Day 3 of making an attempt to get a minimum of a single king mackerel on the November Pier King Mac match. With the primary two being a bust and this final day being solely a half day earlier than having to make the lengthy drive again house, the outlook was wanting bleak for my weighing a fish, particularly with the climate forecast calling for not-too-favorable circumstances. Extra storms had rolled in in a single day and made the water fairly soiled once more, to the purpose I may see how muddy the water within the shallows appeared from the balcony whereas I had my breakfast. I thought of possibly simply making the drive house early with how dangerous the outlook was.
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Soiled water and dangerous climate be damned, I used to be nonetheless gonna give it a strive. After trying out and heading to the pier, I obtained my cart prepared and headed in the direction of the pier home, checking the match leaderboard on the way in which. 1st and 2nd place for the match was round 26 kilos, which is fairly small for late-season kings. It’s been a horrible couple of years for kings out right here, with seaside renourishment reducing into the water depth and dirtying up the water. Additionally, a aspect word for anybody who desires to fish the Bay County Pier: the doorway has an 8′ 6″ clearance, so make certain to take any 8′ or taller rods out of your pier cart earlier than strolling in. That method, you don’t probably injury your rods.
What I noticed from the lodge balcony was proper; the water was chocolate milk to the primary “T” of the pier. From there on out, the water began to clear up a little bit bit, but it surely was nonetheless fairly soiled for what you wish to catch: mackerel from the pier. Whereas the circumstances sucked, there was a minimum of one good factor going for me at this time, the bait. There was a ton of excellent bait at this time in comparison with the day earlier than. You may see the colleges of cigar minnows up on the floor feeding. Together with the cigar minnows, you can see tons of LYs getting labored by some predators, and the college glittered in water as they tried to flee. Out away from the pier, a few half mile out, you can see faculties of bait getting labored by birds and greater predators.
Attending to the tip of the pier informed me issues had been, in actual fact, not wanting up, although speaking to the blokes who got here and fished the dawn let me know I hadn’t missed a lot moreover just a few huge Spanish mackerel and a few Bonita that caught round for 10 minutes earlier than one other tide line of soiled water pushed them again additional offshore. Even with the dangerous information, I made some bait to fish with. After strolling out to the tip, there is no such thing as a level in calling it quits with out soaking some baits. I obtained the livewell arrange once more and began loading it with just a few huge cigar minnows and a handful of little Spanish mackerel-sized LYs.
I put out a type of little LYs immediately, hoping to get some extra Spanish mackerel, a minimum of, utilizing the identical rig because the day earlier than. I obtained a success nearly instantly and promptly pulled up this trash fish. The remoras had been out thick at this time. I caught one other two of those sucker-headed fish earlier than deciding that fishing for Spanish was a lesson in futility in the intervening time and determined to modify issues up. And attempt to fish for some king mackerel with the cigar minnows I already had within the livewell.
As quickly as I obtained to my pier cart, a band of rain made its method via. Fortunately, I had my slickers in my Bote bag and suited up for what I assumed was gonna be little bit of rain. And, in fact, as I suited up, it rained for 3 minutes after which moved on. So after shedding the slickers once more and packing them away, I obtained to soaking some cigar minnows throughout the entrance of the pier. I promptly watched my buddy catch a gaff topsail catfish of a dwell cigar minnow. Then I caught one proper after him, thus starting the trash fish streak. We watched one other three get caught; the soiled water introduced within the catfish.
After the streak of catfish ended, we had one other trash fish present up, and little Atlantic Sharpnose sharks began coming via and simply munching up any king bait that was being soaked in the intervening time. I caught a pair in a row and noticed 4 others come over the rail one after the opposite. Whereas these guys are thought of trash fish, I’ve heard they’re truly respectable consuming, so I saved one. Atlantic sharpnose fall into Group 1 of sharks, so haven’t any minimal measurement restrict and are included within the day by day bag restrict of 1 shark.
Now that I used to be out of kingfish-sized baits, I made a decision to return to fishing for Spanish mackerel. I solely had an hour earlier than leaving anyway, so I made a decision to attempt to get some extra meat or swordfish baits. As a substitute, I caught one other non mackerel fish, this time it was cool a minimum of. I began catching flounder on my Spanish mackerel rigs. This was a primary for me and a nice shock in comparison with all the pieces else I caught. They weren’t very huge, however they had been neat to take a look at. Even when they had been legal-sized, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, with Flounder being closed in November.
After utilizing up the final of my dwell baits on flounder, I made a decision to name it a day. I knew I wasn’t catching a king, so I made a decision to pack up the cart and rinse off my gear. After that, I chatted with some buddies earlier than making the quarter-mile stroll off the pier and driving house. Whereas I didn’t get that king mackerel for the journey, a minimum of I obtained some water time and obtained to fish with some buddies.
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