# Sailfish of the Beach



## LATERALINE (Oct 2, 2007)

Has anyone tried trolling along the beach in there boats for sails lately? With all this acitivity inshore, Im thinking of spending some time this weekend in close!


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## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

I may try it this weekend with the alleged north wind. Might be the only option. I'm thinking a typical ****** spread may be the ticket.


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## LATERALINE (Oct 2, 2007)

This basically what I was thinking! Might get lucky! If a couple more catches leak out, I bet it will look like the middle of cobia season pretty soon off the beach!


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I was thinking about doing it this weekend but it looks like the weather has different plans for me. I think you're right on the typical white/sail spread but I'd plan on a lot of kings jumping in as well so I'd bring plenty of ballyhoo.


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## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

> *atlantacapt (10/14/2009)*I may try it this weekend with the alleged north wind. Might be the only option. I'm thinking a typical ****** spread may be the ticket.


 We went East yesterday down the beach, had one mess with the needlefish we had rigged up,never got thehooks.=( Good luck to you... Oh yeah& tunapopper is right on with the Kings... there are snakes & big spanisheverywhere on the beach & bonita too that were on our ballyhoo all day yest.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

> *reelfinatical ......had one mess with the needlefish we had rigged up,never got thehooks*


*

Its amazing how many people overlook using needlefish for bait including myself. They're everywhere and are easy to get. Might be the ticket to thinning out the macks.*


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## LATERALINE (Oct 2, 2007)

do you catch them or buy them?


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Catch them in a castnet or with a small hook and a small piece of shrimp.


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## Aquahollic (Sep 24, 2009)

We saw one on Monday crashing bait in front of us. I thought it was some bonita until I saw the bill come out of the water. We were in 56' of water E. of Destin.


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## bigone (Jan 2, 2008)

Take it from an old east coast guy, light kite with hardtails, bring them to you.


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## karma (Oct 26, 2007)

> *bigone (10/15/2009)*Take it from an old east coast guy, light kite with hardtails, bring them to you.






ya think i can get by using a standard hi tech kite (already have one) and attach a release clip.. anyone ever done this?


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## Dylan (Apr 15, 2008)

What a great idea..Yesterday on the pier we were reel baits across the top of the water and watching the sailfish follow them..When we would drop them back they wouldnt really eat..I say use the kite but scratch the hardtails..Live Threadfin, ballyhoos or live LYs is your ticket..


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## jigslinger (Sep 30, 2007)

It's going to look like cobe season out there.


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

Ernie caught his sailfish yesterday on a hardtail...


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I've been thinking of breaking out the kite rod next trip. 

Wioth the kite setup I don't think its going to matter a whole lot on what live bait is used. I bet a small mullet under that thing would work just fine.


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## LATERALINE (Oct 2, 2007)

anyone try fishing for them this past weekend? I didnt try... looked to rough!


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## gamefisherman (Oct 6, 2007)

While all you girly men were on the couch on Sunday my 10 yr old son and I went in hopes of finding a sailfish on the beach. Left Pensacola pass and went east until the water cleared up a bit. We saw spanish or small kings free-jumping and bait moving so we stopped and started fishing. As I am rigging ballyhoo and am shaking 'cause I am so friggin cold I was thinking what an idiot I was for trying. It warmed up a bit and by the time we reached the Pensacola Beach pier there were birds everywhere and spanish feeding on glass minnows. Long story short, we caught 5 kings from about 11-1:30. As we hooked up the last king of the day on the right flat I went to the helm to slow the boat down a bit and the left rigger popped. Had him hooked for a few seconds, then lost it. My son saw it and said it threw way too much water to be a king, but never got an ID on him. I still doubt it was a sail. We listened to the saints game and actually had a good time, but next time I won't go when it's so dang cold.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Thanks for the report. The water temps are still high enough and as long as there is food there should be a few but I think the nipple is gonna be the more reliable place to be.


