BigBendFishing.Net

Guys,

I vacationed and fished SGI for the first time last June. We had a great time, so we're headed back. I fished the Sound/Bay a good bit and mastered the mighty sailcat, but didn't light up the trout or redfish. We fished the early morning bite until about lunch each day. We used live shrimp under popping cork and gulp shrimp under popping corks. We probably caught north of 50 cats all week, but less than 10 sport fish. Any advice?

Sailcat King

Stick with what you do best.

The only way to avoid the "hardheads" is to fish with something non-smelly. My advice would be to stick with Gulps plastics or other artificial lures. You can also do pretty good on small mud minnows and small pinfish. The Cats don't bother them quite as bad.

Fish shallower (is that a word), Keep bait more active, Use gulp or other. I've found the cats to be a little deeper than the trout and reds.

They're bad over there in the warmer months. I've caught a bunch no matter what bait I used in 4+ feet of water. I agree with KYFRED.

Save the shrimp for the grill, leave the gulp at the store and buy yourself some topwater and suspending plugs. More trout and reds, Bigger trout and reds, very seldom will you see cat hit a plug. They will but seldom.

BAD BEHAVIOR wrote:Save the shrimp for the grill, leave the gulp at the store and buy yourself some topwater and suspending plugs. More trout and reds, Bigger trout and reds, very seldom will you see cat hit a plug. They will but seldom.

This from a man who sponsored the biggest SAILCAT prize in the Gulf.

Jumptrout51 wrote:

BAD BEHAVIOR wrote:Save the shrimp for the grill, leave the gulp at the store and buy yourself some topwater and suspending plugs. More trout and reds, Bigger trout and reds, very seldom will you see cat hit a plug. They will but seldom.

This from a man who sponsored the biggest SAILCAT prize in the Gulf.

Sponsored not selected

Sailcats never hit topwater plugs

I have caught a few sailcats on topwater. Caught one out of oyster bay last year on one.

spoon might slow them down or throw a net for finger mullet.

Use a top water plug if you do use a popping cork, let it set for only a few seconds at a time, you will still catch cats, but not near as many and the Trout and Reds don't mind it being active

hey man sails are gamefish and don't you forget it! that's no typical catfish. at night on the indian river they like to hit plugs at times. a couple weeks ago in sgi i got one on a g spoon. it seems to me they like the edge or a flat around a boat channel. go0 shallow it's summer

if you are on sgi and have access to the plantation either by staying there or getting there by boat you will get reds. the shore flats of the plantation leading up to bob sikes cut is you will see reds! wade along the shore line in between the docks. you can wade out about a 1/4 mile in most of it and reds are there but beware of gators. last month i got a 6lb trout on a g spoon and misses several nice fish but mostly got redfish. you can see some tails at sunrise but by late morning it's blind casting. by mid day i would fish the docks shadows.

Do you want big fish? when coming up to the bob sikes cut in a boat the last few docks at the mouth of the cut there is a rock wall and it's about 5ft right at the wall. when the tide is really moving this area is a blast. lots of reds, trout and flounder but also tarpon, cobia and jacks cruise the point right off the wall.

hardheads love the pause technique while using topwater. Reds also like it. Just be careful.

ALSO them sail cats are some mighty fine eatin they just slime up whatever ya put em in