# Livebait



## jettypark28

I have notice alot of newies not taking the time to learn to catch thier own livebait I know the easy way is to use lures and other fake baits out there. Some might not agree with me, but livebait will outfish anything else out there Period!!! And learning how to catch them isnt that hard..but it isnt that easy. Like anything else you have to put time into it, buying a castnet is great. But if you don't how or where to throw one...then it's just a big sinker If you want to catch more and bigger fish. Then you have to learn how to catch bait...and be able to keep them alive also. I perfer to catch my livebait with a mirco setup...tiny hook, tiny sinker..and small bait. I also carry my castnet and make chumball the night before. These i just cast into spots around boatramps...wait awhile then come back and cast over the spot...sometimes two cast is all i need to fill my buckets...Again you invest time in what reels to buy, what pole,line, sinkers and so on...but forget the one major thing...how to catch and keep bait alive...If any of the old salts have tricks of catching and keeping bait alive...I am sure most of the newie would love to read about them...I would also like to know what some of you guys do to catch live bait...thanks for any info


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## Surf Fish

Well, let's see... 

Mud Minnows - catch them in a cast net, or in a minnow trap. Best bait in the minnow trap is a crushed blue crab. Keep them at home in 120 qt cooler with a 330 gallon per hour filter and four air stones from an aerator. Tote them around in a five gallon bucket, with a battery powered aerator. Very easy to keep alive. Good bait for flounder and trout. Don't put live shrimp or small crabs in the same bucket with mud minnows; the mud minnows will eat them. 










Finger Mullet - catch them in a cast net. Can keep a dozen or so (4" or smaller) alive in a five gallon bucket with plenty of aeration, and a water change every few hours. If their noses start to turn red, you have too many in the bucket, or not enough aerator running. Keep the bucket out of the sun. Water changes very important. If they get hot, they croak. Hard to keep alive in the bait cooler. Good for flounder, trout, reds. If they expire, freeze them and use for cut bait later. If you catch big ones (12" or so), fillet them and freeze the fillets. Frozen mullet is the main bait I use to catch just about anything. Mullet that's been in the freezer for a year still works great for bait.

Sand Fleas - dig them up on the beach with a shovel and a bucket. Keep them in a tuperware container in the cooler, flush them off with salt water a couple times a day. Good for whiting, pompano, sheepshead.

Pin fish, pig fish, small spot - catch them with a Sabiki rig. Transport the same as mullet, a little easier to keep alive than mullet are, but not as easy as mud minnows. Will stay alive in the bait cooler for a few days. Good for flounder, big trout, and reds.

Fiddler Crabs - chase them around on the sand near the marsh at low tide and pick them up. Keep them in a bucket of damp (not wet) sand, and feed them corn meal. They stay alive a long time (months); mist the sand with a spray bottle every day. Good for sheepshead.

Blue Crabs - catch them in a crab trap, or wind them in real slow when they grab a baited line. Keep them in a dry bucket, covered with a wet towel, out of the sun. Good for red drum and black drum. Also good for mud minnow bait.

Shrimp - catch them in a cast net. Unfortunately, in the part of Florida I live in, it's against the law to catch live shrimp in creeks that feed the major rivers, so I have to throw them all back. Don't have a boat, so I can't catch them in the river, where it's legal. Good for flounder, trout, reds. Keep in aerated bucket, and keep the bucket out of the sun. Change the water a couple times a day. If they get hot, they croak. 

Kittens - I don't catch these, I get them at the dog pound. Keep them in a cardboard box, feed them canned cat food. Good for sharks, very active when they hit the water, but very difficult to cast, even with a extra heavy custom heaver. Make sure you have the bipolar stainless steel N-S-E-W magnets in your 525MAG and the Black Rocket Fuel Oil on your teflon bearings before you try and heave one. Always wear gloves if you yak them out for bait; if they get wet, they get nasty...


