Going to venture into saltwater for the first time

[saxrulez]

Thanks for all the advice!

Stopped by half-hitch tackle on my way in and got some advice from them. I ended up VERY short on time due to getting called into work early but I still got to fish for a little bit! Used a mackerel tree and trolled for spanish. SO MUCH FUN!

The boat was very capable in the bay. I was definitely being a little too worried. It was smoother than the lakes I usually boat in!





Thanks again for the help. I'm actually headed out again tomorrow with a buddy on his boat.

[draglink]

GREAT PICTURES!! My favorite all time fishing.... I live to Spanish Mack fish, went Sat and only caught a couple....they havent come in the bay that good this year. We troll #1 planers with 00# Clark spoons, gold and silver. What is a Mackerel tree?

[saxrulez]

It was recommended to me by the local tackle shop. Just a swivel followed by 4 hooks with some fluorescent surgical tubing and a spoon at the end. Trolled it right below the surface. It definitely worked really well! I'm trying to go again today and tomorrow. I'll post more of whatever we manage to drag into the boat!

[draglink]

Thanks for the info, I will look for them around here! Going out Sat with friends on a booze cruise all day(buddys Regulator). Hope to Spanish fish with my dad on Sun on the V!

[phatdaddy]

good job sax, glad it's working out. make sure you can tell the difference between a spanish & a king. lotta juvie kings run with their spanish cousins. on a spanish the very front of the dorsal fin is black, on a king it is a solid color. also try running one rod with a 1-2 oz egg sinker ahead of the tree. they might be deep this time of year.

[jasoncooperpcola]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

good job sax, glad it's working out. make sure you can tell the difference between a spanish & a king. lotta juvie kings run with their spanish cousins. on a spanish the very front of the dorsal fin is black, on a king it is a solid color. also try running one rod with a 1-2 oz egg sinker ahead of the tree. they might be deep this time of year.

X2 that happened to me a couple years ago. It was a $250 mistake!
As for your boat, I as well as almost everybody on here, have seen smaller boats offshore. Is it smart? No. But if you are prepared right, it aint that bad. I have been fishing with a friend in his 60 year old 17' wooden boat and we have been going 25 miles offshore!

Hell we were 75 miles offshore in a friends Hatteras and there was a pontoon boat trolling around like it was nothing.

[saxrulez]

Not really related to the saltwater fishing and such, but I got my bimini top installed this week and took it out on the lake.

WOW!

I should have bought a bimini top a long long time ago! What a huge difference it is cruising around the water in the shade all day! I can't wait to get back out on the bay again with the top up and cruise to Shell Island and just generally cruising around exploring.

I should have bought a bimini top a long long time ago. Got a good deal on it and it was stable/steady cruising at 24-25mph even up to 30+ for a little bit.

[Curapa]

Originally Posted by jasoncooperpcola

X2 that happened to me a couple years ago. It was a $250 mistake!
As for your boat, I as well as almost everybody on here, have seen smaller boats offshore. Is it smart? No. But if you are prepared right, it aint that bad. I have been fishing with a friend in his 60 year old 17' wooden boat and we have been going 25 miles offshore!

Hell we were 75 miles offshore in a friends Hatteras and there was a pontoon boat trolling around like it was nothing.

My buddy used to take his flat bottom leaky aluminum boat 10 miles offshore by himself when he lived in Key West. No bilge, used to scoop the water out with a cup. Not something I would.

[SkunkBoat]

Up North we use that same rig, with a diamond jig on the bottom, to jig Boston Mackeral