General observation of a great week

I just returned home to southern Indiana after spending the last 7 days in Gulf Shores fishing the pier every day from day break to dark with just a few hour break around noon each day to let my wife know I was still alive and gulp something down to keep my strength up. It was an AWESOME! experience! I would love to have contributed to the daily report but was too tired to even read them by the time I returned to our rental. I caught loads of Spanish, Blue fish and a Little Tunny which weighed in at 5 lbs. Having never tried any of the fish normally caught off the pier I pan fried the mackerel, blues and even a gaff top my Dad caught and loved the mackerel and would not hesitate to eat the others again. One thing I learned after losing many dollars worth of gotchas, spoons and jigs to bite offs at the swivel, is to use an Albright knot to connect the leader. Once I started using this method with a fluorocarbon leader my strikes went up and bite offs greatly decreased. Met tons of great, generous and happy people and wish I could have met more. If you were there this week I was the guy on the end of the pier, camo cap, fishing a cheapo Shakespeare combo for all it was worth, thowing a silver casting spoon, with a cast so violent it looked like a full body seizure :), hooked up often but landing few, and always talking. Got a few wounds in the heat of battle, two different bubble rigs to the chest with bruising and a treble hook in the left ear but not all the way through. Got to see a small shark about 3 feet long that was fought all the way to the pier get eaten by a much bigger shark before it could be broken off. Never saw a King caught but saw one sky after hitting a free lined LY near the surface. I sincerely hope I can make this trip again and often, because like I said...IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

Glad to see you had a great week. Wish I could have been there but having to stay around the house while Wife gets her Den added on to house.

Glad a fellow northern enjoyed the pier and people!!......the catching can be very adicting......it gets way better so hurry back down......October is one of the best months,along with April/may

Tac nice post! What part of Southern Indiana? I'm from North Vernon. My family and I make the long treck 2 to 3 times a year. Absolutely in love with Gulf Shores. We camp at GSP. I need to find a permanent site for the camper and we would make it down more often. Love the pier and this site, the people on both make it Awesome!

I forgot to mention that the people with the gaffs/nets have the patience of Job. At one point there was 6 of us waiting to bring fish up(Bonita-Little Tunny?) and they just went one to the other with no complaints, nice guys. And bk I am from Seymour so just one county away.

Small world Tac. I work in Seymour. We need to get together sometime and swap stories. Glad you had a safe and enjoyable trip.

I used to work for NVIC in N. Vernon. Wow, small world.

TAC, give me some pointers. I have 1 day of fishing this Friday, and hope to have as mjch fun as you did.

Bubble rig, gotcha, casting spoon and get there before sun rise. Talk and to everyone and smile. Take the time to observe the pier and whats going on in the water. Be alert to the pier rules and be courteous when others hook up and you will have a blast.