Woodnaut
Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2007
- Messages
- 634
Junior and I headed out of Freeport into the Gulf of Mexico last Friday for a little fun and fishing. About 15 miles out I bagged a Ling (Cobia) at a platform. He just wasn't plump enough so he got sent back home. A few hours we were drifting over the old Buccaneer Old Field when she snagged a Dolphin (Dorado).
Around here these little ones are called "Chicken Dolphin." (I couldn't tell you why.) She was using squid and pulled in two in fairly short order. We tried another pass and then she bagged another one. As soon as she got it in the boat it jumped off of the hook. Before I could pick it up another fish hit a different line we had in the water. Then she reeled that one in (which was significantly bigger than the previous three) and now it was in the boat and going nuts as well. I handed her the first pole and said "Bait that hook and get it back in the water!" It was total chaos with two loose fish in a little boat but the line was back in the water in seconds.
After it was all over she said "That was so exciting I was shaking!" (Well, I thought to myself, that's what taking your kid fishing is all about! Yay for Dad!
)
We got a couple of more strikes, but that was it for the morning. We were using squid and sardines, but the squid seemed to work better. We also noticed that it seems better to let them have the bait and chew on it for a few seconds before jerking the line.
I also some rigged Ballyhoo ready to go, so I tied one of those on a spinning reel and tried a cast. I got one good strike, but that was it.
These fish are beautiful and they're very popular in all of the restaurants around here. I was wondering, what is the best bait and techniques for snagging these rascals?
Around here these little ones are called "Chicken Dolphin." (I couldn't tell you why.) She was using squid and pulled in two in fairly short order. We tried another pass and then she bagged another one. As soon as she got it in the boat it jumped off of the hook. Before I could pick it up another fish hit a different line we had in the water. Then she reeled that one in (which was significantly bigger than the previous three) and now it was in the boat and going nuts as well. I handed her the first pole and said "Bait that hook and get it back in the water!" It was total chaos with two loose fish in a little boat but the line was back in the water in seconds.
After it was all over she said "That was so exciting I was shaking!" (Well, I thought to myself, that's what taking your kid fishing is all about! Yay for Dad!
)We got a couple of more strikes, but that was it for the morning. We were using squid and sardines, but the squid seemed to work better. We also noticed that it seems better to let them have the bait and chew on it for a few seconds before jerking the line.
I also some rigged Ballyhoo ready to go, so I tied one of those on a spinning reel and tried a cast. I got one good strike, but that was it.
These fish are beautiful and they're very popular in all of the restaurants around here. I was wondering, what is the best bait and techniques for snagging these rascals?