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## Billcollector (Oct 16, 2009)

I have fished for sails all around the world and one method that was used in Ft. Lauderdale was called power drifting. Basically you set out a four or five rod spread, the aid of out riggers is extremely helpful with this method, and work the live baits. We caught four sails in three ays using this method, not to mention it was the end of December when we were doing this. While down there we also got to fish with the kite fishing method, which my brother seemed to enjoy. It was fun watching the sail strike at the bait right ontop of the water like a king after a hardtail.


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## HaterAide (Nov 9, 2007)

> *Dylan (10/15/2009)* and watching the sailfish follow them..When we would drop them back


First off, that is really neat that yall could see them from the pier. But on a more technical note, you were freespooling the baits, not dropping them back. Dropping back can't be done from a fixed point such as a pier. 



> *Billcollector (10/20/2009)*I have fished for sails all around the world and one method that was used in Ft. Lauderdale was called power drifting. Basically you set out a four or five rod spread, the aid of out riggers is extremely helpful with this method, and work the live baits.


That's like comparing apples to oranges though...




> *Dylan (10/15/2009)* use the kite but scratch the hardtails..Live Threadfin, ballyhoos or live LYs is your ticket..



Going to have to agree with you on this one. I do quitea bit of kitefishing, and have found some baits are more active at the surface than others. A threadfin herring has a great action and if you've ever seen them schooling, before they get pushed down by a boat venturing too close, they almost look like they're fluttering along the surface.


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## Linda (Oct 2, 2007)

Do east coast kayakersfish for sails in the winter or is it rough with current and all.


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## HaterAide (Nov 9, 2007)

> *Linda&Ernie (10/20/2009)*Do east coast kayakersfish for sails in the winter or is it rough with current and all.


Assuming that question was for me I wouldn't know. I don't kayak fish. But as for wintertime fishing, yes, that is when we get our big run of sails right off the reef down in southeast Florida. Not uncommon at all to fish in seven foot seas.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

"The rougher the better"is what I'm always told by the locals when winter sailfishing in the keys. Theres no doubt about it either. The days you don't think you should go are the days you should. You're only going a few miles anyway. Last winter in the keys we caught all our sails within 4 miles of the house.


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## Kingfshr (Aug 30, 2008)

I have seen more Sails on Panama City Pier when the water was flat. Didn't see any when it got choppy. I mean like 14 in one day. Prolly some where the same fish just cruising but there were different sizes.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

> *Kingfshr (10/21/2009)*I have seen more Sails on Panama City Pier when the water was flat. Didn't see any when it got choppy. I mean like 14 in one day. Prolly some where the same fish just cruising but there were different sizes.


It would only make sense to* <U>see</U>* more when it is calm, but Panama city pier and trolling offshore are two entirely different things altogether. We're talking dragging baits behind a boat and more specifically, in south florida. I will say the same is true about here offshore a lot of the time. Pelagics seem to be more active on days with a chopped surface.

Another idea to this is that they don't gather as abundantly in the shallows when its rough cause of the greater effect the swells have on them as they begin to jack up and create more turbulence. This would make the most sense to me.


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## [email protected] (Mar 20, 2008)

I think fishing off the beach here and fishing in South Florida are completly different. I went a few times when it was rough thinking I might have better luck with the sails since catching Kings is so much more productive when its rough...WRONG I caught both of mine when it was slick as glass. I dont know what the real story is but I hope they come back next year!


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Definitely different, but we're talking inshore and offshore. It makes sense that it wouldn't be as productive on the beach when rough but more productive offshore. Like I said above, in shallow water, swells have a bigger effect on the life there then they do in 200ft of water so I would assume the sails would move out as the water got more turbulent.


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## gamefisherman (Oct 6, 2007)

Let's not try to compare what is happening here with south Florida. I have fished that area multiple times in the winter. Remember, the sailfish bite is hot there after a cold-front, but they have the Gulf stream just offshore of Miami. The theory is that the fish are traveling south with the stream and the north-to-south fronts, along with the 3-5 knot stream, make traveling a lot easier. Just an entirely different fishery. Hopefully we will soon have an explanation for why this is happening here, but I wouldn't try to make too many parallels. I really doubt we share anything.


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