately i was catching the bait and the others were doing the heavy lifting. no reds last night but about a dozen cats; hardheads, i think another kind, and 4 sail cats. kept the biggest sail cause i have yet to try that particular type of fish. my buddy the herron was there and really is growing fond of me and my cast net. he got to eat a hardhead last night that was injured when trying to get the hook from way down his gullet. had a great time even though everyone else was doing the catching. i recall someone looking for a place to catch catfish. well for whatever reason they are covering up the bay where i live and anyone is welcome to come fill their coolers off the pier. i would imagine they would make good shark bait, not big enough maybe? lemme know i will gladly start saving the hardheads for someone who sharks off the beach as long as i can help or watch? ill help reel and watch you yak out with the bloody bait. seems fair to me..lol
tight lines everyone peace


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## froggy (Feb 7, 2014)

pics didnt load try number 2 ok sorry i cannot make the pictures load....


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Hey Froggy, did you get the release yesterday from SC about staying out of the water here b/c of the high bacteria count?


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## froggy (Feb 7, 2014)

i sure did mr watermark. they tested it this week and put the red sign up by the pier. if i want to play in the water i go to johnson, or ob, if i have time i love navarre. are you in the cove also? im on pensacola but i spend more time on the pier. i have only eaten my catch here once before with out of town guests who had never tried mullet or redfish. i did manage to get about a pound of sail cat fillet from the big one caught last night. im planning on cooking it. wonder if the grill will kill the bacteria or should i let mr herron enjoy it?


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

It'll be fine.


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

The grilled fish will be fine Froggy. Yes, I have a place there but pretty much stopped using the pier when they put up the cameras on the end of the pier. I didn't really mind the ones midway out at the ORF resting benchs but just don't care to have a camer watching my every move all the time.


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## froggy (Feb 7, 2014)

i have a strange feeling that wireless cam is about to be hacked and sent to a dead end loop; aka black hole. it never bothered me b4 but since i know it bothers you...im rusty and my kung fu is weak, but script kiddies are a dime a dozen


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

:thumbup:


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## froggy (Feb 7, 2014)

6-7-15 update

decided to just update the thread instead of posting a new one every day or 2.

decided to try my luck today about 5pm. the dock was pretty full of people and there were several lines in the water before i got started.

i go fish each day as a healthy thing so i always make quite a few trips to the truck and back just carrying gear. today i did as usual and only grabbed my cast net and trolling minnow bucket as usual. i find it is the easiest/cheapest way to keep my bait alive while i am out at my pier. i have a little air pump on another bucket, but my pal borrowed it and has yet to return it. (gonna need a bigger bucket)
anyhow i headed out and talked to a couple of couples sitting under the gazebo while i finished my cig. saw kids already netting figured i wouldn't need mine. i was incorrect.

someone had left a minnow trap close to the end of the pier and it was bringing the tiny ones in close; but i like them when they are just big enough to squeeze through the 3/8" holes on my cast net or a bit larger. the big ones work fine; i just try not to overdo it i guess? i got 4 perfect sized ones my first cast. got them in my bucket with water tied off and went to find another pile to throw into. as i gazed out i saw a pretty large school of mullet being "herded" towards me. i readied myself and told the kids it was going to be raining fish. my handstring is not as long as i would prefer but i made do and waited until i was sure i could get a good throw; water is shallow there; maybe 3 ft max. well the stars aligned and my next throw netted 60 plus finger mullet as big as my lighter around and most of them longer. i put a couple handfuls in the kids bucket and left way too many in mine. i have overfilled it before; but i really thought it would be ok this time cause it was sitting in the water with freshness flowing through. 
i baited up my 3 rods and started to wait. it was probably 6 when i started really fishing. 
i had a couple of nibbles and got picked clean a time or 2 because the way i had them set out i couldnt really keep my eyes on them all at the same time. while waiting more people came out and we really had the end of the pier stuffed. that is when the dolphins came close. i swear i thought i saw a big turtle but it ended up being a dolpin; then an older one with a beat up fin. there might have been a turtle; something flat and big around as a breakfast table surfaced; but the smaller dolphin was right there popped up in the same spot? then i saw mama? 

since my plan today was to try the boat launch down the street i decided that since flipper was hanging out at home i had a perfect reason to go down the street. it was pretty crowded at home and not that i mind the company i just felt that with that many lines in the water and no action why not try elsewhere. 
i noticed my fish were not doing well because i guess it was just too many still in my bucket? i grabbed another dozen or so out for the kids and walked the journey to the truck with more than a dozen baitfish left but only a few still swimming.

i went to the store and got a twisted tea since its across from the boat launch. there were a 1/2 dozen trailers sitting and 3 people launched while i was there. it was officially dark and i was disappointed cause someone had shot out the light on the end of the fishing pier. the rest is lighted but i am spoiled from mine at home i guess. the water there is much deeper than at the house and it makes the catching different.
i like this pier because it has cutouts where its lower by a foot or so with holders attached in the cutouts. of course the holders are not all there but you can still set up 2 rods in a 4 foot window that makes it easier to watch 2 at a time.
i only brought 2 and cast with the wind towards the bridge on 98. even though i had put the bait in the water after only 10-15 minutes in the truck most of my mullets were no longer swimming. i decided to try anyway since i made the trip. 
i got the lines tight and did not even get my drink finished before the rod that was not in a holder started bobbing. i was very happy because last trip i did not get a big one; just bait.
this pole is my daughters pushbutton but its a 404 and newish. i have become so used to landing fish off my pier where the sand has washed out and the water is maybe 2 ft deep within 10 yds of all sides of the pier; this was so much more fun. 
i could tell from the struggle that i had something more than a pound for sure. this is the first time i actually fished from this dock and it was dark so i have no idea how much line i had out or where this guy might run to and tangle me up?
i started reeling pretty good and the drag was just right. i could have tightened it up; but i was having a good time with this little fight so i just kept reeling. i would get a few cranks then the fish would dive and he really felt bigger than he was. the closer i got him the harder he dove trying to swim under the dock. i knew i couldnt let that happen cause with my luck he would tangle up. it did not take much more and i got him to break the surface. he was a nice hardhead? i think. his sail was not big enough and he just looked like a regular catfish. i had to jimmy with the hook longer than i would like cause i left my box in the truck so i didnt wanna risk him being out any longer while i tried to clean my hands to take a picture. i managed to get him off no problem once i held my mouth right..lol. im guessing he was right at the 2 pound mark give or take. i tossed him back and decided since it was dark; and most of my bait had died i would call it a night.
i brought the minnows back to the creek by the house that feeds the bay and dropped them in. a few managed to make it but most will be food for whatever lives between here and there? 
only caught one big guy (not to mention 60 plus baitfish) but had a great time doing it. i know now that i can only put so many fish in my bucket no matter if i want them to stay alive. i should have picked the larger ones out and let them go or saved them for my hungry herron friend but i did not see him this afternoon.
now i can say i caught a fish at the boat launch. it was not the big ol drum i was hoping for; but a 2 pounder on a dead minnow in 15 minutes made my day !!


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