# Brief Reports Thread



## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

I always enjoy reading the reports in this forum, but the reports are a bit scarce lately. I do not contribute much because I am reluctant to start a new thread for a short report on a rather unexciting fishing trip. I suspect that others might feel the same way.

So I am creating this thread as a place for a quick post for anyone who has a report but does not want to start a new thread. I will start off and see how it works.


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

I and my wife were out yesterday at Heron Bay, Alabama. I caught the biggest Jack Crevalle I have ever caught. I look like I am about to fall over in the photo because I was darned tired by the time I got that fish in the boat and then released.








My wife had a easier time with her fish.








Actually, we wound up with a good mess of decent sized White Trout, but as usual the Specks were not around.


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Nice!!! 
Short or Long I like all posts


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## LY-zer (Jan 16, 2019)

Sorry the reports have been slow this year. The weather has just not cooperated and fishing has not been good with all of the sharks and aggressive dolphin. It has to be my worst fishing year ever. I have hopes for next year to be better or maybe the fall. Glad ya'll had a good day. Jacks are beasts!


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

some of mine are stained so badly that even spray-an-wash won't get the brown out.
oh, my bad. it's not that kinda brief. carry on.
jack


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

MeltonW said:


> I and my wife were out yesterday at Heron Bay, Alabama. I caught the biggest Jack Crevalle I have ever caught. I look like I am about to fall over in the photo because I was darned tired by the time I got that fish in the boat and then released.
> View attachment 1095015
> 
> My wife had a easier time with her fish.
> ...


Don't be reluctant! Ya'll having a good time. Always enjoyable to see and hear about people having a good time trying to or catching fish. What is all about right! Most of the active people on here will enjoy it. And will help out anyway they can. Keep posting good and bad. Bad is where people can help with their experience we will never know everything lol. Might learn something with the more folks you meet about the tricks about what's going on where and when. Want to hear more about ya'll's adventures!


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## KnottyBass (Nov 26, 2013)

Fished just north of crab island last Thursday with my inlaws from Nebraska.
Tide was very weak with very little wind.
We netted a big net full of 2-3 inch greenies and anchored just on the edge of the channel and began to chum. After about 30 minutes we had HUNDREDS of small lady fish around 12 inches long under the boat. We were catching them dropping empty hooks straight under the boat and jigging them.
My brother in law was loving it! 🤣
Right about dark some really big lady fish started biting and also caught 4 rather large bluefish just before dark. The light tackle made it exciting for sure.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

yep, i've done that many times when the ladies are feeding. i give the ladyfish to the asian ladies and since the blues and macs are running underneath, i catch all the blues and macs i can with a little silver or gold something, doesn't matter cause the fish are looking for something shiny. like you said, lots of fun and action.
jack


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

Thanks for the comments and encouragement, fellows.



KnottyBass said:


> We netted a big net full of 2-3 inch greenies and anchored just on the edge of the channel and began to chum. After about 30 minutes we had HUNDREDS of small lady fish around 12 inches long under the boat. We were catching them dropping empty hooks straight under the boat and jigging them.
> My brother in law was loving it! 🤣


For folks who have never experienced something like that it can be amazing!

I like the Ladyfish too, to catch, not eat. About three weeks ago I was fishing in Mobile Bay with two rods. At one point when I set one rod down while I reeled in the other. My Gulp was dangling in the water by the boat and a small Ladyfish grabbed and got hooked. It took me a few seconds to process what was happening. That is the way fishing is supposed to be - fish biting so fast that I cannot use two rods!


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

heck, if you go for a boat ride, take pictures, and post 'em up.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

I post reports sometimes when I didn't even catch anything but a good picture.  Post 'em up, don't hesitate! Thanks for the report, nice Jack!


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## Eric6708 (Aug 17, 2018)

Quick trip Sunday morning on the choctawhatchee bay, launched at dark and ran to the north west side of the bay, got to boggy at first light and ran east looking for birds/bait. Found them down by Alaqua. Got both on light tackle/top water lures.


