Cedar Key kings & macs: Saturday 4/30
Posted: May 7th, 2016, 7:50 am
Wahoo! Finally no soccer games this weekend and we can finally go to Cedar Key! Plus we’re taking a break from the hogs……On top of this the Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club was having their annual Cobia & Mac tournament and we were gonna get to play with some old Gainesville friends. So Friday afternoon the kids & I headed over to CK to do some near shoring trolling for macs and maybe find a cobia. Our 19 foot Whaler Plan B hadn’t been run for a while so we were all looking forward to this.
Saturday morning on the way out we saw Spanish macks jumping in the channel so we quickly trolled 2 lines for about 5 minutes but no takers. On the way out we also hit a few markers for cobia but no one was around either. Heading west we followed a line of stone crab pots but didn’t see any tripletail. In 24 feet we ran into the first bait pods and started here. Within 10 minutes we had the first king.
It’s always girls first so………
This fish wouldn’t come to the boat and we knew it wasn’t large so we figured it was fowl hooked…which it was… underneath & behind the throat. Fishing small wire and thin hooks Kaitlyn took her time bringing it in.
From here we tried to get some live bait but did not have the heavier pogy net so that didn’t work.
Casey’s king on a small lure
Pretty lil gag
Kaitlyn getting a bit irritated of my photo taking…………
2nd king for Kaitlyn
With three small kings on board we ran over to Sea Horse Reef to try & pick up some bigger Spanish by trolling but we only managed a number of ladyfish and one Spanish. There were quite a few boats on the reef though. As were bait pods in 12 – 17 feet.
Running back in we hit a number of markers in both the SW and NW channels but didn’t find any takers.
Some of the fish
It was a great day on the water! Trolling we caught 8 species; black seabass, lizardfish, gag, Spanish, kingfish, ladyfish, a blue runner and a leatherjacket. Water temp was 77 degrees and on the outgoing tide there was no surface weed which made for trouble free trolling. Four or 5 hours later a friend was in the same area and said the surface grass made it impossible for trolling. On the way back we ran a line of stone trap pots again but didn’t find any tripletails.
Awesome day on the water with the kids!
Brian
Saturday morning on the way out we saw Spanish macks jumping in the channel so we quickly trolled 2 lines for about 5 minutes but no takers. On the way out we also hit a few markers for cobia but no one was around either. Heading west we followed a line of stone crab pots but didn’t see any tripletail. In 24 feet we ran into the first bait pods and started here. Within 10 minutes we had the first king.
It’s always girls first so………
This fish wouldn’t come to the boat and we knew it wasn’t large so we figured it was fowl hooked…which it was… underneath & behind the throat. Fishing small wire and thin hooks Kaitlyn took her time bringing it in.
From here we tried to get some live bait but did not have the heavier pogy net so that didn’t work.
Casey’s king on a small lure
Pretty lil gag
Kaitlyn getting a bit irritated of my photo taking…………
2nd king for Kaitlyn
With three small kings on board we ran over to Sea Horse Reef to try & pick up some bigger Spanish by trolling but we only managed a number of ladyfish and one Spanish. There were quite a few boats on the reef though. As were bait pods in 12 – 17 feet.
Running back in we hit a number of markers in both the SW and NW channels but didn’t find any takers.
Some of the fish
It was a great day on the water! Trolling we caught 8 species; black seabass, lizardfish, gag, Spanish, kingfish, ladyfish, a blue runner and a leatherjacket. Water temp was 77 degrees and on the outgoing tide there was no surface weed which made for trouble free trolling. Four or 5 hours later a friend was in the same area and said the surface grass made it impossible for trolling. On the way back we ran a line of stone trap pots again but didn’t find any tripletails.
Awesome day on the water with the kids!
Brian