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I have caught several Spanish mackerel on live shrimp when fishing for other species in the shallows (pompano, sheepshead, flounder, etc.). Usually, the fish have been caught on a fish finder rig with a 1 oz. egg sinker. However, I have read about many using shrimp to target the Spanish. How would you rig for this type of fishing?
#4 treble hook, 40 or 50# mono leader, small split shot, about 3-4' under a cork.
Why would you want to buy shrimp to catch Spanish, when any number of artificial baits are just as capable of filling your box? Many are cheaper than a single live shrimp.
If there, I usually don't have a problem catching the Spanish on looney jigs, bubble rigs, gotchas, spec rigs, etc. However, just looking for another option when the fish flash and short strike lures.
I'll toss a .34¢ shrimp if that's what the big ones are hitting hard-n-fast. Sometimes it beats working an artificial, especially if you get bit off several times.
A treble and a shrimp is pretty inexpensive.
Anyways, Carl answered the OPs question.
One answer is, "If spanish aren't biting, other fish will hit a live or fresh dead shrimp". Sometimes spanish will just flash at a lure, but not actually strike it, while they'll take a live shrimp and won't hit anything else. Another reason for using live shrimp is that it's a different bite. In clearer water, you can see the spanish approach your shrimp, inhale it and take off with it as you set the hook. Sometimes, spanish are not "in" or biting and you need to be able to fish for something else.Quote:
Originally Posted by DRH
Regarding spending money on bait - Every fisherman values the experience differently and the financial circumstances of some fishermen are also different to the point that they'd rather have live bait and give it away if they don't use it, than to feel like they needed it and didn't have it. That's pretty much where I am with my priorities - I'll have live shrimp and fresh fishbites (for other species), as well as Gotchas, Looney jigs and a diving lure or two that are also effective for spanish.
For fishermen on vacation/holiday, I'd suggest that if they spent hundreds of dollars on a condo/hotel room, lots of money on equipment and travel expenses - do they really want to penny-pinch on bait? Again, though -- everybody's circumstances are different in the way that they value the experience.
I've caught some of my biggest spanish onvlive shrimp. If those little ly's aren't around and bubbles aren't catching them, drop a live shrimp about 4-5ft under a cork and let it drift
My son and I met you at the pier last summer. I believe you had just gotten married. I actually remember seeing you catch a very large Spanish on a shrimp on the octi one afternoon after the main bite had died off.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigboyjames11
I couldn't get them(Spanish) to eat artificial at Navarre. I had live shrimp and just lightly cast them out into the school. No weight, no swivel, just a double uni knot-12 lb mainline connected to a 60lb mono leader, #2 ssw owner hook. If the shrimp gets spooked and flicks, it's almost a guarantee it's going to get hit. Don't snatch, let him eat and run.
I had an old tymer on the old the old pier tell me just about that same thing about sheepshead once ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by DRH
As far as spanish: sometimes they want it and sometimes I just get tired of jigging.
BTW, which lures cost less than 34¢ each?
There's also the issue of wear and tear on an "older gentleman-fisherman". I count myself in that number. Several years ago, I had an issue with my wrist - a "SLAC" wrist (not to be confused with a "slack wrist") that required reconstructive surgery. The traumatic event necessitating the surgery was my trying to whip a four-pound pomano over the rail. To literally add insult to injury, the pomp hit the rail when my ligament snapped and my prize fish went back in the water. I'm convinced that the ligament was weakened/worn by the repetitive motion of working a "Gotcha" for spanish. I was done fishing for that year. Since then, wrist soreness sometimes has me looking for less physically stressful ways to catch spanish -ways that don't involve repetitive casts.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChileRelleno
Last year, it was a shoulder ailment that kept my from being able to make repetitive casts like I wanted to. Now I'm back to normal, relatively speaking, and I'm throwing gotchas again. But if the wrist starts getting sore, I'm likely to soak a large live shrimp when going after spanish. Besides, I like watching that bite!
The "why waste a live shrimp" argument failed real quick last Saturday late morning when the guys with live shrimp were hooking up on axe-handle Spanish every cast while us lure jerkers were wearing out our shoulders just to get a flash.
Yep, I switched to shrimp and was immediately killing them axe handles.Quote:
Originally Posted by CarlF
Once word got around, the Pier House and J&M were sold out of shrimp with a quickness.
I didn't realize the pier bait shop sold shrimp. Good to know.
Next time I am down and the Spanish are being picky, I'm gonna float a DOA under a cork and see how that goes.
A saintly pier regular, in shorts and suspenders, has recommended the rig as CarlF described, just down size to a #10 treble
Saintly? Really?
I do my best to match the hook to the bait and use one that will allow the shrimp to swim naturally and freely---not weight it down and make it go belly-up to the bottom. You'll lose some fish, sure, but you'll get more strikes. I go through a lot of #10 and #8 hooks.
Using live shrimp for Spanish has resulted in a lot of days when I hear the sweetest words a fisherman can hear: "Look at that sonofabitch---he's got ANOTHER one on."
Also, Pier#r (the ultimate authority) taught me that freelining a shrimp---no cork---is often more effective, though it isn't as much fun as watching your cork make a vapor trail at the strike. Good fishing to you, TNmatt.
Oh, yeah, I wasn't tempted to use shrimp today because the wind would have made it very hard to cast one and it would have been blown right back to the pier immediately where a large pack of hungry remoras was waiting.
I see Haywire is neglecting to tell you his not-so-secret secret to fishing Spaniards with live shrimp... He licks his shrimp.
I have found a place where I can buy them pre-licked, then I spit in the bait bucket just for luck.
Pre-licked shrimp... What will they think of next?
Dang proud to know I'm not the only one hurtin' after a day of jerking and twitching...Watching a cork bob sounds enjoyable.
The only reason I even tried live shrimp for Spanish is because Haywire mentioned it on here. The Florida guys were giving me strange looks when I threw it out amidst bubble rigs and lys. I met a retired Air Force guy that was really impressed with live shrimp when the bubble rig wouldn't produce.
Likewise, I found a yo-zuri shrimp in my box. I'll try it Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by CarlF
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=4973&stc=1