Ladyfish In The Shallows

Although I've only been fishing a couple of days since my return from Mobile, Alabama, the ladyfish in the shallows have been killing topwater baits and spoons.

Although my target species has been gator sea trout, the ladyfish bite has been phenomenal.   In most areas the fish have been picking off my baits before the trout can get to my lures.

Yesterday I hooked, landed, and released at least a dozen ladyfish in the 18" to 25" category around the Gator Creek flats and Catfish Creek Loop.   

Large schools of ladyfish were cruising just off the shallows along the dropoffs and busting on glass minnows and small fingerling mullet.

The wind made long casts difficult, but when I could get a bait close to the action, I was getting a hookup or multiple hits on almost every cast.

The culvert into Gator Creek was out of the wind and was relatively flat.  I managed two ladyfish on a Chug Bug before the fish were put down.

Because of the windy conditions, most of the fish were caught on a gold Johnson's silver minnow.    I had been initially using a Chug Bug but I kept missing fish with short strikes.

Towards dusk, I switched over to a D.O.A. silver and black bait buster smeared up with some Pro-Cure and briefly hooked into a big sea trout that hit the bait right at the bank.

The fish was in the 30" category and was so big that it just sloshed around when it got hooked. 

I lost the fish because I acted like a novice and set the hook when I had no reason to.  The fish was already solidly hooked up and all I did was pull it loose.

Anyway, that was the only sea trout I had any luck with yesterday.

I caught a couple more ladyfish after losing the sea trout before calling it a day and heading home.

Thinking about targeting tarpon tomorrow.

Till next time,

Tight lines.