Had a great time although it was another trip when I heard “you should have been here last week . . . they were really biting.” But one can not control the weather or the fish. So when one finally gets there you can either figure out what is possible or waste time and energy trying to catch something that is not around. What I do whenever I arrive on the pier is observe, looking for clues as to what is going on. Generally a warm and friendly community of people is formed around a mutual love of the Gulf and fishing. There are old timers and tourists and every thing in between who, for the most part are eager to talk and help and share information. As I walk out on to the pier I look at the surf for water clarity, baitfish, currents, etc. I look for bent rods or other activity that may be going on. I try to determine what kind of bait and tackle is being used as smiles and friendly greetings are exchanged with those who have already staked out a place.
Before daylight is the best time to arrive hoping that the fish will be hungry for a big breakfast. The action of the waves creates troughs and dunes both in and out of the surf. As the water rushes up the dunes it creates what we see as the surf. The fish see something different. As the water crashes over the sand it can stir up small and large creatures living there that they feed on. The fish swim along the channels seeking food. As you walk further out on the pier ver deeper water the terrain changes along with the fish and what they are looking for. This is a picture of low tide. The water was more or less still and was smooth as glass.
There are artificial reefs built out at the end where the water is around 25-30 feet deep. The water’s depth, the lay of the land, even the physical structure of the pier attracts and holds fish as well as people, all trying to do their thing. The pier is over five football fields long so there is room for lots of change from one end to the other.
Shallow water can hold big fish. Saw at least twenty of these and their cousins. I saw large schools of Tarpon migrating back toward Florida, some Dolphins, some huge Red Snapper (out of season), and some Jelly Fish. We were rigged up to catch Mackerel and Bull Redfish but the Mackerel were slow and the Reds were playing somewhere else. Once the sun got up good there was nothing really going on. It was still good to be there and I had only just begun to work on my sunburn but I wanted to catch some fish. So I began to think about how it might be done. I remembered the Jellyfish and started watching them. After a while I began to notice flashes of silver and light brown swimming underneath them. So I knew something was hungry, Spadefish or Angelfish. They are omnivores and will eat lots of different things. They swim in smaller schools and feed together. Pretty much everybody on the pier was rigged to catch something bigger and more sexy but I wanted some action. So I put up the larger tackle and used a tiny float and hook baited with shrimp.
Changing my mindset paid off and while it took 5-6 hours I filled up the ice chest with fish. Sometimes life does not allow for ones initial vision or hopes to manifest and we can be sitting on the pier wishing and wasting our time and energy casting for something that is not around. While there is something to be said for just being out there and casting, if you want something in the cooler you may have to adjust your thinking and fish for what is biting.
They are actually fairly mild and excellent tasting fish. I cleaned them and grilled them using olive oil and cajun seasoning. I made a sauce by frying some bacon and deglazing the pan with white wine. then added a pint of half and half, a stick of butter, the juice and zest of a lemon, and Italian Parsley for color. I reduced it and served it over the fish with wild rice, some good bread, and a salad. It made a tasty supper.
My oldest and I went back the next day and proceeded to catch more Spadefish while others fished for what was not biting. We made a couple of new friends who were also interested in catching fish. We showed them what we were doing and helped them fill their cooler. It was great fun!
But even if what you are after is not biting and you don’t want to alter your goals there is still something to be said for just getting out there and casting. Nothing like watching the sun set over the Gulf. Be Groovy!
