# finally starting to catch a couple fish



## FLnewfisher (Jan 2, 2007)

Been fishing at the ocean in palm beach with a 1 oz gotcha plug, casting into the surf. Finally caught 3 jacks over the last 2 nights.

Are there different types of jacks? What variety do we have around palm beach. Are they "horseye jacks"? What about eating them - are they any good? Any recommendations on how to cook them?


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## cpn_aaron (Apr 11, 2006)

only species within the jacks family worth eating are pompano and permit. All the others make great live/dead baits and fun to catch on a rod and release. If you can get some live fingerling mullet, you might catch some really big ones. I've been hitting the beaches using fingerlings for flounder and catching big 15#ers regularly. They can definately take out some line on a smaller flounder rigged rod.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

cpn_aaron said:


> only species within the jacks family worth eating are pompano and permit. All the others make great live/dead baits and fun to catch on a rod and release. If you can get some live fingerling mullet, you might catch some really big ones. I've been hitting the beaches using fingerlings for flounder and catching big 15#ers regularly. They can definately take out some line on a smaller flounder rigged rod.


how are you rigging that?


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## cpn_aaron (Apr 11, 2006)

I'm simply making a single drop loop rig one very large loop (~4-5") about 6" from where I attach teh sinker. It allows the little fishy to swim circles around the weight, but close to the bottom. I use 50 lb big game mono for abrasion resistance and it helps keep my drop loops to stand away from the sinker portion. I usually add a few red beads on teh loop too to attract the fish eye. I was using much reduced mono leader size (30# Ande), but those blues and jacks tore the rigs up so fast I was lucky to get 2 fish caught per rig. The way the action has been, I've been bringing from 40-50 fingerlings I catch the eveing before and just weed through the jacks adn blues waiting for something new. We've had minimal success with flatties lately, but we did get a few big reds who couldn't resist that sturggling morsel.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

nice report
thanks


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## patindaytona (Jun 17, 2006)

*Single Drop Loop*

Do you think a single drop loop would also be very effective at a jetty also? I've always used the sliding sinker rig.


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## cpn_aaron (Apr 11, 2006)

it couldn't hurt. Anytime I fish the jetties I use the sliding sinker rig like you. Every once in a while when the whiting or spot are thick I use a double drop rig on a jetty just to get more bait in the water to try for more fish. Also the double drop gave me more chances to catch the fish by reducing the rebaiting.
What I like about that single drop rig like that is it reduces the movement of your mullet. Sometimes they can move a sliding sinker around the bottom, but a nice pyramid or other terminal type of sinker tends to keep them right where they were tossed. I also noticed fewer line wrap ups since the mullet can't swim back up my leader towards the mainline.


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## patindaytona (Jun 17, 2006)

*Rigs*

I'm thinking since the slide sinker rig falls into the crevasses of the rocks, a drop loop might help keep the bait more up and out of those places where the fish can see the bait a little easier.


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## cpn_aaron (Apr 11, 2006)

seems like sound logic to me. It's all about that presentation.


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## derekxec (Apr 26, 2006)

jack crevelle is the norm here in palm beach but occasionally you get pomps and bar jack


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## FLnewfisher (Jan 2, 2007)

here is a pic of what I have been catching. Is this a jack crevelle?


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## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

yeah thats a crevalle. Goliath groupah bait that is.

This thread got hijacked before anybody even said, "way to go buddy."


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## rhorm (Mar 25, 2005)

Crevelle Jack indeed I call em yellowtails. Man they are a blast to fight on light gear. :beer:


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## derekxec (Apr 26, 2006)

get a 10lber and keep it alive hit up just about any bridge over the ICW here and youll more than likely catch a jewfish


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## rhorm (Mar 25, 2005)

derekxec said:


> get a 10lber and keep it alive hit up just about any bridge over the ICW here and youll more than likely catch a jewfish


Make sure you eat a few powerbars and drink a redbull prior to doing this.


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## cpn_aaron (Apr 11, 2006)

and tie yourself off against your car if it's a large car. If you own a compact car, tie yourself to a tree.


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## jettypark28 (Jun 23, 2006)

*you don't*

have to worry about this unless you have the gear for them they snap 20lb line when they turn, if you are lucky. And our 80lb braid on a spinning reel, wasnt even a match. I am just glad it wasnt my reel, if you cast one of these over the bridge and see this big brown thing swim up to it....CUT THE LINE>>> and drink a few:beer: :beer: this will be alot easy on the reel and your nerves...LOL...the first time it happen to me....i was like what the   and then the guys told me. But was funny was when one of the guys was bringing in about a tenlb snook and the damn thing swim in and eat it too  now that was funny  laugh at me   oh and please dont go over there with heavy gear, cause we will be hearing about you being drag off...heh, heh...i agree tie yourselve off to the bridge or just hand the pole to your good friend  and yell hold on


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## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

jettypark28 said:


> oh and please dont go over there with heavy gear, cause we will be hearing about you being drag off...heh, heh...i agree tie yourselve off to the bridge or just hand the pole to your good friend  and yell hold on


Don't listen to JP, goliath fishing is the stuff. if you really get into fishing from shore, bridges, piers, you're going to have to try it some day. You'll never look at those itty bitty jacks the same way


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## derekxec (Apr 26, 2006)

haha yeah take some creatine and you could hit up a body building comp.


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