Posted: 14 July 2006 at 2:44pm | IP Logged

The summer season is quickly winding down. Sharks are very active right now but beach fishing can be rough due to the influx of seaweed. Hopefully the seaweed will slow down a bit so I can get in a few good sharks before I start focusing on the bulls.

Anybody else out there targeting large fish in the surf?

Posted: 31 July 2006 at 9:50pm | IP Logged

Hey Willie, considering this thread is Sharks and Reds, I assume that's the info you're looking for. Moosecow has hit the nail on the head.

Mullet - whole large, finger or chunks - shark, redfish, jacks, ling

Crab - whole small - half large - shark, redfish, jacks and Black drum

Shad whole large - Reds, sharks, jacks, big trout

Shrimp - large - catches everything if you can keep smaller fish from aggravating you. Note: reds seem to prefer fresh dead shrimp over live? go figure.

The redfish was caught on a chunk of mullet that would fit in your fist, on the bottom. 

The jack crevalle was caught on a piggie perch ~ 5" suspended 7' down from a cork.

For sharks, I like a whole mullet 6" - 12" or a chunk of stingray or ribbonfish.

For me the best fishing is in the morning although both fish shown were caught in the middle of the afternoon, on cooler days following storms.

TIP:  When fishing large leaders on the bottom at the jetties, don't clip your sinkers to the leader. Tie a short piece of mono between the sinker and clip. Reason? Sometimes reeling in or fighting fish, the sinker will catch on the rocks. If it is attached to the leader, you lose the whole rig. If attached to mono, you lose a sinker as it will break off. I usually use 10# - 15# for sinker attach.

Starting in October we should see some real good bull red action on the jetty and beaches. When fishing the freeport jetty, don't overlook the ship channel.

Good luck out there.

Posted: 06 August 2006 at 4:24pm | IP Logged

 Hey guys, thanks for the tip. I went this friday morning on the jetties and kept getting my leader caught. My 13yr son caught a small shark that was just about it. Now I dont' want to sound dump...but what is a Mono?.

Good info guys and good luck out there

Posted: 07 August 2006 at 12:14am | IP Logged

Willie, mono is short for monofilament, standard fishing line. A lot of folks use braided line or flourocarbon and these are great but they are tough as nails to break when you want to. Monofilament line like Berkley Trilene, Berkley Big Game and Stren, while tough can be broken with a sharp tug.

Hey congratulate the boy on his catch, nice going!

Tip: If you get stuck a lot do this. Once you pick your bait up off the bottom and want to reel it in, hold the rod tip high and reel as fast as you can. Alsom moving 8 or 10 feet sideways along the jetty can dramatically change the rock structure in front of you!

Good luck!