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On the subject of pier fishing 10% of pier anglers catch 90% of the fish, however this isn’t simply because they’re higher pier anglers than everybody else. It’s extra alongside the road that the ten% of pier anglers are those who actually put within the time and spend probably the most time on the market. The fish being across the pier isn’t a assured factor, you possibly can hear a superb report from the day earlier than and present up the following day to seek out it completely useless with nobody catching something. Generally it takes all of half-hour for the fish to maneuver on from the pier. I deliberate a last-minute journey all the way down to Panama Metropolis Seaside to go fish on the County Pier within the again half of October. I stored a watch on the stories and requested my associates down there to try to time it to the king mackerel. However even with stories and favorable climate situations, as I stated earlier a day, and even half-hour could make the distinction between limiting out or struggling all day.
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The explanation I selected to go down in October is that it’s thought-about a superb month to fish the pier. The warmth of the summer season is gone, water temps are in a extra comfy zone once more, and the bait is normally thick across the pier. So following my good friend Sam’s weekly fishing stories I noticed a few good weeks of fishing and a gentle climate sample, and thought it will be a superb time to make a last-minute journey down. So, I loaded all my gear into the truck, booked a lodge, and slept for a couple of hours earlier than heading out round 3 am to begin the 6-hour drive all the way down to the coast. After a protracted uneventful drive principally at the hours of darkness, I acquired to the town correct round 8:30 am with the time zone change. Earlier than hitting the pier I needed to make a pair stops, to seize some reside bait, get a few odds and ends, and go to a superb good friend. After getting all that performed I acquired to the County Pier parking zone round 9:30 am and already noticed folks leaving with coolers that had the tails of king mackerel protruding of them.
This was nice information, or no less than I assumed it was. I had made it on a superb day for kings it appeared like. Speaking to one of many guys he advised me kings had been on hearth that morning since dawn. A number of folks had restricted out and over 18 kings had been introduced up over the rail. However then he advised me that the chunk shut down round 8:30. That there have been nonetheless Spanish mackerel and bluefish hanging round however the king mackerel had made themselves scarce. However even nonetheless I had nothing higher to do, I drove all the best way all the way down to fish. In order that’s what I used to be going to do. So, I paid my $6 on the pier home and headed in direction of the tip, stopping right here and there to have a look into the emerald water to search for bait or simply to talk with different fishermen I do know.
As soon as I acquired to the tip, I did see loads of folks nonetheless fishing for kings however I didn’t see a single king get attached whereas I used to be rigging up my rods. So as a substitute of making an attempt to fish some frozen cigar minnows, I made a decision to try to make some bait with a sabiki rig. Whereas focusing on some reside cigs I ended up with a extra unusual bait, a goggle eye. These are high-dollar baits down in south Florida, with a dozen reside goggle eyes costing about $90 and $45 for a dozen contemporary useless ones. They appear much like cigar minnows however have a deeper physique and bigger eye. They’re additionally a bit hardier on the hook. So I acquired him rigged up on my king chief and slung him out on the west of the pier. Letting it swim and take line to go additional out and hopefully get munched by a king. I stored the road on my index finger as a substitute of the curler as I did this. So if a king did come by and eat the goggle eye, I might give it slack and let it take the entire bait down with no rigidity. Then as soon as I used to be certain it ate the entire bait I might put the road on the curler to set the hook.
With this premium high quality bait, I hoped to entice one of many scarce kings far out from the pier. After 5 minutes of letting the goggle eye swim out, it began to freak out. I might really feel it making an attempt to run from one thing via the road. So once I felt the hit I gave it slack, letting it get swallowed up. Afterward, I set the hook, hoping for that drag-screaming run of a king. As a substitute, the drag simply clicked a few instances and fought just a little. I assumed I should have missed the king and simply began reeling in, however the fish fought just a little. So I assumed the goggle eye was nonetheless on there, however I wanted to test it out simply to see what situation it was in. After cranking just a little I observed it was truly a fish and never my bait kicking round so I introduced it in, disappointingly a smallish bluefish had eaten the bait.
