Salt water fishing

  • Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #1248495

    Anyone made any trips salt water fishing yet this winter? We are heading for zihautanejo in 2 weeks for some offshore and surf fishing. Usual fish that are caught are sailfish, durado and bonita. Surf fishing finds a few jacks.

    This will be my second year for surf fishing. Caught a couple of jacks trying this last year. Caught them on heavy trout spoons. Any one know of any other good surf fishinhg lures.

    luckydog2
    The Villages Florida
    Posts: 364
    #410065

    Mike;
    I was down there a couple years ago and hired a local with a “Panga” style boat. Went “Rooster” fishing in the surf. We used live bait and had a ball. Roosters are like giant bluegills in that they have that style body, but go about 45-50 lbs. Pull like nuts on light tackle. Next day we fished for Tuna. Only caught 1 but was about 80lbs. We caught several Sailfish and MahiMahi while there too. Two guys all day $200 included a case of adult beverage. Will you be staying in Ziwa. or in Ixtapa? Would like to talk to you when you get back.
    Willie

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #410067

    Have not caught a rooster fish yet but would like to. Very interisting looking fish and are suposed to have some great speed to them.
    We are staying south of Zihua about 20 miles. Down towards Barra De pattosi. Not much down that way. Thats why we like it.
    Might be making a second trip this year also. This would be a guys fishing trip. Dont tell my wife. May have to tell her Im going to a plumbing convention or something. Still need to work out the details on this.

    jdb
    freeport,IL
    Posts: 54
    #410132

    Last year I threw Berkley SaltwaterPowerbait 3″ glass minnow on 1\4oz. jighead 14lbVanish to closedloop swivel and 25lb. flourocarbon to jighead. This year I’ll be trying there new gulp crabs and cigar gulp 6″ minnows. Along with PowerBait 4″shrimp carolina rigged, and both 3″ and 4″ glassminnows because the 3″glass(paddle tail) blew my mind at the different speicies that would swallow this rubber. Everything from black and gag groupers to lookdowns to tarpin, jacks, grey and mutton snapper, of coarse barraccuda’s <keep your expensive rubber away from these guys> and some other big fish that took off like a drag car. Most of our catch was around the old bridge pilons that were built square years ago and now there are big wash pockets at the bottom of them for the fish to hide in. Cast and steady retrieve after countingdown nothing too fancy maybe a few jerks to resemble a fleeing sardine. My friend would cast from shore by the bridges at slack tide usually between 5-11pm and land tarpon with 6″ heddon ballyhoo looking hard crankbaits. He hooked a 100lb. tarpon and it jumped a concrete wall ruffly 6′ and dropped next to him on land. To make sure we believed him he kept a scale>the size of a silverdollar. Good luck

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #410513

    What tpye of rod and reel set up where you useing to cast those lures? Where I fish it seems like the fish are up towards the surface but you need something with some weight to get it out to them. Casting light lures on 30# mono just does not seem to match up.
    Picked up some more spoons today. Castmasters, Krocdiles and such. Tryed to stick to the 3/4oz and heavyer. Might have to see if I can come up with something else to try also.

    jwellsy
    Posts: 1557
    #410532

    How about a 4 1/2″ , 1 1/8oz silver minnow ?
    You can toss those babies a mile.

    Silver Minnow

    jdb
    freeport,IL
    Posts: 54
    #410715

    Quote:


    What tpye of rod and reel set up where you useing to cast those lures? 30# mono just does not seem to match up.


    I use 14 to 17lb mono or fireline with 1\4oz jigheads mainly. If you’re casting from shore(I’m in a boat w\no trolling motor) a surfcasting rod 12′ will get you more distance. I bought my dad a cabela’s surfcast 12′ for Christmas $95.(he already has spinning reel to put on it)Kind of pricey but he lives withing walking distance of the ocean at Va. Beach and has no boat. So for him this will be worth the money and get its use. I use spinning reels everything from a $10 shakespeer to a $150 shimano stradic. Not much difference in the two if you ask me given the price. Good luck

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #410726

    Thanks for the info. I picked up a cheap combo last year to use. rod must be around 10′. The reel is huge. About the size of a small coffie can. Figured the size is needed for the line capicity. Now Im starting to wonder if there might be something a little smaller or better to use. Might be willing to spend a little more money on it now also.

    steveo
    W Central Sconnie
    Posts: 4102
    #410756

    Mike,
    how do you haul your equipment down there? I’m going to Mexico LM bass fishing and bought a Frabill 4 rod/reel hard case. Wondering if you use something similar. I figure your ten ft rod has got to be a 2 piece but that reel sounds HUGE.

    rmartin
    United States
    Posts: 1434
    #410779

    My only suggestion is that salt water is very rough on all of your gear. I would put any baits you use in some kind of container and wash them in fresh water before putting them back into you tackle carrier. Your rods and reels will need to also be rinsed with fresh water. I would consider breaking down the reel when you return and do a thorough cleaning and relube. Pay special attention to the line roller.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #410800

    My rod tube is a peice of 4″ PVC pipe with caps on the ends. It needs to be 4″ to fit the eyelets in it. The rod does break down also. The reel goes into the suitcase.
    Thinking about looking into a baitcaster for casting the surf. Lot smaller eyelets to deal with when traveling. Would also think I could find one with some decent line capicty thats is not to big. Not to many people down there surf fishing to see what they are useing. Just a few locals throwing hand lines and nets.
    Here is a photo of my set up in action from last year and the catch it produced. And once again notice the drunken canadian standing next to me that I tripped over while trying to haul this fish in. He was laying in the surf for some reason.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #410801

