# 7/31 Dolphin



## deersniper270 (Apr 29, 2009)

Well we headed out kinda late on Sunday after noon for a short trip with my girlfriend. Started out around the Massachusetts to get some bait but some divers came up as soon as we got there. Luckily there was another guy there heading in that was happy to give us his left over baits. Headed out from there and started getting into some dirty water with weeds and grass everywhere. Finally we came up on a patch that was about ten feet across and found some small (6-8 inch) tripletail and dolphins! We literally were only a mile or 2 past the Mass. We ended up keeping 13 dolphins before we headed out to our spot. Got to our first spot and had more divers on it. moved on to a tug boat and caught a few snapper (released) and 2 mingos. Waves started picking up so we decided to head back in with lighting popping everywhere. All in all a great day and a fun fight on our first dolphins! 

While dropping the sabiki at the Mass I caught this little fish. Pics not the greatest but can anyone tell what it is?


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## reelsmooth19 (Nov 27, 2007)

Nice. love getting in to dolphin they are a blast! good eating


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

Baby triple tail?


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## deersniper270 (Apr 29, 2009)

Kenton said:


> Baby triple tail?


Thats what I thought too but it was on the mass so idk? lol


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## Snatch it (Feb 17, 2009)

Nice!!


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Nice catch! Schoolie fins are a blast!!!


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## Chasin Tail (Aug 4, 2010)

That little fish is called a Sand Belted Sea Bass...I see them all the time snorkeling the jetties in Destin.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Belted sandfish, not sand bass. Related to sea bass but won't grow much more than about 6 inches. They covered the Perdido Pass jetties yesterday when I was spearfishing.


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## deersniper270 (Apr 29, 2009)

Chris V said:


> Belted sandfish, not sand bass. Related to sea bass but won't grow much more than about 6 inches. They covered the Perdido Pass jetties yesterday when I was spearfishing.


Thanks!


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

What is with all the Chicken Dolphin being so close in this year?


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## deersniper270 (Apr 29, 2009)

IDK but its awesome!!!! :thumbup:


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## 20simmons sea skiff (Aug 20, 2010)

we got into the chicken dolphin about 3 weeks ago, under a pallet, caught 50 or 60, week before got a triple tail under a pallet, wheres all pallets coming from? i would hate to hit one.That was ist time i have ever caught a dolphin


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

It's pretty common for the schoolies to be in close this time of year when the water is right. They are a blast. Great table fair also!


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## EmeraldCoast (May 1, 2010)

We caught about 30 schoolies the other day under a 4' green-slime covered tree limb, amazing what they will hang around


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## a (Oct 2, 2007)

a few are caught from the beach pier most years...usually chicken sized


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## neckmoe (Apr 7, 2009)

how do you catch em?


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

neckmoe said:


> how do you catch em?


Once you find a school catching them is USUALLY the easy part. I like to use light tackle with a small jig. Something with some flash like a gotcha or even a small live pinfish. I also catch them on my #5 weight fly rod!! That's where the fun is at! Look for anything floating on the water and most of the time you will find them. If you hook up with one leave him in the water and the school will stay with him. Good luck!


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## deersniper270 (Apr 29, 2009)

We caught them on cut up bonito. Just threw some in the water and then one with a hook. They ate it up no problem. After you hook the first you leave it in the water to keep the school there and throw another baited hook in and catch another then leave that one in the water and cooler the first and just keep cycling them always leaving one in the water until you caught the whole school or until you got enough. There were probably over 50 so after we got like 13 we decided that was enough and headed out to our spot.


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

devinsdad said:


> What is with all the Chicken Dolphin being so close in this year?


All the recent rain that is washing a bunch of junk out can't hurt. I pray that I get into some tomorrow.


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## hdvw1 (Dec 29, 2010)

how close in have ya'll been catching them???


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## dailysaw (Jan 22, 2008)

we were on them yesterday around 8 miles out pcola pass. on a small piece of drift wood. probally 100 of them. pretty cool. like said above keep one hooked in the water


http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=246846772004023&comments


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## ABailey (May 25, 2010)

Is there a size limit for the gulf, I see that the regs say 20 in for the atlantic, but can't find anything for the gulf


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## Ron19 (Jan 8, 2009)

We got into a huge school of them off Destin on Sat. Probably 5-7 miles out if I had to guess. We were on our way back in and only had a couple cigs. Any particular jig?


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## saltwater redneck (Aug 8, 2011)

i have always had good luck using a speck rig tipped with squid tentacles. for bigger ones a king style live bait rig with a whole squid .


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## Lil Curve (Feb 23, 2011)

Nice catch...also nice to see Dolphin is close.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

ABailey said:


> Is there a size limit for the gulf, I see that the regs say 20 in for the atlantic, but can't find anything for the gulf


Last time I checked, there wasn't a size limit. Just be sure to check before you go out though.


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## rips (May 17, 2011)

Ron19 said:


> We got into a huge school of them off Destin on Sat. Probably 5-7 miles out if I had to guess. We were on our way back in and only had a couple cigs. Any particular jig?



were going to find them bastards tomorrow and slay em all! as far as regs i called in in the gulf there is no reg. on size just 10 per harvester not to exceed 60 per boat per day!!


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