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## jettypark28

*Great post*

surf...I know to some of us it seems kind of silly to repeat our selves at times. But you wouldnt belive how many newie i run into. That don't understand how much livebait can make them a better fisherman. And don't even know how to catch or keep them alive....We all have our own ways of catching bait...Mullet> i castnet them but only if they are there...If you don't see the bait DON'T blindcast. Pinfish,pigfish,spots and other small baitfish> I catch them with small hook and small sinker(i dont use any sak rigs) and it really doesnt take me long at all..I also castnet them...but i freeze chumballs up the night before and throw them into the areas I am going to castnet...then just wait alittle while and come back and throw the castnet right over the spot...sometimes two casts is all i need....crabs and fiddercrabs i do the same as surf....Shrimp> I only use jumbo shrimp during the Snook run...so i break down and buy these but if i don't catch anything...I take them home and eat them up later I really don't target flounder,trout,sheephead....i am more into fighting bigfish...I know i have been spoiled fishing on the gulf LOL...but i like helping newies they are what keep our sport going...so if we can give them a hand in anyway possible. This will ensure more fishermen in the coming years, I know is has been said before...and alot of you can relate to this...But i am glad my dad always has time to take me fishing... so keep the tips coming for these guys and gals


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## cpn_aaron

Man, where was this post when I first started fishing parts of FL years ago. I learned to do what you do with the cooler after many heartbreaking early morning fishing starts to find my live baits had materialized as deadbaits. I usually use a 120 gal aquarium rated aerator for my air hose attachments to the cooler. It allows me to create a literal fish jacuzzi that has allowed me to pack in 2 1/2 dozen 10" pins in my 120 qt cooler for a good weekend's worth of sharking. I just change the water once a day. So when I come back one day from fishing I bring a cooler filled with fresh IRL or sea water to fill another 10 gal of fresh water to keep them going for the next day. Then again any dead ones frozen and butterlied on site make killer deadbaits for sharks or grouper (if you can steal away on a boat to hit an offshore reef). Try to get the biggest aquarium pump you can because it allows you to aerate multiple coolers. My pump can easily aerate my 120 and 60 qt coolers. This allows me to keep multiple species ready for trips without any tom foolery (like large pins and mud minnows in the same cooler).


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## jettypark28

*Good point*

(CPN AAron) I hope that the newies read this and listen to what some of the guys have to say. We have all learn thru mistakes, and i am hoping this add more fishing time, and less being upset about not catching fish. Dead bait does work, and we all use it. But learning the art of catching and keeping bait alive. Will add more enjoyment to fishing to everyone in the famliy. Hell my GF was my bait catcher for a long time, and her friends love to do it too. It's quick and simple to do....and this is a great way to get kids to love fishing too. For the newies Aquarium aerator work great for keeping your bait alive. I also do this, Don't forget your bait will need alot of air and space(if you have alot of bait break them up) Change the water, and another thing that i do before i call it a night...is put a small bag of ice in the buckets This will cool down the water. Just dont let that water mix with the saltwater that your fish are in..You wouldnt belive how lively your bait will be in the morning. And when you get to your fishing spot start adding water to your bucket of bait. But not all at once....sometimes if you change the water to fast on your bait. It shock them too much..cause the water might be too cold or to hot...so do alittle and if you see your bait doing well then go ahead and change all the water. Again learning to catching and keeping your bait alive will improve your fishing period!!! and next time you watching that guy next to you catching fish, and you are wondering why. I bet you anything he is using livebait


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## jettypark28

*bait run*

well we coming into our months of so much bait in the water that you can walk over them And i know there is going to be questions like why would a biggame fish hit my dead smelly bait when there is much live bait in the water You are right they won't!!! oh you will get some hits...But no where near the amount that livebaiters will be getting. Even using livebait during this time...doesnt mean you will catch fish. Your bait has to do something that the other bait in the water isnt doing. I sometimes clip the fins on my mullets or other baitfish. also hooking them in other parts of the body(baitfish) helps. Some like to hook them thru the eyes, and other places..again please share any tips that you do during the mullet run to score...Keep expanding your horizons and never be afraid to try new tacties and techniques.....


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## bigphil

Man there is a lot of useful info in this post (might deserve to be tacked).