I wasn’t the one angler having issues with the bluefish although, it appeared like a college of them had pushed in and began to eat up all of the reside baits that had been being solid out. The blues additionally appeared to push the baitfish out from the pier on the similar time making it tougher to get reside bait. This went on for a few hours with not a lot motion occurring. Till my good friend George lastly acquired a strong chunk from a king mackerel, it took a giant run to start with after which began to take him forwards and backwards throughout the tip of the pier. He needed to be a bit extra mild with the king as a result of his lighter shock chief of 15# monofilament. However after a number of passes, he lastly wore the fish down and acquired it pier aspect. I had my pier gaff prepared for it, and gaffed the king as quickly as George slide the fish over my gaff within the water. We then pulled that king up and over the rail.
Since I gaffed the fish for him George provided to let me have the king mackerel, which I gladly accepted. However we needed to wait until Sam got here out onto the pier earlier than I might intestine the fish. George was fishing within the month-long match on the pier for King Mackerel and wished to weigh his fish for it. So to maintain it from drying out and shedding any weight, we caught it on ice in my kill bag. However the king was so lengthy the tail was nonetheless protruding of the bag, so I wrapped that in a moist rag to maintain it from drying out. We waited until just a little previous midday for Sam to reach, as quickly as he did we took the king all the way down to the pier home to weigh it on the size stand. The fish got here in round 21 kilos, however was nonetheless 6 kilos shy of George’s 2nd place fish. All of us headed again out to the tip, the place I promptly gutted the king assist let the blood drain out.
I stored fishing until effectively previous 2 however noticed the ice I had purchased that morning for the kill bag was melting off. So I assumed it was a superb time to go off the pier and get some ice for my huge cooler to retailer the king mackerel in. Additionally I used to be ravenous and wanted to eat one thing. I requested my associates Sam and Ivan if I might go away my gear on their carts, which they stated sure to, after which headed off the pier with simply the kill bag and king. I acquired again to the truck and drove over to Buddy Gandy’s Seafood Market again over the bridge in Panama Metropolis for ice. They’ve a few of the least expensive ice on the town, stuffed up my 165qt cooler for $10. It will have value me over $40 {dollars} if I used to be utilizing an ice machine and much more if I went to a retailer. After packing the king within the ice at Buddy Gandy’s I made a small cease for some lunch on my manner again to the pier. I acquired again out to the tip of the pier and located that one other king had been caught whereas I used to be gone, and shortly after arriving Sam additionally attached on a king. It being later within the day Sam had a little bit of hassle coping with the vacationer crowd making an attempt to go up and down the rail whereas preventing the fish, however after a short time he acquired the fish subsequent to the pier. I had my gaff prepared once more however I used to be just a little gradual on yanking the rope and caught the fish within the softer stomach space. I knew it was a foul gaff shot however unable to make one other I needed to simply try to get the fish up on the deck. Midway up the gaff tine ripped out however fortunately similar was prepared for this was in free spool.
We acquired the king located and caught a superb gaff shot into it this time and introduced it up on the deck. Ivan was particularly pleased with this as a result of Sam stated the king was his to take residence for his spouse. This fish got here out to be about 19 lbs a strong fish. I stored fishing for kings for the remainder of the day and had just one chunk. Which after all occurred when i used to be simply messing round with my line on the curler. I had a half-dead cigar minnow on and I used to be simply jigging it close to the pier messing with the bluefish, when from out underneath the pier a king got here up and slammed it. Or course my line being on the curler put rigidity on it and the king dropped the cig after simply taking a bit of it. After that, apart from some bluefish and ladyfish, it stayed gradual until sundown. There was no repeat of the morning’s chunk. So, I known as it quits, I wanted to get some issues from Walmart in addition to get some dinner. Day 1 of my pier fishing journey was over, however I nonetheless had one other day and a half left. Higher go to mattress early to get out on the pier at 5 am the following day.
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