Looking for some tips

[FSUKook]

Hi everyone. I have been reading on here for about a month and you guys have a great group of people here. I have learned alot from you already so thank you! Unfortunately though I have not had any luck at all fishing. I fish pretty consistently every weekend for the last 2-3 months. At least twice a week and three when I can fit it in. But all I have to show for it is one Red, and a sting ray. It is getting to the point now where it is pretty frustrating. So I was hoping for some tips from you guys here.

First of all I do not have a kayak. I have been looking but I have a small car and am not quite sure how that would work out. Even if I could then I would not be able to save up enough money until fall.

Mainly what I do is stop by Jerry's in the morning and pick up a couple dozen shrimp, drive down to the lighthouse and fish with a CT. I use about a ft of power pro as a leader underneath the ct and a size 2 hook. Occasionally I will throw a Aqua Dream Spoon or try gulp! on a jig head but the shrimp and CT is what I fish 75% of the time. (I have read the essential guide to the forgotten coast about 100 times)

I have tried WB and even rented a boat and fished there but have had absolutely no luck.

I think my biggest problem is finding the fish. What types of areas should I be looking for? Grass or sand? How deep? I know oyster bars are good to fish around but I have trouble finding them from the shore. I am not opposed to wading but I would like to stay relatively close to the shore and not go above waist deep.

Anyone see anything that I am doing wrong? Any other tips or tricks you guys may have? Thanks in advance!

[Shorewalker]

Fishing from shore is definitely tougher based mainly on fishing pressure. You can have good days atBald Point. SP or down at SGI (at the pier or SP - rattlesnake / east end / beach side). I got a couple of Spanish Mack's last Saturday from the gulfside beach at Alligator Harbour. You will need to match the gear to the targeted species which will be Spanish and pompano in the sand and more mixed bag at the oyster bars at Bald point or Rattlesnake. Hopefully WDD will give you some pointers as well. The kayak will get you many more fish but I understand budget concerns.

[FSUKook]

Thank you for the help. Do you think my problem is more the fact that I am fishing from the shore instead I'd it being a tackle or a time of day/tide problem?

Another question for you. I have a terrible problem with pin fish stealing my bait. Am I not using enough line under the CT? Or the wrong size hook? Thanks again.

[Domo]

What type of car do you own?

Almost any car out there can carry a yak on top. I carry two Native Ultimate 12's on top of my Toyota Rav4. I also carry both of them on top of a Honda Fit which is towed behind a camper. For the Fit both yaks without being towed equals a tremondous hit to mpg but I suspect that only carrying one yak would not decrease the mpgs to much.

Point being is that if you do you research I would bet you could carry a yak.

[Fishbaitbilly]

Hey FSUKook, welcome to the site. You are doing the right thing by reading posts and asking questions. I will be fishing next week, maybe Wednesday or Thursday. I have an extra yak you can use. Shoot me a PM and maybe we can put you on a fish. Also, check out Wilderness Way, T-N-T Hidaway and St. Marks Outfitters. They all have great deals on kayaks for sale or rent.

[hammy]

That is just what the pinfish do. I find live shrimp difficult to use as it constantly needs to be replaced. You could try Aberdeen-style (long shank, small hook) hooks and run the shrimp all the way up the shank, tail first. In addition to the other suggestions like Bald Point, and Saint George Rattlesnake cove, you could try walking the shore along Ocklockonee Bay (southside) and now also drive all the way to the East Pass at Saint George. It requires an additional permit fee but is likely worth it, especially during the week as I assume there would be less people. Another spot which is little farther, is Saint Joe Bay.

Patience may be key. Finding your spot and waiting for the full tide cycle could be the difference. Moving water tends to produce more bites, sometimes its the incoming, other times its the outgoing. Definitely take others advice over mine as I am a terrible catcherman. Getting pretty good at being a fisherman though.

Car size shouldn't matter much. I've put a 14' canoe on an old beetle before so any other car could handle a yak.

[Shorewalker]

In the warm months, the pinfish eat your shrimp or Gulp. In the cold months, nothing eats your shrimp or Gulp. The is a single magical day in the spring and one in the fall where all you catch is trout and redfish. I don't know which day it is but I guarantee I'll be stuck at work and will read about here two days too late.

Keep trying, pay attention to the tides, and remember what you saw at the lowest tide. That will teach where to target when the tides are higher and the fish are around.

I think you mentioned Wakulla Beach if so did you hike through the Marsh to get the oyster bars? There should some good days where fish will be through there as well.

[BigIrish]

The Lighthouse Primer for shore fishing: The place is full of pinfish, minnows and mullet, which is why the predator fish come thru there.
From the parking lot facing the water (Looking South)
On the right is the old baithouse dock pilings. Walk out to the end (there is a deep spot about chest high in the middle at high tide but it come right back up) and you will find it is only knee deep. Fish to the west towards the 4 pilings on the end of the Long Bar. There is an 8 foot deep cut you will see the boats using that holds slot trout on the incoming tide. Cast as far as you can and let it float over to it.

Outgoing tide you can fish the bar at the mouth of the boat launch. Or park at the boat launch on the west side and walk down the Cedar trail to mouth and fish along those bars back to the East River.

In the AM at first light you can go to the left (East) of the lighthouse and wade out and throw topwater back against the grass all the way to Sandy Cove, there are a lot of pup Reds thru there.

The number 2 ( I often land slot reds on them)is fine but I would suggest getting a cast net (1/4 mesh) and catch minnows and put the minnows on the #2 hook or use cut shrimp to catch small pinfish (upto about 3 inches) and then hook the pinfish thru the nose/mouth on a 2/0 circle under the CT. and throw them in that cut. Trout Candy
and when they die, cut them in half and throw them on the bottom in that cut. It is like fried chicken to Reds.