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## sws763 (10 mo ago)

My son and his wife came to visit last week, since the winds were nasty, we went shore fishing at Fort Morgan twice for a couple of hours for some topwater action. We caught a 28" Redfish and 11-Specks, then only caught 4 Specks (one 20" trout) on the next trip. It was better than our golf outing where l stunk it up, lol.


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

jack2 said:


> some of mine are stained so badly that even spray-an-wash won't get the brown out.
> oh, my bad. it's not that kinda brief. carry on.
> jack


Please seek help. There are people out there that can help you.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

Boardfeet said:


> Please seek help. There are people out there that can help you.


you can get me some depends for christmas.
jack


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

Eric6708 said:


> Quick trip Sunday morning on the choctawhatchee bay, launched at dark and ran to the north west side of the bay, got to boggy at first light and ran east looking for birds/bait. Found them down by Alaqua. Got both on light tackle/top water lures.


That is a fine pair of fish. this must be the season for big Jacks. Great photos!


sws763 said:


> My son and his wife came to visit last week, since the winds were nasty, we went shore fishing at Fort Morgan twice for a couple of hours for some topwater action. We caught a 28" Redfish and 11-Specks, then only caught 4 Specks (one 20" trout) on the next trip. It was better than our golf outing where l stunk it up, lol.


Anytime I catch a 28" Redfish that is a pretty good day!


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

We were out yesterday, in Heron bay again. The catfish, Gaftopsail and Hardhead, were thick. I got finned on both hands, once by each species. It had been years since I last had to use some of the words that experience entailed. 

It was a perfect morning to be on the water. We caught good mess of Kingfish and White Trout, but the catch of the day was this fine fish!


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

Yesterday my wife and i went out of Bayou la Batre. Once again it was just a glorious morning. Sky was perfect, water perfect, beer perfect: life is good!

We targeted an area that has been one of our best Speck and Redfish producers in previous autumns. Maybe I have forgot how to fish for Specks, but they were just not biting. However, the White Trout were biting, and very nice size ones at that. We came home with a dozen 12' to 14.5" White Trout, along with a couple of smaller ones that I had to kill to unhook. Pigfish were annoying at first, but when I cut a couple up for bait and added strips to a Gulp, that is what the bigger trout went for.

I forgot my camera, so no photos out on the bay. Here is one from back home.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Nice box of white trout!


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

We were out of Bayou la Batre again today. Another perfect morning. Very light wind, 45 degrees at 8:00 but very warm by 9:30. We saw an eagle, ospreys, two species of pelicans, herons, ibis, gulls and terns. That was before we even started fishing.

We caught a good mess of White Trout, and short Specks and one nice Red. Most of the fish hit a Gulp, but a few of the trout hit a matrix Shad. This is the kind of day that I dream about during August!


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

MeltonW said:


> We were out of Bayou la Batre again today. Another perfect morning. Very light wind, 45 degrees at 8:00 but very warm by 9:30. We saw an eagle, ospreys, two species of pelicans, herons, ibis, gulls and terns. That was before we even started fishing.
> 
> We caught a good mess of White Trout, and short Specks and one nice Red. Most of the fish hit a Gulp, but a few of the trout hit a matrix Shad. This is the kind of day that I dream about during August!
> View attachment 1096576
> ...


Looks like your living the dream Sir!


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## MaxP (Jan 31, 2008)

Fished a river in Baldwin Co yesterday. Pretty slow bite. Caught 2 specs, a white trout, and this nice flounder.


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

MaxP said:


> Fished a river in Baldwin Co yesterday. Pretty slow bite. Caught 2 specs, a white trout, and this nice flounder.


Nice flounders are one of my favorites!

We were out on Bayou Heron right at the Alabama-Mississippi line yesterday. A gorgeous morning, though it got less pretty later in the day. The Specks were really hitting Gulps. Unfortunately almost all were short. We probably threw back twenty shorts, but I did manage to boat three legal Specks.


