BigBendFishing.Net

Jury is still out on where the Spanish are.
I did catch a few big ones late last week but that's all.
???
When I actually target Spanish what I want is mayhem.
That's seeing 10,000+, catching 90, and keeping 10 that are 25 inches or bigger.
All of them blazing rockets racing to get to my topwater first.

What's the best topwater to use for catching mackeral? (name/make?). I read a few posts about the shoals...is that the really clear water with the white sand a little ways out west of the lighthouse? Thanks!

The Shoal is about 12 miles from the Lighthouse and just a bit shorter from Panacea.

I saw some Spanish during the week of the July 4th around the Dog Island Reef. They were scattered and didn't come in until the wind finally shifted to come out of the South. They were both inside the reef and beyond the reef, however there was really no predictability to them and did not have the mayhem catching them that we used to in years past. We did find a couple of nice Kings about 5 miles SW of the DI Reef though, caught on stretches.

A little late on this reply but I also have not seen the Spanish this year in force. East pass has been slack(SGI) compared to last year. However last week I went to the West Pass (SGI) to fish for Tarpon and there were more birds than I have ever seen along the SGI beach along with Spanish, Blues and of course Ladyfish. There must have been fish for a least 1/2 mile. Tide was going out. We couldn't resist and caught a bunch until our spoons ran out. They were so thick that you couldn't fish until they thinned because they would cut you off up your line. Maybe they just moved west this year.

I agree, not the first time I've heard they were not at the East end. That area is usually the honey hole from March to October. I've always had luck just off the beach at SGI trolling, but I'm like Littoral, not much excitement doing that (no offense to the offshore guys). Next time I go the SGI I'll probably take the yak past the sandbar and throw a spoon. If I'm lucky, I'll find a school of baitfish.

Back in the hunt at DI Shoal Thursday, 7/25. I found there were some 30's there.
I tied on the big Chug Bug this evening. Report tomorrow evening.

Nope. Can't figure them this year. We worked the entire Shoal as well as the south and northeast sides of Dog Island & found no Spanish. A few 20 inch trout, blues, and ladyfish.

DI Shoal 8/1
The birds finally helped. Mostly blues but plenty of Spanish to 25".
Caught 100 fish.

ive been fishing every other weekend for a couple of months and ive caught one in front of the lighthouse on spotty bottom.. it was on a slack tide and nothing else was biting.. he was about 20" and was delicious..