Need Some Tips

[cudaking305]

Me and a couple friends talked a science teacher into giving us a field trip to the keys and he said for us to plan it out!! so its between april-may could u tell me whats the best bridge for this time of year/

[bolo]

All the bridges are good during the April and May. You just have to put your time in.

[nmpfly]

What are you looking for?? What are you planning to catch or want to catch? Bolo just gives general information. No important information with that response. that is who he is.

[bolo]

Bolo just gives general information. No important information with that response. that is who he is.

Same way you had respond to the Tamami Trail thread. "Dusty and full of Indians" Nice try.

[cudaking305]

Umm catch some snapper,cuda,and big jack crevalle or permit!!

[TeEnAnGlerPro213]

try your luck with these 5 simple setups.

1. hook a live shrimp on a troll rite jig and fish the pilings. if you dont get anything on the first piling, try the next, and the next...and the next...until you find fish. theres a LOT of pilings, so try all of them
2. freeline a sardine or ballyhoo
3. throw an assortment of lures and try those tube lures for cudas, oh wait, your the cudaking
4. half or full live crab. bottom fish it for permit. but they make fast runs so be ready!!
5. try strips of gogs or runners.

thats just some BASIC tips to find some easy success

[bolo]

Umm catch some snapper,cuda,and big jack crevalle or permit!!

During the month of April and May fishing in the Keys bridges are great. There is no bad bridge. What can slow the bite down if you have heavy wind condition and milky water. Channel 5 and Long Key are great bridge to start with. Channel 5 is a great bridge to fish both side of the tide. Muttons can be caught Gulf and Atlantic side. Grovers are stack on the pilings and all bridges in the Keys hold Permit. Big Jacks are usually around during the winter months but from time to time medium size Jacks do cruise through. Fresh cut bait can be caught at Channel 5 or stop by Pirate Cove and Jack's in Florida City. Yellow Bait House in Key Largo is another place is not bad but I use them as last resort. They are a lot more expensive.

To make it a awesome trip I highly recommend going to the aqua farm where they raise cobia. See if you can book a tour with them. Last time I was there they allow you to feed them and swim with the cobia. However, there is a fee but since you are with the school they might do it for free.

[bolo]

I can not find the phone number the cobia farm in Marathon. Here is a link to UM Aquaculture. http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/aquaculture/ They might have the number to the farm in the Keys. Also, see if you can visit UM cobia farm too. They are located locally in Virgina Key.

[cudaking305]

Im not going with the school were just taking the only ppl in my school tht go fishing lol 3 ppl and its kind of a secret field trip

[TeEnAnGlerPro213]

Im not going with the school were just taking the only ppl in my school tht go fishing lol 3 ppl and its kind of a secret field trip

i would love one of those type of fishing trips

[PhishingPhanatic]

The cobia farm isn't in Marathon anymore, it is just north of Layton, between Ch 5 and Long Key. Here is their website. http://www.aquaranch.org/

Their number is 305-509-7753. Definitely worth a 30 minute visit, if you have leftover bait at the end of your trip they will gladly let you feed it to the cobia too. (Make sure to ask them before you start throwing bait in the lagoon first.) They also have some monster snapper in there too.

[Swordslayer71]

This past summer while I was down there I remember hearing on the radio they were letting people catch the cobia to help them move to their current location. Talk about a true heartbreaker, hearing "any angler with fishing tackle come soon and help us move them" and being out on a boat working . Last I checked at their new location they had big keep out signs, and were not taking visitors. This was last September though so who knows what may have changed since then, might've just been while they moved.

[fixed80]

Me and a couple friends talked a science teacher into giving us a field trip to the keys and he said for us to plan it out!! so its between april-may could u tell me whats the best bridge for this time of year/

that would be cool to go on a trip down there, but i dont think the purpose of it would be to fish the bridges though(likely tour instead).
if it was only fishing... then everyone would need a good quality rod or reel to use.

[cudaking305]

I was thinking of maybe bahia honda wat can i catch there during april-may

[PhishingPhanatic]

Snapper, cudas, jacks, etc, and that bridge is famous for huge sharks. But, you cannot fish from the bridge itself, just the shoreline around it.

[nmpfly]

Bolo just gives general information. No important information with that response. that is who he is.