Caution, every now and then you will hook a big stingray with the cut pinfish.
Tight lines buddy!

[Littoral]

No shrimp.
Like Irish said, use the pinfish. That will be a lot more entertaining. Leader, use mono line or flourocarbon, braid is for your main line.
Most of all -pm Fishbaitbilly and go with him and learn as much as possible.
This fish thing ain't easy but it's awesome. Sell your car and buy a kayak.

[skitterwalk]

Step 1:Get kayak(can be cheap as dirt)
Step 2:Your leader is Mono or Flurocarbon CLEAR leader. Power pro is for your main line to cast further.The further you cast the less aware fish are of your presence(you catch more fish)
Step3: loose the shrimp!! Hook a pinfish through the mouth and the fish you catch will have much more fighting power lol
Step4: fish over grass with scattered pot holes and chase the bait! if you see alot more bait on the shoreline then 100yds off of it guess what! Cast along the shoreline.(topwater lures are my favorite)If your fishing the shoreline and the mullet are junping 100-200yds off shore...then move off the shoreline. I think you get the idea. Most of your knowledge comes from the time on the water so you seem to be doing the right thing. Just a few adjustments to your approach and your on your way to sucess on the water!(Do your best to get with guys on the site like Fishbaitbilly and you will gain a wealth of knowledge) Good luck!

Skitterwalk

[shallowminded.too]

FSUKook, read the previous posts very carefully...you were just given a wealth of knowledge based on experience from some people who know what they are talking about. While its not rocket science, you can increase your success by applying what you learn from reading, listening, seeing, feeling, trying, and as Littoral says, 'from what does not happen'...

[FSUKook]

Wow! I am impressed guys. Thank you so much. I was expected someone to just say use a different line or a different size hook. But you guys gave a lot of great advice. I now have a lot more techniques to try, and can't wait to go try them. Thank you!

Fishbaitbilly, sorry I did not get a chance to go fishing with you. I am very willing to go, thank you for such a generous offer.

Thank you to everyone else too. You guys got my interest back into the sport after hitting a bit of a wall.

[BigIrish]

I will be a the LH around 10 or so Sat in a white S10 with a red and white Pelican sticking out the back. Say hello if you see me.
Ray

[FSUKook]

Haha. I was wondering why those two white kayaks were hanging out near me! Sorry man I would have said hi if I had read the thread first.

I figured I would let you guys know how I did here. I don't know how useful my fishing reports would be for you guys because I fish from the shore.

Anyways I got to the LH a bit late. But I still had bait in the water at 7:30. I used some frozen squid to catch pinfish then hooked them through the nose under a CT. The pins I was catching seemed a bit to big to use. (about 4-5in) so I cut one up and used that. After about 9 I was seeing a couple of wakes from what I assume to be redfish. One wake went right by my CT with the cut bait on it. That was right around the time I saw who I assume was Ray and his friend. It swam right by without a second thought. But I could see some smaller bait fish jumping in front of these wakes. There were a few out there.

I am still saving for that kayak. Maybe I will sell my car to get one. Haha. I think I will try to rent one for next weekend. I need to start figuring out how to attach it to my roof. I drive a 2dr chevy cavalier by the way.

Overall it was a beautiful morning and I got to relax and enjoy it. So I can't complain to much.

[Charles]

Some things I have tried that work; sometimes. Everything, anything, works sometimes. Sometimes nothing works. Don't be afraid to experiment.

To make wade fishing easier and more productive get yourself a backpack/vest/shoulder bag/something to carry your stuff in so you're not restricted to one small stretch of shoreline. The Salvation Army and thrift stores are your friend for this kind of gear.

In addition to throwing out from shore, work the edge of the spartina grass along the shoreline at high tide. The fish you want to catch will work bait in shallower water than you might think they would be in. Sometimes if you're over knee deep you are standing where you should be fishing. If the mullet are all the way up in the spartina grass, so are the reds.

The superbraids? Like the other guys said, that's for your main line, not leader. But I don't use 'em. I know of a guide who also uses mono, and when he does use a superbraid he skips the floro and ties directly to the lure with the braid. I know another guide who uses braid, but he also ties directly to the lure. To me, the superbraids and floro are more marketing than substance. Use what you like, feel confident in, and what produces fish for you.

Early in the morning and late in the day are better, but plenty of fish are caught in the middle of the day.

Rising or falling tide, fish like the water moving to feed.

Look for the Ands. http://www.fcka.net/phpbb3/viewtopic.ph ... 063#p31063

Look for edges. Sand/grass, rocks/mud, deeper/shallower, etc. Deeper/shallower, or rain, can produce temperature, oxygen level, and salinity edges. The more edges in combination, the better.

Pinfish are going to be a problem when using any kind of natural bait or soft plastic. But they do make good live bait. Trout and reds can and will take a bigger bait than it would seem they could eat. The little sub-slot length trout that sometimes seem to be so plentiful? The ones 13-14+"? Big trout, in the low to mid-twenty inch range, think those are yummy.

When wade fishing a certain place, the lighthouse is a good example, don't think of it as a certain point along that stretch of shoreline. Think of it as the entire wadable shoreline. From the point N of the boat ramp canal, to as far around to the S and E as it is sandy enough to comfortably wade. All the way around to where the shoreline turns N along the big muddy cove to the E of the lighthouse. Hence, the backpack. I haven't worked that particular stretch, but if I were going to I would take a spinnerbait, such as a Refish Magic or something silmilar, a big jerkbait, a gold weedless spoon, and a topwater.