Skyway action

[JasonGotaProblem]

I fished skyway for like 8 hours yesterday. Gotta say it was the most fun I've had not landing any fish in a while.

I went down there because it's the time of year where gulf grouper come in to 10' of water. And skyway has rock piles right off the pier.

This was my first time trying to target them while having proper heavy gear to be able to fight one. Needless to say there was a learning curve. For one, it's hard to have 3 lines out while trying to fish for big targets near structure. By the time I pick the rod up and get the drag locked down its already too late. I'll remember that for next time.

Also there's some remarkably fat dolphins down there that have figured out the technique of stealing baits off hooks and they just swim up and down the line screwing people over. Or maybe it's just one A-hole cetacean. I actually hooked one twice. Not my target of course but I wanted my hook back, so i tried to fight them. Even with the LT100 with drag down tight, they can still run.

I also decided what the heck im not landing anything maybe I'm going too heavy. So I took my BG with 20# braid, tied on some 20# flouro and a 2/0 circle hook and a split shot. Threw it out, hooked a catfish. Big deal. So i as I was retrieving the non-fighting butthole I saw a shark swim up and eat him and swim off. Well I still had the hook on so I tried to fight him, but it was 20# flouro and a 2/0 hook. It went about as well as you'd expect, but I fought him a good 2 min before the snap. I just found it funny because i had just cut off a wire leader for that experiment. Cruel irony. That would have been my success story for the day.

Still fun though.

[Keta]

Sounds like a fun trip anyway.  Our water is hard now but not hard enough to walk on to ice fish.

Have you tried using slip bobbers?

BTW,  on the first day fishing on the AT 8 day I brought 2 sharks to the boat, one 6' the other 9'.  No wire and "J" hooks but it was on a Penn International VISX16 and 80# line so I was not undergunned like you were.

[Swami805]

Sounds like a fun day regardless. Thanks for posting

[Squidh90]

I was out there the other week trying for grouper. You're right, for not catching anything it is pretty fun, except I was free lining while holding the rod.  Glad you had a good time.

[philaroman]

what's "skyway"?  ...sounds like a good place
to target flying fish w/ old Olympic tackle 

[JasonGotaProblem]

what's "skyway"?  ...sounds like a good place
to target flying fish w/ old Olympic tackle 

Sunshine skyway bridge, the dividing line between the gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay.

A fishing pier got created when a container ship plowed into the original bridge in pea soup fog in 1980 and they made a new bridge, and the system of digital highway alert signs got created in response to the 35 people who died because they had no way to warn incoming traffic that the bridge was gone.

https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/tampa-bay-marks-42-years-since-sunshine-skyway-bridge-disaster/

[JasonGotaProblem]

I was out there the other week trying for grouper. You're right, for not catching anything it is pretty fun, except I was free lining while holding the rod.  Glad you had a good time.

How much bait did you lose to dolphin? My friend thinks I'm making that part up.

[handi2]

Here off of Pensacola the Flippers steal Red Snapper right off the hook. Its a shame we have to throw back the dead ones or the shorts because then dolphin are waiting just under the boat.

[Cor]

Sounds like a great day.   I love seeing or experiencing different things while fishing, after all it is not only about catching that target species.

[oldmanjoe]

I was out there the other week trying for grouper. You're right, for not catching anything it is pretty fun, except I was free lining while holding the rod.  Glad you had a good time.

How much bait did you lose to dolphin? My friend thinks I'm making that part up.

YER  I think the pin fish got you .    Dolphins will let you keep the pin fish and sail cats , anything else is theirs .   And if by chance you get one by him and it is a shorty , he`s waiting for the throw back !!! 

[Rivverrat]

Jason, I enjoy reading fishing reports from places like you describe that I've never been too.

 Great read ... Jeff

[Squidh90]

I was out there the other week trying for grouper. You're right, for not catching anything it is pretty fun, except I was free lining while holding the rod.  Glad you had a good time.

How much bait did you lose to dolphin? My friend thinks I'm making that part up.

I lost about two or three pinfish to the dolphins. Quite a few people got robbed by flipper that day.

[Breadfan]

My sister and I fished the Skyway a few years ago, I grew up there from 66'-1980. It has to be the worlds longest fishing pier. For those who have never been, it's worth the trip. You can drive on the pier (it was a two lane bridge) and just park where you want to fish. There are actually two entrances, one on either side of the bridge. Stay the day, stay the night if you want. Lots of fun! We are thinking of going back this winter!

[JasonGotaProblem]

My sister and I fished the Skyway a few years ago, I grew up there from 66'-1980. It has to be the worlds longest fishing pier. For those who have never been, it's worth the trip. You can drive on the pier (it was a two lane bridge) and just park where you want to fish. There are actually two entrances, one on either side of the bridge. Stay the day, stay the night if you want. Lots of fun! We are thinking of going back this winter!

Ive only ever fished the south end. And most the time I don't go up on the pier itself I have a secret spot by the small bridge that used to be ultra productive (not the time before last though)

[steelfish]

that was fun, I can imagine the day you have.
thats where we really learn to adjust our way of fishing

next time you might change from fishing to catching