Near shore top water???

Tony Roma

Went 17 miles out to some well known numbers and seen multiple schools of baitfish getting hammered on top, "so awsome to see." Threw everything in the arsenal at them including gotcha , yozuri slowing sinking twitch, and Clark spoons. My guess is that the fish are Spanish , jacks , or bonito. As a fishmen I would like to confirm my hypothesis and catch whatever is causing that camotion. In hind sight I'm thinking a rugged top water plug is the ticket. Can anyone point me in the right direction of a long casting topwater that can solve my mystery. As always thanks in advance.

no peekin

I have used a skitterwalk offshore,but that said I only caught AJ's,which on a 3000 series reel=lots of fun.It was the same size lure I use inshore for what its worth.I also know kings will hit these plugs when you find a school(had a friend do this offshore in the fall)

shallowv

I have had luck with just a big krocodile spoon. Caught bonita, kings and bonita that way. Cast into them, wait 5 seconds and Reel as fast as you possibly can. Always works.

shallowv

Meant kings, bonita, bluefish and Spanish mackerel

NBredfish

It's usually Bonita eating glass minnows & ive never been able to get them to eat anything else when they're tuned into glass minnows. Maybe a small fly would work but any top water lure is too big.

OkeechobeeAngler

Zara Spook ?

Spongking

NBredfish wrote: »

It's usually Bonita eating glass minnows & ive never been able to get them to eat anything else when they're tuned into glass minnows. Maybe a small fly would work but any top water lure is too big.

Last few trips out this has been the case 100%. Perhaps give one of those 2-3" live target glass minnow school twitch baits a try. The ones with 2 or 3 fish painted on the them to resemble little group of glass minnows every time they're honed in on super small bait I never have lily know because everything I throw seems too big. The tough part is getting close enough, quiet enough to toss such a small bait into the action before they sound. Then pop back up 100yrds away for a repeat. I've had luck on rare occasion using a small-mid size offshore popper. Reel fast and give that thing some big pops. Might allow you to trick one to hit it. And those will normally hit bigger baits. We were using a 5" solid acrylic popper and a 12" Bonita hit it. Was cool.
Kev

Sea Snake

I was in them too Saturday.....they are busting these small baitfish....not sure what they are but there are thousands, you can see em skittering by your boat.....they seem to be bigger than glass minnows though.

But go the strike zone or academy...and find yourself these small steel jigs, I have no idea what they're called...but you can sling 'em a mile. They are painted like a little fish.

they are about an inch or two max.....rip them through the busting bonitas ( that's what is busting the surface ) and you'll catch a few !!

Snatch-Um

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dnCvXopz4

video from Easy Money ten years ago...pretty cool.

acme54321

Sea Snake wrote: »

But go the strike zone or academy...and find yourself these small steel jigs, I have no idea what they're called...but you can sling 'em a mile. They are painted like a little fish.

Shimano Waxwing?

Tony Roma

Thanks for the replies , we also were seeing those huge schools of tiny bait fish, seemed too big for glass minnows but the predators seem to like them. So cool seeing the frenzy with the fish and birds, when you float over the spot it was happening all that is left is millions of drifting fish scales. Looks like that waxwing would work. When we got the kids fishing they don't care what they are catching , would be cool to figure this out. Thanks again