I didn't realize the importance of fresh bait until a few months back. I got a cast net for christmas and learned to through it in Feb. I've encountered the occasional time its been tough to net up some bait, but that has become part of it. Catching bait, is part of the fishing trip. Sometimes I try to go the night or day before and load up on something. When I have bait that dies I throw it in a ziploc, throw some salt on it and freeze it. A lot of times I use that frozen to get me started on days I'm throwing the castnet and dont have anything live. I have noticed that my frozen bait works 10 times better than any frozen commercial stuff I've ever used.

To keep mine alive during fishing I throw it in a 5 gallon bucket that has a bunch of 1" or so holes drilled in it. I usually take a solid bucket also, for transporting and drop in a battery operated aerator. The bucket with the holes works better off a pier or bridge. Just have a rope attached to the handle and I drop it down and pull it up as needed. It's a little more challenging to keep it in water in the surf as it tends to start rolling around and getting too shallow.

I'm fixing to get a minnow trap to catch mud minnows. I've scoped out several potential places to drop it the day before and collect bait. I caught finger mullet the first time this weekend, and was catching fish and getting bites every cast. That was with live ones and using what was left on the hook after releasing the fish.


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## jettypark28

*Phil*

I did the same thing...but only went halfway down the bucket (adding holes) and glued some weights down in the bucket...also put holes in the lid...this way the bucket sat upright. And the top of bucket with all the holes...kept water rushing in...and adding more air to the bait. And all this takes is a drill and some time. I also added larger holes...depending on what size bait you are going to keep. Guys keep adding to this, i am sure some of you have alot more tips...And for the newies....everyone of the tips that on this thread do work..If you start cutting corners you will lose before you even start fishing. Learn as much as you can, and you will start enjoying fishing even more.....But fishing like anything else takes time to learn. But if you are happy with what you are doing..Then great. But if you are wondering why other guys can catch bigfish wherever they go...It's because they have put the time in. Livebait is the first step towards catching more fish and bigger fish. Also this thread is for asking any question you might have about catching bait.....as long as you try something first. Then ask away...the only dumb question is the one you won't ask


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## KodiakZach

Me and my buds use 2 standard $20 aerators on our 5 gallon bucket to keep our shrimpies alive. I normally buy my shrimp if it's available just to save the hassle of having to catch it. Even still, when the shrimp shortages happen, or when you want other bait like menhaden, mud minnows, and mullet (3m's), then it sure helps to know how and where to throw your cast net.

That said, live bait is key for targeting certain species of **quality** fish. I cannot emphasize that enough. It really comes down to a 3 step process:

1.) When you show up at your fishing area, you have to ANALYZE THE AREA to see what's needed to catch fish. This depends on a variety of factors like: what's been hitting in the area, what fish do you see in the area now, how clear or dirty is the water, what is the water temp, what bait is in the water getting eaten, what is the current doing, etc..

2.) Decide (based your answers to # 1) WHICH FISH you are going to TARGET.

3.) MATCH your bait to the species. For example, say you decide to:

--> Target sheepshead because you saw some in the water = Sandfleas or Fiddlers (live preferrably, but dead work)

--> Target Flounder = Mud Minnows, Shrimp or Finger Mullet (but always live)

--> Black Drum = Peeled Shrimp

--> Snook = live whitebait

and so on and so on......

But knowing how to *ANALYZE, TARGET, and MATCH* your bait is really the key here folks.

P.S. I think the term you are looking for is NEWBIE, not newie


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## jettypark28

*Damn it*

I alway spell something wrong...thanks for pointing that out...Newbies. Also thanks for your great input. I am a Newbie when it comes to fishing in other places....but as long as you follow some of this great infor. Fishing will become alot more rewarding. keep adding your own little tips you have learn thru the years.


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## patindaytona

*Day or Night Bait*

Since daytime fishing lends itself more toward visibility bait such as live, would it be better suited to used something that smells(cutbait) during nighttime fishing? Or do the fish see a live bait just as well during the night? Aren't some baits such as cut bait more suitable to some fish that go by smell?(red drum)


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## patindaytona

*Using Dead Mullet*

With the dead mullet, how do you use them? Finger mullets..do you cut them up or put them on whole and use them like that?