Same way you had respond to the Tamami Trail thread. "Dusty and full of Indians" Nice try.

Good one bolo, you remembered, I thought it was quite funny myself. Nice to see someone is on the ball.. Take care bolo, hope to hear from you soon

[bolo]

Take care bolo, hope to hear from you soon

You do the same.

[nmpfly]

[quote="TeEnAnGlerPro213"]try your luck with these 5 simple setups.

1. hook a live shrimp on a troll rite jig and fish the pilings.

What is a troll rite jig?? I use jig heads of different colors and sometimes plain jig heads I get at Bass pro. It that the same as a troll rite jig??

[PhishingPhanatic]

try your luck with these 5 simple setups.

1. hook a live shrimp on a troll rite jig and fish the pilings.

What is a troll rite jig?? I use jig heads of different colors and sometimes plain jig heads I get at Bass pro. It that the same as a troll rite jig??

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... rchResults

[bolo]

try your luck with these 5 simple setups.

1. hook a live shrimp on a troll rite jig and fish the pilings.

What is a troll rite jig?? I use jig heads of different colors and sometimes plain jig heads I get at Bass pro. It that the same as a troll rite jig??

Trollrite is basically a nickname people give for a undressed jig. The ones we used are banana style jigs or slipper like the one PP posted. This style jig flutters as it descend and also snag less compare to a ball or arrow style jig.

[nmpfly]

Thank you for the info, both of you. One more question, the color used depends on water conditions?? Also I bought the ones that have an eye painted on them. Are they any good??

[PhishingPhanatic]

The colors I use the most are white, red and chartreuse. Usually white. The eye shouldn't really matter, the weight of the jig is much more important then the color IMO. Get a variety from 1/16 oz to 1/4 oz to use, depending on the current. I mostly use 1/16 and 3/8 oz.

[bolo]

Thank you for the info, both of you. One more question, the color used depends on water conditions?? Also I bought the ones that have an eye painted on them. Are they any good??

Since you are using live bait the eyes won't much difference. I use white, chartreuse, and pink. White and Pink works well on clear water. Chartreuse is good for low light (morning or evening) or slightly stained water. If you are planning to catch bigger fish like Snook or Tarpon I recommend picking up a few of the Hank Brown trollrite at BPS. Their trollrite are much more expensive compare to BPS. However, they offer larger hooks with lighter weight jig head. Stay away from the thin wire one. On lock drag you will straighten those hooks out. Like PP said the weight is important. You basically want the trollrite slightly bouncing off the bottom. Too light the current will sweep away, too heavy is will sit on the bottom and the grunts will love you. Also, too heavy will cause you to snag more.

[nmpfly]

During my lunch time I went to BPS and picked up a bag of white @ 1/4 oz. Also this type (slipper) can also be use for freeline with the current or is it better to use the ones that are heavier. I purchases 20 of the ones with the eye at Islamorada marine flea market last month. I found them cheap. I paid 5 bucks for 20 jigheads different size and weight and color. It was a mix and match deal for $5. The hook looks alittle cheap but, I have enough to throw away when they get bad. Also should I hook the shrimp on the head or the tail or through the body?? Thanks again for the info.

[bolo]

During my lunch time I went to BPS and picked up a bag of white @ 1/4 oz. Also this type (slipper) can also be use for freeline with the current or is it better to use the ones that are heavier. I purchases 20 of the ones with the eye at Islamorada marine flea market last month. I found them cheap. I paid 5 bucks for 20 jigheads different size and weight and color. It was a mix and match deal for $5. The hook looks alittle cheap but, I have enough to throw away when they get bad. Also should I hook the shrimp on the head or the tail or through the body?? Thanks again for the info.

I use the very same trollrites for flat lining for Flags in Dry Tortugas. I do use heavier weight if the Mutton or Grouper are deeper in the water column. For this scenario where you are targeting large fish I recommend buying the Hank Brown Trollrites. For the smaller fish BPS or Tamer Products trollrites will do. If they have eyes on them they will still work. $5.00 for 20 is a great deal. I usually hook the shrimp through the head without piercing the heart.

[nmpfly]

Thank you for all the info. I will let you know the end results of all the information given to me by you. hopefully it will be good and i wil let you know where I go to use all this info.