Replies

• Doc Stressor Posts: 2,785 Captain

  April 2016 #2

  Wow! An AJ in 35 ft is very unusual. How big was it and were there others around?
  
  I'm glad that you got into them. It looks like it's going to be another good year for nice sized mangroves.

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• capt louie Posts: 10,907 Moderator

  April 2016 #3

  Snapper and grunts. I have no problem with that. I really need to find me a snapper spot.

  "You'll get your weather"

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• wvinfl12 Posts: 248 Deckhand

  April 2016 #4

  He was right at the slot limit of 22 inches, lesser amberjack...............we were getting a lot of the blue runners, you know the ones that typically have that black spot behind the head, but this one was different and had the black line up coming up from the eye. Took me a while to make sure I was correct on the identification as it can be tricky sometimes............ we had gotten several of them but let them go and after a while decided to keep one to try out for eating. I was a bit surprised we got one too that shallow, but there were a lot of them there it seems on Saturday.
  
  Oh and I nearly forgot, the wife got 2 hogfish but both were 1/2 inch too short :-(

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• Doc Stressor Posts: 2,785 Captain

  April 2016 #5

  I've never seen a lesser amberjack that shallow but you never know. Are you sure that you didn't catch a rudderfish? They also have the line that goes all the way up to the head and are hard to distinguish from lesser amberjack. The difference is that the jaw extends back to the rear of the eye. They are not uncommon in 30 ft or so and will often hang around under your boat.
  
  Louie, look for the highest relief rocks that you can find in 30-40 ft. That's what's been holding the larger mangroves. Chum and feed them up with small pieces of cut threadfin. Sometimes they won't hit shrimp and only want the cut threadfin.

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• wvinfl12 Posts: 248 Deckhand

  April 2016 #6

  Yep, for sure it was not a rudderfish, pretty sure it was a lesser amberjack...............I have read that they are found near shore and offshore, with them more common offshore, so it could have been a fluke and a couple wandered in, but for sure it was not a rudderfish. Thanks for replying Doc, hope to meet one day. I know it was busy out there this weekend, ramps were slammed. And yes, I was cutting and throwing in chunks of threadfin all day along with the chum bag and they were just tearing me up when I would drop down a shrimp or a piece of cut bait, surprised I did not get any sharks with all the chum I was throwing in, but the mangroves, grunts and groupers were all over the place.......just hope they are there when grouper season opens......seems some of them have wall calendars and know when the season opens.......lol.

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• m9000 Posts: 2,188 Captain

  April 2016 #7

  How far were you anchored from the rock when targeting mangroves. I've wanted to add mangrove to my target fish for a while. Mighty tasty!

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• Rick1-2 Posts: 968 Officer

  April 2016 #8

  Awesome

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• wvinfl12 Posts: 248 Deckhand

  April 2016 #9

  Here is what I like to do. Since I do dive a lot, I have found that the mangroves like to stay close to the structure, but the grunts are braver and like to get out and about a little bit from the rocks and/or structure. So knowing that and how they act, based on me seeing how they act under the water, what I like to do is find the rock/structure you want to target, know the heading I will swing when the anchor grabs in and then approach that target on that heading, go past the structure on that heading and when I have passed by the amount of distance I will have out in rope/rode, I drop and then drift back until I am right on top and then tie off......it might require a couple passes, but in the end I have found that little extra effort of getting that anchor and heading right really pays off for me. Then if the drift is hard, I usually get a lot of grunts since the bait will drift past the rock/structure, or I use a heavier weight to get it to go straight down. Easy Peasy. Good Luck

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• capt louie Posts: 10,907 Moderator

  April 2016 #10

  Doc Stressor wrote: »

  
  Louie, look for the highest relief rocks that you can find in 30-40 ft. That's what's been holding the larger mangroves. Chum and feed them up with small pieces of cut threadfin. Sometimes they won't hit shrimp and only want the cut threadfin.

  
  My 18' boat should be fine out there :grin

  "You'll get your weather"

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• Doc Stressor Posts: 2,785 Captain

  April 2016 #11

  I fish them the same way. Mangroves are the only fish where I set up right over the rocks. And Butch is straightening 2 of my anchors right now as proof of that. :cool:
  
  They move away from the rocks at night if you really want to get a mess of them.
  
  Louie, there are plenty of high rocks just north of the Barge Canal channel that should be in range of your boat. It gets deeper a lot faster than down where I am.

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• wvinfl12 Posts: 248 Deckhand

  April 2016 #12

  I agree with Doc, 18 foot should get you there. Heck I have seen some pretty small boats out there in about 30 feet sometimes and I am thinking OMG, what a ride that must have been when I have had some trips where I am thankful for 26 foot deep vee, but they get out there too, just take their time I guess, but it sure would make me a bit nervous being way out there on an 18 footer, but there are more than enough rock piles in close that hold LOTS of the decent sized Mangroves that you should be able to find easy enough.

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• Almost Perfect Posts: 602 Officer

  April 2016 #13

  I was headed out one day and it was getting ROUGH (and I'm in a 30' boat). Got to 30'-35' and I had had enough so I anchored up on some rocks that I had fished before. A few minutes later I hear bang, bang, bang and here goes a 20' or so bay boat headed West taking a pounding. I guarantee he needed a dentist and a chiropractor the next day.
  
  Glad to see life returning to the live bottom areas. Weather permitting I may waste some gas and run out to the 70' areas and see who is home.

  [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  Contender 27 Cuddy

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• Redbonz Posts: 4,538 Captain

  April 2016 #14

  Try smoking the AJ, makes some of the best fish dip......

  If it don't fit force it. If it breaks it needed replace anyways. :banghead

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• wvinfl12 Posts: 248 Deckhand

  April 2016 #15

  OH I never thought of that.......... I bet it would be even better with the smoked mackerel that I use to make some fish dip with.....thank you for the suggestion.

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• xmuskyguide Posts: 1,981 Captain

  April 2016 #16

  Great trip with a lot of fun fishing out there. :thumbsup

  [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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