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## cavjock58

*reds on mullet*

i too am a newbie to the florida fishing scene and wanted to thank the guys here for all the usefull tips. finally got myself a cast net and scouted out an empty marina just off the bay bridge in okaloosa. needless to say i had my fill of mullet in two or three casts. went out to the okaloosa pier and about 4:30pm hooked up on an awsome 40+ incher. most of the guys were on lures or cut bait of some sort and having marginal success. later that night my brother hooked up on another red using the same. keep the tips coming.


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## KodiakZach

Pat, duuuuuuuude, I don't know how many times I gotta tell you, use live shrimp. You seem fascinated with dead cut bait for some reason, but take away what everyone on this thread is telling you... LIVE BAIT CATCHES FISH!

And to answer your question and I think I've posted it a thousand time, use live bait at night around structure like bridge pilings, dock pilings, etc.. that have LIGHT and CURRENT. Rig light and let your bait float naturally.


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## jettypark28

*Pat*

we will go to dead bait or cutbait in another thread....let keep the questions to livebait. "Cavjock" great catch and first time casting a net....that really good. Livebait will catch more and bigger fish day or night PERIOD!!! i know they are some that will disagree with this statement. And i agree with you to a point I use my share of lures and deadbait and have caught fish doing both. But for the newbies that are just starting out, and don't know how to jig, or where to cast around bridges and many other tricks with lures and cutbait. Starting out with livebait is the way to go...it keep it simple to a point. Most of us are fishing from shore, but this will work for boaters too. And for anybody that uses one of the tips here or have used one in the past. Let us know how it work for you, and what you did to improve on it....again just livebait...deadbait will be next...


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## cpn_aaron

*using 12" mullet*

If you're a yakoholic (had to borrow CDog's word from yak thread) and love big pulls you have to get large mullet. Mullet can be hardy when compared to some live baits but keeping LARGE mullet alive throughout a trip is difficult as they die from stress and wastes in a confined space (5 gal to ~30 qt cooler) within 15-30 min at the longest. I learned through experience that a nice 60 qt cooler with TWO aerators out on the beach works wonders for keeping them alive. I've kept them alive for a full 8 hrs of fishing. However, I did change the water a 5 gal bucket or two every once and a while. Those live baits made the difference between large sharks versus hungry 3 fters


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## jettypark28

*if*

you are going somewhere new and it is getting alot of fishing pressure. It maybe hard to get bait, I try to bring alot Pinfish with me. It seem like everything hit these guys and they last a long time. But you still have to take care of them, One of the main things that will kill your bait is heat!! So if you have a couple of dozen and you want to keep them alive....Break them up into two or more buckets. Also a good idea to take some saltwater from the place you got the bait in another bucket....And once you are on your way Add ice bags to all the buckets, put the ice in some ziplock bag so the melting ice won't get into your bait. (this will kill them) and again once you get to where ever you are fishing. Change water but not too fast and if you are fishing there for awhile Keep cooling down the water and keep changing the water. This alone will keep your bait lively.....It sucks to get somewhere New, and not be able to catch bait. At least this way you still can fish without worrying about bait..If there is bait there go ahead and catch and use that also. And sometimes when the water is full of mullets and you throw in a big oh pinfish You will be hit. I belive if the water is loaded with one baitfish and you throw something else....You will get hit. At least this works for Snooks


