TBT (plenty to be thankful for ;-)

RE: Nov 26, 2012 (part 1)

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The Good Lord has blessed me in many wonderful ways, not the least of which is a great brother!
Thanks bro

You ever have one of those days when you could have slept in, but turned out glad you didn't?
Just the sunrise was worth the effort
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...er/Sunrise.jpg

I went by J&M and picked up a couple dozen nice medium sized shrimp and got to the pier at 7.
Nothing was going on in the shallows except some chit chat by the usual suspects.
Thanks for the cookies Kent & Robbie
Nobody else had live shrimp so I figured mine might make a difference.
After an hour I got my first bite, but it turned out to be a skipjack
But I stuck with it until the tide started in and finally hooked a trout about 8:30
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...irstTrout2.jpg

Then caught this 25" redfish (5# on 4# spin UL) about 15 minutes later...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...er/Redfish.jpg

I never did really sightcast them even though the water was clear, it was too overcast and breezy.
Still I managed one here, one there for the rest of the morning just by blind casting.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../11amTrout.jpg

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RE: Nov 26, 2012 (Part 2)

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...TroutKneel.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...rNiceTrout.jpg

Most were over 20"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...asureTrout.jpg

The five biggest easily weighed +15#
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...5CreelShot.jpg

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Nov 26, 2012 (part 3)

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And all were caught on live shrimp on a #10 treble...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...routMouth2.jpg

Had a limit of trout by 1 pm plus some bonus fish (no flounder though)...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../MoneyShot.jpg

The report from the end was some sheepshead and 3 guys hooked 17 sharks!

It sure was a fun day to be on the pier with old friends and new.
Thank You, Lord!

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... and TBT to Thanksgiving Day 2013:
(part 1)
It was the coldest morning I'd fished on the pier in several years!
Tidefan and his son AJ were great companions though, early to rise and eager to learn...

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1361&stc=1

The dashboard readout said 34 degrees in the parking lot, but there was a steely 10-15 NE breeze that gave it a knife cold edge.
There was steam rising from the water with a dead low tide and little discernible current.
We tried inside for a couple of hours without even a bite and moved out to the end where at least some action was available (croaker & sheepshead).
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1362&stc=1

We ended up with 2 big croakers and 5 sheepshead (up to 5#) to make a fine meal.

That 's what #4 line will do for a skilled angler !! Very impressive Mr. D .

TBT: thanksgiving Day Nov 28, 2013 (part 2)

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The wind died off by 9:30 and the bright sun soon warmed the day significantly.
Unfortunately, the bottom bite died off and the sheepshead got harder to come by.
Still Mikey caught a nice one...
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1363&stc=1

And after a change in venue, Jason scored to the delight of his kids...
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1364&stc=1

These two gentlemen had a great time when a 2# whiting yanked their rod overboard.
After it was retrieved the fish was still on the line...
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1365&stc=1

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TBT: Thanksgiving Day 2013 (part 3)

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Dennis (Geauxyo) and I spent the balance of the afternoon drifting live shrimp and hanging into some BIG whiting, bluefish, rat reds and puppy drum...
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1366&stc=1

The day ended with an epic battle between man and beast.
This time the man won! (on 4# ultralite spin no less :-)
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1367&stc=1

And a #4 Tru-Turn hook set firmly in the corner of its mouth...
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=1368&stc=1

The behemoth was weighed (14.99#) and released!

What a full day it had been thanks to these wonderful folks and fish.
And thanks to The Lord, God for putting it all there!

It made me think of

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Psalm 24:
1 The earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;
2 for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.

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Yep, that a particularly thankful day, spent on the pier with 3 clients and we all caught fish!

do you need a net or gaff to fish on the pier?

You need a gaff if you want to land a king or cobia from the end of the pier but I have never been there when there wasn't someone in possession of one who was happy to land a fish or at least loan his gaff to someone who will. I usually hand line 1lb-2lbers unless I'm using very light line. A hoop net will get most everything else. Most days someone will have one you can borrow but sometimes they can be hard to come by if you are fishing the shallows and almost nonexistent after dark. I would bite the bullet and buy or build one.

If you want to take your fish home with you consider what day of the week your fishing. Usually on weekends there is no problem or if the weather there is nice just about always someone with a net or gaff. If you fish the off days or bad weather you never know caught probably my biggest King 4/23/12 on a Monday evening. Cold front was suppose to be coming in and Wife and I were down for anniversary and it stalled. So talked her into going to pier. Hung fish on live bait under a cork and fought it to pier. There was no gaff or net in sight a guy ran all the way to T and borrowed net and helped me land the fish. I thanked him for the help and knowing how I am for keeping fish gave it to him for his trouble. Made mine and his day.