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Guest

Always forget to take your camera fishing; that way you'll find something worth photographing. Found Nick Meyer at dawn still north of the 4WD sign at the PINS. He'd just seen a 5+ foot blacktip right where he was casting lures. Gave him a bit of last week's big Spanish mackeral, which I'd smoked, and we went on south. Made the usual stops in upper, middle, and lower Big Shell, but scored pretty low today, despite nearly calm winds and reasonably clear water. Only one 3-lb pompano, two Spanish mackeral over a foot shorter than the one caught on the 31st, 39 whiting, and one fish just over a foot long which I'm calling a mojarra, but I can't be sure which. Best guess is it's a silver jenny, Eucinostomus gula. Took pictures of it in the backyard just now, and will send one to Tyler so he can post it and let everyone play another round of "What do we call it?"
(Tyler adding this): Here is the photo: I am guessing
http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.cfm?ID=1054
Gerres cinereus
Here is Johnny's fish

Crhfish · Finger Mullet Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Posts: 68 Location: SA

As a kid I used to go to Melbourne Beach to visit relatives. My uncle and I used to catch pompano on big sand flea's. They were 3/4 to an inch long. It was great. No need to worry about bait. We took a little wire basket rake and could catch 5 or so at a time for bait. Pompano loved them as did most everythign else.

I have seen real small ones here in texas, sand fleas that is. Has anyone here ever fished with them? Do they get big enough?

The fish above looks like a striped Mojarra
http://www.flfish.com/baitfish/striped_mojarra.htm
_________________
Catch, Release, Catch, Release

Guest · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:08 am Post subject: Mole Crabs

Aha! Three bids for the fish's identity already, and none of them are synonyms. I like it. Thanks for attaching the photo, Tyler.

Yes, yes and yes. We have at least two species of crustaceans in the Padre Island sands that are called sand fleas or mole crabs. One is easily big enough as an adult for bait, the other just barely. Pompano love them here as well as in Florida, but I've never been able to find more than a few at a time. Probably just haven't looked in the right places or had the right tools. Before Fishbites came along, I dabbled with artificials that resembled sand fleas and had fair luck still-fishing with a white grub stuck on a regular double-drop casting leader. My brother in Navarre, FL has a neighbor who sight-casts for them with some sort of jig, judging from his description.

If there is there a design handy for the thingy used to catch sand fleas, please post it. Sometimes there will be a lot of the cast-off skins from mole crabs in the recent tidal drift lines, a sure sign there are plenty beneath the surface in the surf; I also take this as a sign there will be pompano feeding in that same area.

Have patience, real pompano season is still a month or so away, and it's already been a good year for them.

Nickaway · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:48 pm Post subject: Johnny thanks.

You the man, the smoked Spanish was great. Enjoyed it latter that day with a nice salad. Caught a trout and a couple of Lady’s after you past. I did not stay long as I had to get back to the shop. Wont be long and we will be loading up on the pomp’s again. Regards and again thanks. Nickaway

Yankee · Mud Minnow Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Leander

By my Fishes of the Gulf Of Mexico page 72 it looks like a Irish Pompano. The Silver Jenny only gets to the length of 7". This book has done wonders for me. You can buy it from Tyler's homepage on the bottom, that is where I got mine.

RodBreaker · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:05 pm Post subject:

i think Tyler got it right , yellowfin mojarra

Yankee · Mud Minnow Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Leander

Well if you goto page 72 in the second edition of the Fishes Of the Gulf Of Mexico I bet that they have the pictures messed up because it looks like the irish pomp but when looked up on fishbase it is not. makes you wonder which is right LOL.
http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.cfm?ID=3563

RodBreaker · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:02 pm Post subject:

Guest · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 10:29 am Post subject: Yankee Needs to Be on Jeopardy!

Took the fish to Kyle Spiller at TPWD today to have it officially identified as an Irish pompano, which is a species of mojarra. This was right after I had it weighed and measured at Moody's Meat Market so it could be submitted for a state record. At 1.00 lb. exactly and 12 7/8 in. long, it tops the only other mojarra in the record book.

Curmit · Finger Mullet Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 89

Sweet another record broken, congrats.

Big John · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 6:05 pm Post subject:

Congrats on the record Johnny! Exclamation

I hope to get my name on one of those records one day! Very Happy

Even if it is for the biggest hardhead! Shocked

_________________
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke and hungry the rest of his life!

John Sullivan
Native Corpus Christian
Currently Displaced in San Antonio

repofish · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:11 pm Post subject: record

Congrats on the record. Now I can say someone caught a fish smaller than mine for a record. thanks dude. BTW I hold the barred grunt(aka butterperch) record. Be sure to check the all-water-body record as well. They will not only send you one, but two, cheesy certificates. Congrats again.

Guest · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 5:56 pm Post subject: Too Late

Thanks Repofish, but I already sent in the application form with just the State Record - Public category checked. Glad you got two certificates, though; it makes up a little for having to tell everyone you have the grunt record. LOL!!!

Better than having a record may be knowing what it was caught on. Tyler's forwarded the news to the manufacturer that I indicated on the application form this Irish pompano was taken on a hook baited with Fishbites and shrimp. So far as I know, if the TPWD approves the application, that'll be a first for this product, so say Congrats to Fishbites, too.

Make no mistake about it, Fishbites alone work very well, but I used peeled shrimp to catch (Florida) pompano for years. Of course, such shrimp don't last beyond the first nibble. So, now I hedge my bets by putting a Fishbite on each hook, followed with a bit of peeled shrimp. Maybe it's my imagination, but I think the fish come for the shrimp, but stay to be hooked by the Fishbite. Whatever works.

mrmike · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 7:02 pm Post subject:

Big congrats to Johnny French!!! Glad our little Bites came in handy Smile

St. Augustine has gotten a little roughed up by Charley & Frances, but the the plant, staff and families weathered fine although the 5 day power outtage was no fun.

If this stuff keeps up, we may need to move the Fishbites operation to TX...

Tight lines and safe journeys to all!

repofish · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:18 am Post subject: bait

I doubt if Storm lures would want to brag about the grunt being caught on their 3" chartruese shad but hey you never know. Congrats again to you Johnny and congrats to fishbites. Welcome to the samll fish record books! See you at the beach some day.