    The amber jack. I think that is what it is.

    jdb
    freeport,IL
    Posts: 54
    #410886

    That would be my guess its either a greater or lesser amberjack. A surf casting rod is a little smaller profile and they claim casts over 200 yards from shore with the breakaway longdistace cast system. I wouldn’t use any of the cast and retrieve baits I was recommending earlier with surf casting. A double hooked rig with either shrimp, crab, or squid for cut bait. I use a 4000 size reel for saltwater fishing. There is nothing wrong with your size reel, but I understand about the transportation. The advantage to your reel is the spool is bigger so it will help prevent line twist. It doesn’t look like you need too much help from the picture nice catch! I’m sure BassPro also has something comparible but I’m just used to Cabela’s. I just went to their site and clicked Fishing(Saltwater)then under Rods I clicked Cabela’s and I noticed they’re out of there Cabela’s Breakaway Long-Distance Rod but directly under that new for 2006 the have Cabela’s Salt Striker Cork Tape Handle Cast Surf Rods, and to get the 200 yard casts they offer under Saltwater Tackle click Terminal Tackle and the Break-away Long-Distance System. I’ve seen guys fishing this system at Va. Beach but at the time we were using 7′ spinning gear, for what its worth they were catching the big stripers. If you’re catching fish like in your picture with what you are using I must conclude….if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #410986

    These jacks swim by in schools. Yu can see the birds dive bombing the surf above them. As they get closer you can see the entire school in the surf. Might be 50 to 100 fish in a school. It is really neat to see a side veiw of the school in a breaking wave. Just amaxing that fish can swim in that pounding surf. Once and a while you spot a needle fish or some other type of fish in them also. I will try to get some photos of this this year.
    I am still surpised that there are so many fish in the surf. As the wave are going out there might only be a foot of water in this area but when they come in it might be 3 to 4′. Throw in the crashing waves and it must be like trying to live in a washing machine. Then how do these fish find anouther fish to eat or a lure in these conditions?

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #411855

    Any one ever try any tarpon fishing? Watched a show on it tonight and it looks like a blast. These guys where sight fishing the shallows out of a flat boat. Looked to be 100# fish blasting out of the water all over the place. Thought it might be fun to try.

    I am pretty new to ocean fishing. Go figure being from MN and all. The more I try it the more addicting it gets. Of corse the worm weather and end less cervasas do help. There is just something about hooking into a fish that not only has the usual enjoyment of catching a fish, but can also challange a person to there physical limits that is a huge enjoyment. This seems to be pretty typical of ocean fish that I have caught so far. Granted there are a few opprotunities in MN like that. Muskies, sturgon and cats to name a few. Maybe this summer might be a chance for me to get back chasing after some of these species while waiting for anouther chance to head back to the ocean.
    Anouther fish I have not had a chance to tangle with so far in the ocean is a marlin. My buddy nate caught one a few years back that was around 375 pounds. Guess this might be on the small side. After seeing a few larger ones coming at the peir in Zihua. and watching a few fishing shows I set my self a goal of catching a marlin over 1000 pounds before the end of my fishing days. Its good to have goals right? Now its just a matter of finding where and when to chase one of these brutes down. Guess there is a place off the west coast of africa that is suposed to have good numbers of large marlin swimming around. Should be a fun goal to try and achive.

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #412482

    Here is the web site for the latest fishing report from Zihuatanejo. Sounds like good fishing just right off shore with the blue water with in a mile of the coast. this sure beats running 10 miles or more out to find the blue water. Looks like there might still be some rooster fish around also. 4 more days before we leave.

    http://www.zihuatanejo.net/fishreport.html

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #412488

    Mike, you can’t leave MN unless it’s below zero. I’ll have to go in your place!

    Good Luck and catch a biggun!

    PS I haven’t targeted tarpon…but flats fishing is a BLAST! Hunting and fishing wrapped into one!

    Polaroids are a must of course.

    Being from ‘sota, it cool to see rays, shark, and weird looking bait fish swim by the boat in the shallows. Seems like when you hook a fish in shallow water they try to head for deeper cover water and put up a bigger fight.

    Bonefish “Gray Ghosts” will give you a work out for their size!

    It helps if you can spot “nervous water”.

    PS..could you adopt me?

    Mike W
    MN/Anoka/Ham lake
    Posts: 13294
    #412496

    Didnt you go flats fishing last year in Florida? Yes that does look like a blast. I have been looking around for some info on fishing around the coast of Texas also. My mom moved down there a couple of years ago and just heard this morning a buddy of mine has been living on South Padra Island for the last few months. Might have to go visiting later this winter.

    Hasent work brought you to the coast line yet this winter Brian?

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #412505

    Last winter it was the Everglades in FL. Shnook fishing…that was deeper water. Although the water wasn’t moving as fast, it reminded me of casting for bass along the ‘sippi shore line. Caught a number of Sailcats, until the guide got POed at me catching those “$#%@$%@” things and changed my terminal tackel.

    2001 we fished in the Keys.

    New Port Beach in March!

    I haven’t done my fishing research for that area yet!

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