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Visiting Orange Beach mid-June for 10 days and plan on doing a lot of pier fishing. Are X-Raps effective this time of year for kings,Spanish, and other species? If so, what length/weight is preferred as well as favorite colors? If the x-Rap isn't the preferred casting bait, feel free to tell me what I should bring as far as casting lures. I have a 13 year old son that loves pier fishing. Any advise would be helpful and thank you.
At that time of year if you throw an X-rap best hold on It's my favorite lure You'll catch Spanish Kings and Blues I caught five kings one morning on one as well as quite a few Spanish I like the 3&1/2 in Mullet color but black and silver and white work well I also have about 100 Chinese knockoffs in every color you can imagine that I catch the same fish on Don't be wed to it though The key to saltwater fishing is have what they want when they want it Have you some bubble rigs looney jigs and a gotcha or two Your son should enjoy the topwater strikes on a bubble rig You should too Very exciting fishing I love it Need any help look me up on the Pier Be glad to help you Good luck
Thank you sir for the info. Any other tips would be much appreciated. Thanks again
Yes'siree...
Rapala X-Raps
Yozuri Crystal Minnows/Crystal Minnow 3D (I like the Sinking models)
Bomber A Salt, Long A and Jointed Long A
L&J Krokodile Spoons, the big 2.25-2.5oz chrome
Looney Jigs
Gotchas
Bubble rigs
Chrome diamond jigs
Large Sabikis, 60# mainline with 40# branches, sometimes the Spanish love these
Some premade double drop Pompano rigs and some Pomp jigs too
For catching live bait, a half a dozen small sabikis, a couple of regular and small ribbon rigs.
Some #2 or #4 3X strength trebles, a package or two of #10 black barrel swivels and a roll or two of 20# wire for King leaders.
A roll each of 20#, 40# & 50# mono or Flouro leader for Spanish and everything else that swims.
Some #8 or #10 trebles for live shrimp, and an aerated live bait bucket for several dozen live shrimp.
And a BIG cooler to cart away all the fish you'll catch.
Gotta ask how you guys are working these from the pier. I use jerkbaits all of the time from the boat or bank, but I don't have a bridge to work around. Are you leaning over and jerking the rod down and back. Up and back could work on the pier for top water lures but I don't think that would allow the jerkbait to dive.
There's not too much work to it from the pier I use a small lip medium running bait Most of the time I just vary the speed of the retrieve til I find what speed they want May throw in some jerks almost like working a gotcha If a King or Spanish wants that bait you couldn't hardly stop him from getting it The speed of saltwater fish drawf that of freshwater
In my limited experience, I prefer sinking or suspending lures---you can work them just that few more feet closer to the pier, and that's where the king blows up on your lure.
Welcome to the pier forum.
When using the X-Rap what type leader do you use to eliminate cut offs from toothy fish?
3-5" of 20# wire for Kings, 40-50# mono or 20# wire for Spanish.
I use 30#-40# single strand wire on my lures. A king has a dam fine set of dentures and can chomp through lighter wire. Single strand will tell you when it's time to change leaders and , besides, that's how I live up to my user name, "Haywire"---haywire twist. I use a 30# test Spro swivel---don't want the king's buddy getting jealous and eating the swivel, or having a Spanish come up and bite it.
Great info. guys, I can't thank you enough. Another question, preferred rod length and line, mono or braid for casting? Thanks again. What is a Gotcha?
A gotcha is a heavy jig plug, catches just about every kind of fish you will run into on the pier, as for rods and line its really personal preferance and depends on what kind of bait you are throwing, for xraps, i use a 7ft mh rod with 20lb mono, for gotchas, 7ft m with 12lb mono, and a reel that will hold at least 250yds of whatever lb line you use, the more line the better for when a fish makes a long run on you
I saw someone post an illustration of proper tying in regards to casting baits with steel leader, cross lock and swivels and I can't find it. If anyone reads this and can show the proper way, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks a lot
Thanks for all the great advice and knowledge. Can't wait to get there, 3 weeks and counting!
Attachment 5028 here you go, this came from pier#r when i asked the same question
So, is the 3 1/2 inch size the most popular for Spanish?