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## jettypark28

*Ways to catch baitfish*

Castnet, Sabiki rig, fishtrap......Out of these the Sabike rig and single hook setup is the best way to go. why?? because the CASTNET knocks off scales and puts to much stress on baitfish. Fishtraps is another good way. (And you can build your own) I will start with the Sabiki rig and single hook setup. I pefer the single hook because from shore you can cast this anywhere. The Sabiki rig has to be drop down into the water from the dock or seawall....and so on. Also with the Sabiki rig if you catch one good size baitfish he will make a mess out of your rig (it doesnt happen alot, thats just the way i feel) Tip the hooks on the sabiki rigs with squid (Squid is pretty tough and last three to four hits without adding) If you are on the dock or whatever....throw little pieces of squid, shrimp... this is chum...another chum that i use is just a can of catfood (cheap) and i use a spoon and throw out a few spoonful. This will bring the baitfish closer together right at your feet. Just drop you sabiki rig (tipped with squid) into the water...Now if you are in a area that you can't use sabiki, the single hook and really small weight will take care of that....Now if i am stress for time........this is where i pull out the castnet and throw right over the area i have been throwing chum in. And only do this if you are in a hurry if you have time, then stay with the Sabiki and single hook. Your baitfish will last alot longer and be more jumpy. I know the only way to catch Mullet is with a castnet....What i do with a castnet is after you bring it in...Try to keep the nest off the ground and walk it over to your bucket and open the bottom of the net right over the bucket. And let the baitfish fall right in, (this isnt hard) Do this with mullet and they will last alot longer. And don't forget if you drop mullet into your bucket, put the lid on right away or the mullet will jump out. Fishtrap are good also...and feeling that most of you are newbies, you guys won't be using a fishtrap. So i will touch on that at a later date. Chum ...I mix catfood or regular (cheap) tuna fish with corn meal...This spreads pretty good and the bite size cornmeal keep them around.....What do you older guys use for chum ???


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## TreednNC

Surf Fish said:


> Kittens - I don't catch these, I get them at the dog pound. Keep them in a cardboard box, feed them canned cat food. Good for sharks, very active when they hit the water, but very difficult to cast, even with a extra heavy custom heaver. Make sure you have the bipolar stainless steel N-S-E-W magnets in your 525MAG and the Black Rocket Fuel Oil on your teflon bearings before you try and heave one. Always wear gloves if you yak them out for bait; if they get wet, they get nasty...


_Tiger_ shark bait? lame, yes yes, thats why I still work a day job

Although, on a more serious note...they do work quite well, in the huge live traps with a cage within the trap to put live bait (typically white pidgeons, chickens, ect...), for coyotes. I always knew they had a use.


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## jettypark28

*Seeing*

That i am up here in KY...(softball tournament) I can keep up with what you guys are doing (laptop) And what the hell, it is cold up here..... "Hooking your bait".....There are some spots you can hook your bait to make it swim deep, or stay on top....Mullet I like hooking them thru the throat...and once you cast him..tap him..this will make him run deeper, also hooking in the butt will force him to swim away from you and also run deeper. If you want the bait to swim regular...Hook him thru the top lip, or top of his body...Don't forget the bigger the bait the harder you have to hit him to pull the hook thru the bait body and into him..pinfish,pigfish....will swim deep so you really don't have to do anything to them...Shrimp should be hooked very careful, you don't want to hook him thru the body at all, This will kill him. Shrimp will swim to the bottom on his own time(thats a good thing)...and he will also go crazy when he see a gamefish coming toward him...You will feel the taps...Most of the time when a gamefish pickup your shrimp..You won't feel the bite...You may feel a tap on your line. But what happen most time your line will go slack..then it will start moving...This is where you reel down into the fish (slowly) Then hit him, Yes being a 30pound snook or redfish will just inhale that shrimp and your won't even feel it...A good habit to get into is keep a finger on your line at all time...this way you can feel what is going on....Also keep you eye on your line in the water....sometime you will see the line start moving and you never felt it...Doing this will work with all kinds of bait....When you have learn how to fish with livebait you will see alot more action....I know most of you are New to this and it does take some time to learn, and buy the things you need....I fish with a five gallon bucket and air pump..for years. And it work fine for me, but wanting to carry more bait. I have gone from D batterys to 12 volt..to bigger livewell...Take time to care for your livebait....And you will start catching bigger fish


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## beachbum69

*live bait*

i love to use the live bait.i use mostly mud minnows or finger mullet for flounder.i just about always use my castnet,but i was wondering what some of you guys use as a chumball. i have never used one,but would like to try if anyone would tell me how. thanks in advance


