Headed out for first "real" trip of the year....

[anonymouscowherd]

Packin' up the truck and heading our for the first "real" fishing trip of the year.

"Real" trip? Yeah... I'm a die hard. And I'll go in middle of winter even. This year between hunting and shooting with @Ninering62 the late fall/early winter fishing didn't happen, but I made it out in early March before turkey season started but there was no bait to be had. Being employed in the education field I don't drop the $ on bait each time I go, but rather I'm at the mercy of the cast net gods...

Now that weather is better, water is warmer, bait fish are back in abundance, it is time to go wet a line and hopefully stretch out some kinks. Even if I only catch catfish, I don't care - I don't eat fish and they bend the rod just as well as a redfish or trout.

Hopefully will be able to get some small crabs as well, so I can attempt to tangle with another one of these big black drum....

 

[.45er]

Packin' up the truck and heading our for the first "real" fishing trip of the year.

"Real" trip? Yeah... I'm a die hard. And I'll go in middle of winter even. This year between hunting and shooting with @Ninering62 the late fall/early winter fishing didn't happen, but I made it out in early March before turkey season started but there was no bait to be had. Being employed in the education field I don't drop the $ on bait each time I go, but rather I'm at the mercy of the cast net gods...

Now that weather is better, water is warmer, bait fish are back in abundance, it is time to go wet a line and hopefully stretch out some kinks. Even if I only catch catfish, I don't care - I don't eat fish and they bend the rod just as well as a redfish or trout.

Hopefully will be able to get some small crabs as well, so I can attempt to tangle with another one of these big black drum....

View attachment 33713

I'm not much of a saltwater fisherman but curious what # fishing line you typically fish with. I know it's more that the 6 Lb. Line I use.

 

[bronko220002]

Good luck to you & enjoy. I lived in FL for 4 years and had a 18' center console boat. I was 4 miles from the St Lucie inlet and would go out on weekends. Launch at dawn, catch some bait fish on sabikis then head out to sea. Caught a ton of bonita and king fish and a few cobia with some sharks in between. Would fish the river too fly fishing for drum and lady fish and tarpon. Best fun day ever was catching spanish mackerel on a fly rod.
I haven't fished myself since 2004 but I do take my grandsons. They love it. We go to a lake and I rig them up with bobbers and they catch so many bluegills and sunnys that I wouldn't have time to fish myself!

 

[anonymouscowherd]

I'm not much of a saltwater fisherman but curious what # fishing line you typically fish with. I know it's more that the 6 Lb. Line I use.

Depends on which rod and how strong the tide is but anywhere from 8lb mono to usually 12-15lb mono up to 50lb braid. Almost always the $25 7' medium spinnging combo from walmart

Generally prefer lighter tackle but when dealing with oyster beds and the occasional shark or doormat sized stingray and when the tidal current is really rippin' it tends towards go big or go home

 

[Ninering62]

Packin' up the truck and heading our for the first "real" fishing trip of the year.

"Real" trip? Yeah... I'm a die hard. And I'll go in middle of winter even. This year between hunting and shooting with @Ninering62 the late fall/early winter fishing didn't happen, but I made it out in early March before turkey season started but there was no bait to be had. Being employed in the education field I don't drop the $ on bait each time I go, but rather I'm at the mercy of the cast net gods...

Now that weather is better, water is warmer, bait fish are back in abundance, it is time to go wet a line and hopefully stretch out some kinks. Even if I only catch catfish, I don't care - I don't eat fish and they bend the rod just as well as a redfish or trout.

Hopefully will be able to get some small crabs as well, so I can attempt to tangle with another one of these big black drum....

View attachment 33713

Love the pic & story brother. I hope your fishing trip goes better than my turkey hunting today. It looks like " Elvis " isn't the only one thats left the building. Not a peep or sighting this morn & I've tried 3 diff places this morn. The most excitement I've had this morn was on the way out of the woods a raccoon did a bellyflop out of a big old oak tree right in front of me - 10yds & hauled a$$ down my shooting range.

 

[Decay]

Why don’t you eat fish?

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Why don’t you eat fish?

When I was 5 I walked the mile to a local pond, caught a ton of BIG bluegills (150 or so) and brought them all home. Then I had to help clean them all and then we ate 'em for dinner for about a week....

Once in a blue moon I'll get a craving for fish & chips with a Guinness, and I like smoked salmon on my bagel with cream cheese and tomato and onion.... and I love my shell fish.... But fish fish? As a general rule, hard no....

 

[Decay]

At the Shell Mound pier is there a place to cook fish, like an outdoor fire ring with a grill? And a picnic table?

 

[anonymouscowherd]

No but there is a campground at the end of the hard road, and people set up small (gas) grills on the pier itself all the time.