# Finding Spanish?



## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Let me start by saying I dont fish the Pensacola area, so I am just looking for some general info. The area that I fish does not have a bay or pass. And from my experience fish that are caught right off the beach in P'cola are found farther offshore where I fish. Mexico Beach is the area I am talking about.

I given a couple of half hearted attempts at spanish in the past, but have never caught any. Iv'e trolled the gut outside the 2nd bar with #1 and #0 Clark spoons. I also trolled a mackerel tree. No bites. I've also been headed offshore (6+ miles out) and passed bait balls with something busting them. I've trolled around those with he same baits as well as throwing X-raps and mirrolures at them. No bites. I dont know what was busting on the baitballs. May have been spanish, or it may have been blues, or who knows what.

Mexico Beach has a shelf between San Blas and Crooked Island Beach. The water stays 20-35ft deep for about 4-5 miles out. Then at 6 miles, it drops off to 60+ ft. Any tips or advice on where to find the spanish here? I'll be headed down for Memorial Day weekend. With everything offshore closed, I thought we would troll for some mackerel and maybe pound the beaches for pompano.


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## submariner (Oct 2, 2007)

in Pensacola the Spanish are found inside the bar. you could be fishing two deep. they run up the first bar or between the two bars. you can see them in 8- 10 feet of water. try closer in


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

submariner said:


> in Pensacola the Spanish are found inside the bar. you could be fishing two deep. they run up the first bar or between the two bars. you can see them in 8- 10 feet of water. try closer in


I had thought about that. It is my understanding that you cannot have a boat that close to shore in Mexico Beach. I may try running up towards Crooked Island, no people on the beach there. :thumbsup:

I've tried from the beach too. Tossing gotchas, x-raps, spoons, etc. Got nothing but a few Ladyfish and a Blue or two.


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## fishdoc (Apr 1, 2014)

Usually starting around this time the bouy line coming out of St Joe bay holds quite a bit of bait and thus predators. I have caught numerous spanish and even kings slow trolling that general area around the farthest few bouys. If that doesnt work and you want to go a little farther offshore a flat line with a cigar minnow over the fire tower always produces kings in that area. It is a public reef and you could easily find the numbers. But in general I would also troll at least one cigar minnow in your spread.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

fishdoc said:


> Usually starting around this time the bouy line coming out of St Joe bay holds quite a bit of bait and thus predators. I have caught numerous spanish and even kings slow trolling that general area around the farthest few bouys. If that doesnt work and you want to go a little farther offshore a flat line with a cigar minnow over the fire tower always produces kings in that area. It is a public reef and you could easily find the numbers. But in general I would also troll at least one cigar minnow in your spread.


We've been fishing the area for about 15 years now. We catch Kings all the time. Usually over the "Car Bodies" Never caught one on a cig though. We always catch them on frozen Northerns or live Ruby Reds. We limit out on them so fast that I though we would try for Spanish. They taste alot better and you can keep alot more of them. Spanish will also freeze, Kings... Not so much. haha


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## fishdoc (Apr 1, 2014)

Sounds like you are very familar with the area then. I completely agree about the taste of spanish and really only enjoy catching the kings for the sport. But that general area of the last few buoys is where I have consitently caught the most spanish out of MB. Have caught the most there on very small cigs or the spoon at the end of the mackeral tree. Later in the summer in the bay they are always with blues busting the bait balls.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

fishdoc said:


> Sounds like you are very familar with the area then. I completely agree about the taste of spanish and really only enjoy catching the kings for the sport. But that general area of the last few buoys is where I have consitently caught the most spanish out of MB. Have caught the most there on very small cigs or the spoon at the end of the mackeral tree. Later in the summer in the bay they are always with blues busting the bait balls.


Yeah, fairly familiar with the area. We've never had any luck on the buoy line. All we have ever caught out there were Ladyfish between the "Line" and the tip of San Blas. We catch our best kings over the CAr Bodies and catch smaller ones (but more of them) trolling on the way back to the MB canal. Usually between 6 and 4 miles out.

You say a spoon on the end of the mackerel tree? Hummm. Never thought of that one. We always just put a torpedo weight. May have been doing it wrong all this time. Like I said, not something we normally mess with. Do you use any weight at all other than the spoon? Also, what size and kind of spoon?


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## fishdoc (Apr 1, 2014)

Pretty much any size, usually 2-4" I'd guess, and in gold or silver all just as well. Usually no weight on that if we are slow trolling so its not skipping on the water but just below the surface. But if other rigs are getting hit better that are deeper in the water column I have added the torpedo style trolling weights in front of the tree. This definitely is not my area of expertise by any means but like you when not fishing for something else its fun to do.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Cool. Thanks for the help. 
We've gotta do what we've gotta do now that everything else is closed. I'm not even going to bring my boat down. My buddy will probably bring his though.


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## fishdoc (Apr 1, 2014)

Don't blame you one bit. Snapper are more protected than bald eagles now. The grass flats in the actual bay should be holding a ton of trout/reds around that time also which is how I will be spending my time there then. To give you another option at something thats way more edible than kings.


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## Georgiaboy (Oct 4, 2007)

I store a boat I'm PSJ. Troll for Spanish off of crooked island early in the year. By now, I generally have better luck off of the Cape about a mile around on the outside. Weave back between 10' and 18-20' until find them. They will wear a mackerel tree out. I didn't have confidence in that bait until I finally started catching them on it. Now I hardly use anything else when targeting Spanish. Good luck.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

I've got a buddy that has fished Mexico beach every year. He told me they catch lots of Spanish on the "horse shoe" flat in 8-12" of water. Don't know where that is, but hope this helps you.


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## salty_dawg (Mar 21, 2013)

I've had good success trolling a mackerel tree with a diving planer. Most have been caught within a mile of the beach or in the pass. Often catch 2-3 at one time.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

salty_dawg said:


> I've had good success trolling a mackerel tree with a diving planer. Most have been caught within a mile of the beach or in the pass. Often catch 2-3 at one time.


The pass? There is no pass in Mexico Beach. Are you talking The opening into St Joe Bay?

Also not sure where "horseshoe flat" is. Never heard of that one.

I found out last night that AJ, and trigger will still be open and the 24th is opening day for snapper. I dont know if we will end up trolling for spanish afterall. I thought they were all going to be closed that week.


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## salty_dawg (Mar 21, 2013)

NoMoSurf said:


> The pass? There is no pass in Mexico Beach. Are you talking The opening into St Joe Bay?
> 
> Also not sure where "horseshoe flat" is. Never heard of that one.
> 
> I found out last night that AJ, and trigger will still be open and the 24th is opening day for snapper. I dont know if we will end up trolling for spanish afterall. I thought they were all going to be closed that week.


Mostly in the Destin/Pensacola area. I was just commenting that the mackerel tree has worked for me on a diving planer.


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## ironman (Oct 18, 2007)

When I troll for spanish I will always start out with a gotcha and a spoon. If on starts getting hit more than the other I'll put the same on both rods. If you run into a bait ball again and can't get anything trolling around them try a bubble rig. I have run up on schools like this before. They wouldn't hit the gotcha's or spoons. Got close and started casting bubble rigs and BAM. I have caught Spanish, Blues, and Bonita this way.


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