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

New to the river and crickets thing….cat a few then dumped the crickets in the boat….,fast Little critters when they’re trying to hide…










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Snagged Line said:


> New to the river and crickets thing….cat a few then dumped the crickets in the boat….,fast Little critters when they’re trying to hide…


They are... and your boat will be singing at night for a while to come..


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## inspiredbyallthings (3 mo ago)

Don't be reluctant! Ya'll having a good time. Always enjoyable to see and hear about people having a good time trying to or catching fish. What is all about right! Most of the active people on here will enjoy it.


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

Snagged Line said:


> New to the river and crickets thing….cat a few then dumped the crickets in the boat….,fast Little critters when they’re trying to hide


Nice catch.

Better crickets than sharks. My wife still has not forgot the time several years back when I accidentally let a small shark fall in the bottom on the boat and it wriggled toward her feet. She does not believe it was really an accident!


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

MeltonW said:


> Nice catch.
> 
> Better crickets than sharks. My wife still has not forgot …………... She does not believe it was really an accident!








UMmmmmmmmm,………………….Was it??? ( lol )


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MaxP (Jan 31, 2008)

Inspired by Russ's trout, I fished the bay this afternoon. Caught one fat white trout and my dog pooped right on the deck. Going to try the river tomorrow without the dog...


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

A 15" White Trout is a nice fish! And hard to find around here.

My wife and I were out last week again. We fished one of our best Speck and Redfish areas. My wife caught one short Speck, no Reds at all. We did get a real nice mess of White Trout: brought home over a dozen and threw back quite a few. Most of the ones we kept were 12" to 14". Threw back some Kingfish too, since we had plenty of Trout.

This one put a smile on my wife's face!


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

Yesterday we were over in Mississippi again. Another very nice morning, though the wind really picked up by midmorning. Once again legal specks were hard to come by. We got four legals, and threw back a goodly number of shorts. One Atlantic cutlassfish and some white trout completed the catch.


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## MaxP (Jan 31, 2008)

Looks like tiger bait...


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

MaxP said:


> Looks like tiger bait...


Right: Matrix Shad Tiger Bait. Our catch was about equally divided between those that bit the Tiger Bait and those that bit the Chartreuse Gulps. We usually start with those two baits because historically they are our best.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Those dang cutlass fish will bite! I caught one along with a bunch of other critters in my castnet and dumped my catch on the front deck of the boat. When I reached down to toss the cutlass fish over the side, it rared up and bit me! It latched on to the meat between my thumb and forefinger. I go to hollering and raising Hell while my fishing buddy is laughing his ass off. When I got the eel to let go, I stomped his ass into a mushy pulp and then ground the pulp into the deck with my heel. Why? Because we were in my laughing friend's boat!


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

We were out again this week over on the Alabama-Mississippi line. The wind was blowing at about 12 mph so we stayed in a bayou. Short specks were tearing it up (literally tearing up our Gulps) but as usual the big ones were too smart to bite. We got three legal specks. Everyone I talked to was not having much luck getting legal size specks. But as one 80 year old fisherman told me "It beats sitting at home."


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## MeltonW (Jul 1, 2015)

We went out of Bayou la Batre today. Just about as perfect a day for fishing as a person could ask for: very light wind, temps in the fifties, no clouds at all. First place we tried we got nothing. Second place, a couple of short flounder. Third place, the reds were biting. My wife got the first one, and the first legal one. They were all between 13" and 17". Really fun to catch, but did not take a long time to land. We wound up with four legal reds: three for my wife and one for me - but mine was the biggest! The bite lasted maybe an hour, not sure how many shorts ones we released. After that we tried a couple of more spots and nothing at all. Everything we caught was on Gulps, either chartreuse or white with a chartreuse tail.

My wife tells me that I am allowed to smile in fish photos, but I am not sure she is right.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Gotta love those right-place-right-time days! Nice haul!


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