Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

Ever since June I thought my best shot at landing something decent off the beach would be kingfish. So far, I have not landed a single one, although I suspect I lost a couple fish. I have caught a ton of sharks, however. On 20lb test they put up a good fight from a yak, but it would be nice to catch something 1. less dangerous to land 2. more respectable for the table.

Simply jigging off the bottom over the sand I discovered that there are plenty of atlantic croakers out there. Not too awe-inspiring, but they are good eating panfish (similar to whiting in taste, they are in the same family after all). I have also caught whiting and a few flounder doing this, plus blue runners, sea robins, lizardfish, and small black sea bass.

I normally troll around for an hour or so then drift over the sand jigging and flat-lining a dead sardine or runner. To this point, I have not caught much trolling plugs, or anything else, aside from one gag a couple weeks ago. This week was different.

Second gag on xrap



1st of 6 mutton on xrap



Shark on xrap...he's not keeping my plug tho! (yeah I know pic came out crappy)



Finally a mack, on a dead 'dine. Made for some delicious ceviche

Very nice work on the X-Rap.

good job man... but how can a mutton and grouper bite near the surface. thats crazy.

fixed80 wrote:good job man... but how can a mutton and grouper bite near the surface. thats crazy.

I guess they are just honed in on the bait right now, the water is not that deep off the beach here, they see a lazy baitfish and attack from below. I get them to run a little deeper by using braid too. I have caught gags in the gulf on plugs and bait near the surface in <20 ft. so it happens here and there.