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## jettypark28

*chumballs*

get cans of cheap tunafish some cornmeal...mash up the tuna pretty good...roll it into the cornmeal..Into really "Tight" balls about the size of golfballs...making sure they are pretty tight..this way no air will stay in them...and freeze them. When you go to your area just throw them where you are going to cast your net...wait a little while or walk to other spots and do the same thing...then come back to your first spot and throw your castnet. What happen is the baitfish start hitting the chumball and it breakup..bringing more bait..and the cornmeal also spreads pretty good and this draw them into a tight area...thats where your castnet come in....Don't forget make the chumballs Tight..and get all the air out or they will float....try this before you go out...after you have frozen them..throw one in a pot of water and make sure it sinks...if it does then you are ready to go...if it doesnt ...do it again..but right this time trust me this does work..and sometimes it only takes two throws to get all your bait....good luck


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## jettypark28

*castnetting*

This is a really big part of livebait...And if you want to keep improving. You will have to learn to master this I guess for me it's not hard because i learn at a very young age. And i know this has been a nightmare for some people. One of the biggest tip i can give you is......Buy a really good net Yes you will spend well over $100, but it will pay for itself really fast. The really good nets open almost at will. (almost) You still need to learn some basic to throwing a net. The Cheap nets (wal-mark,k-mark) have their place...if you want to throw over rocks,under docks, and around pilings.. the cheap ones are good here. Why?? because you don't want to go swimming for your net when it gets caught up in some rocks...(I have)... Now once you got your net learn, how to throw it...(WWW.calusa.com) has a pretty good tape on it. I know some will say buy cheap and learn with that..I would rather buy a good net, and put the $30 or $40 dollars towards that. Practice,Practice and then Practice some more. Now once you learn this.....It time to catch bait...Don't BLIND cast You will wear yourselve out and hate it really fast. Make sure you see the bait, when ever you throw the net...unless you are using chumballs. Then you just cast on that spot. Also make sure to lead your bait, then cast on them....Learn to see bait signs, watch for that ripple on top. Look around docks and boat ramps...And for godsakes don't go stomping all over the dock dropping your net down on it...Baitfish feel and see you..so you have to learn to sneak up on them early morning and later in the day. Are the best time for throwing you castnet...Why?? because baitfish see the net coming, and will swim off. If you have some kind of chum throw it out and wait them cast over it....You will be amased on what you can catch...Once you have thrown the castnet and got BAIT Don't drag them around on the ground...Pick the net up, and try to open it above your bucket or livewell...That's right try not to touch your bait....(They will last alot longer) Take care of your net...and it will last a long time.....Okay guys add your tips and infor on castnets....has with anything else, make sure on what kind of bait you will want to catch...and get a net around that..


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## dvsm0479

*Wow*



jettypark28 said:


> surf...I know to some of us it seems kind of silly to repeat our selves at times. But you wouldnt belive how many newie i run into. That don't understand how much livebait can make them a better fisherman. And don't even know how to catch or keep them alive....We all have our own ways of catching bait...Mullet> i castnet them but only if they are there...If you don't see the bait DON'T blindcast. Pinfish,pigfish,spots and other small baitfish> I catch them with small hook and small sinker(i dont use any sak rigs) and it really doesnt take me long at all..I also castnet them...but i freeze chumballs up the night before and throw them into the areas I am going to castnet...then just wait alittle while and come back and throw the castnet right over the spot...sometimes two casts is all i need....crabs and fiddercrabs i do the same as surf....Shrimp> I only use jumbo shrimp during the Snook run...so i break down and buy these but if i don't catch anything...I take them home and eat them up later I really don't target flounder,trout,sheephead....i am more into fighting bigfish...I know i have been spoiled fishing on the gulf LOL...but i like helping newies they are what keep our sport going...so if we can give them a hand in anyway possible. This will ensure more fishermen in the coming years, I know is has been said before...and alot of you can relate to this...But i am glad my dad always has time to take me fishing... so keep the tips coming for these guys and gals


Great advice from you and others in this thread, thanks.

Those chumballs, I assume that you use those in the inlets and backwaters, because I would think they would get washed away in the surf too quickly, right?

Also, can you castnet anything right off the beach? I'm pretty good at throwing a net, but I've always done it from a boat catching shad. I'd imagine it would be more difficult to catch a faster moving fish when you are throwing from a less elevated position.

I was also wondering what size hook you use to catch your bait. Do they need to be smaller than bream hooks? And when you say a small piece of split shot, do you want it down on the bottom or just enough to get your bait down in the water column a little bit?


