Triple Tail Question

wahoo1

I have never really tried to fish for Triple Tail during this time of year around the Stone Crab buoys but would like to give it a try. Is there a general depth or distance from shore that I should start looking? I assume that the current water temperature would be good to start looking for them. Thanks for any advice you can give!

Steve

yankee redneck

Just run out till you find the traps, then start looking. Don't pass up anything floating, I've caught them on a coconut, drift wood even found one on a little stick!

lemaymiami

When you're hunting them try not to run close to anything floating -stay just close enough to be able to see if something is there under that float... We usually spot one then carefully circle back, slow down and approach as quietly as possible. Once a triple knows you're there --you're done.

wahoo1

Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely be giving it a try in the next few weeks. Looking forward to it. Happy New Year!

Steve

FLTXhunter

Where you at? Let me know and I will PM you and I get you into a great general area.
But quick answers; No need to go out too far. There are more trips on the nearshore bouys than the deep ones. Find a line that has been out there a while where the bouys look worn, there are weeds and barnacles and all that stuff on them. If you find a trip on a line, you will likely find several if you run the whole line. As said before, you can run on plane, but do so just close enough to see the fish, but far enough away so you don't run over them. You cant mistake them under a pot with a good pair of polarized glasses. Live shrimp are you friends (and a small split shot about 10 inches up from the shrimp for some casting weight is helpful). 30 lb. fluorocarbon leader Is good. A small circle hook is perfect. Cast the shrimp RIGHT on the nose of the fish....or cast past the pot and "drag" the shrimp along the surface until you get to the fish's nose and then stop cranking and let the shrimp do it's thing. If you are fighting a fish after hooking it and it happens to come free.....put another shrimp on and cast back to the same fish.....it will likely eat a second time! Seriously. Also.....this time of year, always be scanning the water as you are running out there because you can find some huge "free floating" tripletail anywhere. It is one of my favorite ways to sight fish. PM me if you want and I can get you more info.

MegalopsAtlanticus

There is some great advice in this thread!

The crab trap lines just outside the National Park boundary have been LOADED with Tripletail for the past month or more. More than I have seen in several years, actually. Trouble is, I can't seem to find a single one of legal size. Which is pretty odd...

In year's past there have been far fewer TT's per trapline, but well over half of them were big enough to eat.

But right now, it seems the 10,000 Islands are inundated with small Tripletails. I am finding SEVERAL on each bouy, but all tiny.

(also, don't overlook a Gulp shrimp in place of a live one... The Gulp's do just as well on TT's. I don't think I've ever seen one refuse them. Just cast upcurrent of them, drift it near the bouy, and let 'er drop. The fish will swim over and devour it quickly if its not spooked. The park boundary marker poles are also holding fish, but again they all seem so SMALL right now!!!!)

Joe Snook

I just use a hook n shrimp or a previously stated gulps work great as well as a DOA shrimp. I cast past it and drag it up top and land it right on the fish. With clients I use a weighted popping cork 6" under the cork I have a hook wich size depends on size of hook to hide the hook along with 20# leader for spooky fish. If you find a big one that doesnt eat dont give up ive spent 45 min.s on the biggest one I ever caught finally getting him to eat by bumping his face with the shrimp as i dragged it fast across his face and if they go down just go away and come back a lil later he should be back up or if you dont see him put on some weight and let it sink down to it

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OutdoorAddict

It was the same way off Lee County this year, lot's and lot's of fish, but all small. I don't even cast to the small fish anymore, I leave them alone so I can catch them when they grow up.

MegalopsAtlanticus wrote: »

There is some great advice in this thread!

The crab trap lines just outside the National Park boundary have been LOADED with Tripletail for the past month or more. More than I have seen in several years, actually. Trouble is, I can't seem to find a single one of legal size. Which is pretty odd...

In year's past there have been far fewer TT's per trapline, but well over half of them were big enough to eat.

But right now, it seems the 10,000 Islands are inundated with small Tripletails. I am finding SEVERAL on each bouy, but all tiny.

(also, don't overlook a Gulp shrimp in place of a live one... The Gulp's do just as well on TT's. I don't think I've ever seen one refuse them. Just cast upcurrent of them, drift it near the bouy, and let 'er drop. The fish will swim over and devour it quickly if its not spooked. The park boundary marker poles are also holding fish, but again they all seem so SMALL right now!!!!)

lemaymiami

Once you know where all the little triples are.... fish somewhere else. We haven't caught but one or two undersized triples a day for months now.... At some of my best spots you'll never see a fish until one has attacked a bucktail or leadhead with Gulp tail.... on a really good spot each hooked fish will have one or two followers....