CATCHING PINFISH...LOT'S OF PINFISH...

In a short amount of time..
I know folks that use Pinfish traps but their out there daily or off their docks. Pinfish are a new bait to me.
I know their easy to catch with small hooks and squid..but I want 20 and done for half the day..and I don't want to spend hours running all over like I have to do with White Bait.
Will some cat food ect and a 7 ft. castnet in 3 or 4 foot of water do the trick ? Solid Turtle grass on the Flats.
What say you Pinfish Pros..?
I know folks that use Pinfish traps but their out there daily or off their docks. Pinfish are a new bait to me.
I know their easy to catch with small hooks and squid..but I want 20 and done for half the day..and I don't want to spend hours running all over like I have to do with White Bait.
Will some cat food ect and a 7 ft. castnet in 3 or 4 foot of water do the trick ? Solid Turtle grass on the Flats.
What say you Pinfish Pros..?
Killin and Grillin :grin
Replies
With a long shank # 20 hook & squid you can catch 10 to 15 in less then 30 minutes, then throw the net..
Chum them up a few times and you’ll learn favorite spots. If they don’t show up very quickly - go somewhere else. Where I catch them in Florida Bay we always have a problem with sharks eating our chumbags.
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666
If you don't see them balling up, you can usually spot them on pot holes or running along 'drop offs' in the grass. You may only see a few but there will be others. 3-4 throws on these spots usually results in enough bait and these are usually the larger pinfish (hand size).
Not sure why, but I seem to have to wade to do this. I don't have much luck netting pinfish from my boat..
We did the small gold hook with squid and it worked OK but it was one here..one there and we had to rebait constantly...ever with tough squid.
We did this drifting for Trout in 5 / 6 ft. of water.
Looking to go to 3 ft. and net a bunch. Thinking about the way they catch Shrimp on the St. Johns and putting out a couple pvc stakes and throwing cat food around them..then back off and wait 10 , ease up and throw the nets..
Usually a popping cork out and a jig rod in my hand. No relaxing when you fish with me..
I make it happen....winning..: )
Yes chum, cat food whatever, 3 to 6 ft and TRY to bring up the grass, they are in there.
You will wreck your boat with mud and weeds , but you got it.
The shallower you find them the more you will get in a 7' net.
Don't forget the clearer water up here, keep your face to the sun and sling that net low( just sayin)
For they always bring me tears
I can't forgive the way they rob me
Of my childhood souvenirs"... John Prine
“When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you.”
When we try to catch grunts/croakers; we use squid and chum. We make our own 2-3 hook rigs. I hate hate hate sabiki rigs, as Ive been stabbed too many times! (1 time i had to have it cut out at Dr. office)
For snook and the occasional red we rig medium to smaller pins under floats set about 30" above a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook and I have my anglers launch them high in the air so that the pins have a bit of slack as they land near structure. If a snook or red is nearby they just get murdered before my angler can even start reeling.... Great fun!
Lastly the smallest pins are rigged as snook cookies (or trout or redfish cookies) on simple lightweight leaded hooks (no more than 1/4oz - usually on 1/8oz hooks) and tossed next to structure then allowed to lay right on the bottom until they get picked up by whatever's there....
Although I only do this with beginners - anyone with a well full of pins is in business with hungry fish nearby... As you can guess we use rods sized to the fish we're targeting... Light rods for trout, medium rods for snook and reds, heavy for bigger specimens or the biggest tarpon and grouper...
Almost no pinfish at all in the interior of the 'Glades - for us it's a launch out to the outside grass flats for bait -then back towards where the fish are..... Many days we do the circle if we're using pinfish -launching off of one ramp then coming back inside to the other ramp. The shortest distance involved is 55 miles - usually we're well above a 70 mile round trip if we're out of Flamingo.
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666
Little gold hooks work Ok
I'm a Glades Castnet guy..and I want a bunch of whatever bait I'm after...Right Now.
I'm going with the Cat food and a Castnet...
Sabiki rigs as backup.
I'm never Under gunned...
Wait until you see my Cobia Way Station for early am Cobias on the Flats..just something I'm working on...
Hook is def best for the big ones. And I like them really big (hand size plus). Big enough to deter most catfish. And trout lol Can't be big enough for a redfish or snook.
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666