Not very good, have 6 year old that wishes i were

Hello. I'm a 34 year old woman that spent my youth freshwater bobber fishing for panfish. I now have a 6 year old that loves to fish from our saltwater piers. I'm spent a good while catching nothing until some kind lady helped me set up with my hook above my weights. I catch lots of croaker and occasionally trout, but id like to catch something we could maybe eat. Currently I just put some dead shrimp or cut bait about 6 inches from my weight and cast out 50yards from the pier. Usually I lose my bait to Crocker, spot, crabs or god knows what else. This is all I know to do. Any help would be appreciated. Oh and I fish in southern Alabama near the mobile bay in dauphin island

The croaker and trout are great eating. Filet, batter, and fry them.

Oh, i do filet and eat them! But you get what I'm getting at right?

You want to catch bigger fish, maybe redfish? Use small bait and small hooks to catch small croakers and pinfish. Use THEM for bait (you'll have to put on a bigger hook and you won't need a weight). The croakers and other such fish that are stealing your bait won't eat a small croaker or pinfish.

Okay thank you! Hook em in the mout or?

When I was in school for marine biology ( yes as pathetic as it sounds, I am a marine biologist. I do zooplankton) they just took us where we needed to go, we dropped out lines and pulled up fish lol. So with the croaker as bait, so I just reel enough to keep moving or?

Going for redfish near shore I would use a number 7/0 or so hook just under the dorsal fin with a float that would keep the bait just off the bottom. No need to move the bait unless he swims to a place you don't want him to be. Leader should be heavy, reds are not very picky and do not see well.

If putting the hook in the bait's back bothers you, a lighter wire hook can be threaded through the nostrils.

Ain't nothing pathetic about marine biology. Our knowledge of the world is the aggregate of thousands of tiny details faithfully recorded by diligent scientists. They slowly make for an accurate picture.

Oh no marine biology is awesome, I just think it's pathetic that I have no idea how to fish and I do marine biology for a living lol. I have no qualms about hooking a fish anywhere, but thank you for the advice. I'm hope it gets eaten anyway lol. I don't nexissarilu care if I catch reds, black drum, sheepshead, mullet, trout, just something my baby will be a little impressed with. He's not so impressed with my croaker skills anymore, but there were plenty of times I sat on that pier and cried my eyes out because I didn't know how to catch anything and couldn't get anyone to help me.

Also do I tienon the leader using the same knots to I use to tie on the hook?

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Originally Posted by Croakercatcher

Okay thank you! Hook em in the mout or?

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I hook them in the lower back, behind the dorsal fin. Some people hook them in the mouth where it comes out the nose.

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Originally Posted by Croakercatcher

Also do I tienon the leader using the same knots to I use to tie on the hook?

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You use fluorocarbon leader? Otherwise, you don't need leader. I use uni-knots to join the lines or I'll use a small swivel to join the leader and the main line.

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Originally Posted by eym_sirius

You use fluorocarbon leader? Otherwise, you don't need leader. I use uni-knots to join the lines or I'll use a small swivel to join the leader and the main line.

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Agreed,

The uni knot is an easy but strong knot.
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=6588&stc=1

Oh, Croakercatcher, welcome to the forum. You'll find the GS Pier very family friendly and guys more than willing to share info.

With the uni-knot, take a pair of pliers and pull on the tag end to tighten. If you just pull on the running end (the one that goes to your reel) the knot will not be as tight and can come undone with a big fish. OR you can tie a granny knot in the tag end as a "keeper" to keep it from coming undone - tie the keeper as close as possible to the knot before you trim the excess.

I may be mistaken (again!), Croakercatcher, but it seems like you are not afraid of learning, and all the good folks on the forum are happy to help. The forum features a Search site, with so many question answered from real fishers just to help one another be successful, you should check it out.

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Originally Posted by eym_sirius

You want to catch bigger fish, maybe redfish? Use small bait and small hooks to catch small croakers and pinfish. Use THEM for bait (you'll have to put on a bigger hook and you won't need a weight). The croakers and other such fish that are stealing your bait won't eat a small croaker or pinfish.

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Croakercatcher, again, the key is use "small croaker fish" for bait as eym_sirius is saying.

Best advice: Don't be afraid to ask for help on the pier! We all are more than willing to share knowledge, help with knots, bait etc. and will be willing to share. This is the friendliest pier I've found and with a little time, you'll be showing newbies how to do it...
Above all, have fun.

That's how I always tie my knots. Thanks!!!!!

Okay fisherman! Just wanted to give an update (sorry so
late, I came home exhausted, sunburnt and with a mess of fish to clean!!!). I did try exact as said with the bobber, 7 hook and croaker. Let it run for 20-30 minutes. My lil one got impatient though and just couldn't understand why I'd have a line that wasn't catching fish every 3 seconds so I had to abort mission. We did catch ch a TON of white trout and sea bass. And croaker of course hahahha. Had a nice mess of delicious fish and even though I didn't catch a red or anything big, we had a great time. Please keep posting advice because I'm taking it all in and I can't express my gratitude enough!

Come to gulf shores pier......plenty of help there and if some hook a nice fish they are usually willing to give up the rod to the youth or less experienced, if your around on the end.

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Originally Posted by ironman172

Come to gulf shores pier......plenty of help there and if some hook a nice fish they are usually willing to give up the rod to the youth or less experienced, if your around on the end.

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That's very nice of you guys! I live in Louisiana and am thinking to come over to GSPF one of these days, maybe at the same time try the walk-on deep sea fishing too (those party boat.. I heard it can be bad with lots people. Any tips there much appreciated!)

Croakercatcher: don't feel bad being a marine biologist who just picked up fishing! Here's a fellow oceanographer that's been to sea for 20+ yrs and only picked up fishing 2 years ago! All those 20 yrs at sea (we are talking about deeeep open ocean, northsea, hawaii, bahamas...), never ever bothered fishing. Now I am really into it. While I am no expert compared to most here, I could offer some advice. For red/black drums, you might want to try small crabs or halves of bigger ones. I've got 30+lb blackdrums on that. My biggest red was caught on live minnow tho, on a live bottom rig (you put a slider sinker on main line, then tie a swivel with a bead before that. then a lead about a foot or two with hook at the end, with/without float). About the impatient little one, I'd suggest you bring a few rods, one just for him/for smaller fish. Then again, I am not familiar with your location and it might be a hassle to have multiples. Here in Louisiana there's no limit how many you can carry/use. On pier like GSP, I've heard only one rod at a time.

Best of luck!