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## F I LetsGoFishin

*Against The Law ???????*



Surf Fish said:


> Well, let's see...
> 
> 
> Shrimp - catch them in a cast net. Unfortunately, in the part of Florida I live in, it's against the law to catch live shrimp in creeks that feed the major rivers, so I have to throw them all back. Don't have a boat, so I can't catch them in the river, where it's legal. Good for flounder, trout, reds. Keep in aerated bucket, and keep the bucket out of the sun. Change the water a couple times a day. If they get hot, they croak.
> 
> ...


Ok i know this is an old thread but somebody else brought it up and I caught this reply.
Is this a nassau law that i am not aware of or are you just refering to the months of April and May cause it would mean I,ve been a criminal most of my life if this affects more than nassau and part of life at that.


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## chilehead2

*chum*

I like jackmackerel or cheap sardines in slid oil sometime at big lots for 3 4 a $ jack mac under 1$ in winn dix. I use sand and mix it with the juices in the cans. The frezzzing sounds like a gud idea. but never have tried that. I broad cast lose wet chum to bring in bait closser to me . as the bait becomes more concentrated, I squeeze the chum nearly dry which forms a tight ball that hold moderately together as it sinks. Then I toss a small ball not as dry and this letts the chum break up a bit faster. then I make my cast. If Im fishing surf, I leave the bait in the net in the water and take out what i need each cast. this sseems to work ok. Chumming works for white baits, pins and pigs, grunts and sand bream.
Hope theres a fish under all your casts


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## rhorm

Very good thread jetty!! Glad it got revived!! but, arties IMHO aren't a easy way out by no means. It's a different world completely and you have to get the presentation just right.  That said I would still say live bait is more effective and newies should learn to take advantage. :beer:


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## F I LetsGoFishin

dvsm0479 said:


> Great advice from you and others in this thread, thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> Also, can you castnet anything right off the beach? I'm pretty good at throwing a net, but I've always done it from a boat catching shad. I'd imagine it would be more difficult to catch a faster moving fish when you are throwing from a less elevated position.
> 
> column a little bit?


Here in NE FL mullet and other bait fish are common in the surf though more so during the fall run but still available at many other times espesialy at low tide near the mouths of runouts.
I prefer a small net in the 4ft range as it is light and can be thrown with speed and You will have to take the egrets aproch to stalking slowly in shallow water but take care not to disturb the bottom too much as the will panic your prey. 
A good pair of polarized glasses are very helpful in cutting the surface glare and being able to see the bait. over time you will adapt to seeing the surface disturbance of the schools and how to lead them when trowing the net. 
When netting bait in shallow water, Speed is the key as just lobbing an open net will alow the fish time to move out from under it.


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## jettypark28

*Two types*

of chum balls....sand chum mix/frozen oatmeal chum balls  I use the sand chum balls, for whitebait on top and if the water is deep, when you are doing this the bait will come up and eat the mix in the chum. And the more they hit it the more it break up. At this time you throw some more sand over the area you plan to cast over. This will hide the net from the bait fish, once you cast...let the net sink as the baitfish will return to the spot and get themselve back under the net (Trust me) OH!! always know what is at the bottom, before you cast your net!!!. "Frozen chum balls" are used more around boat ramps and docks where the water isnt that deep. These go straight to the bottom, and the baitfish will hit them breaking them up, and bringing more baitfish in tighter together...I really don't wait that long, i walk down the ramps tossing the chumballs..Then get back to the first one and cast my net, and move on to the other ones. And no i don't use chumball at the surf, i try to have my bait before i get there If you are after "Mullets" don't waste your time with chumball....Mullets don't care about them You have to hunt these guys down best time for catching bait in nets....low light (early morning/late afternoon) we will be getting into our baitrun pretty soon, That means alot of big fish will be at the surf and if you have "Live Baitfish" You might hook up to a huge "Tarpon,Snook,kingfish,Sharkopcorn: and anything else that is chasing them.....hopefully i will be at the condo again at Cocoa beach.....I will be the one with the Uglystiks and shimano baitrunner.....  :fishing:


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