Spanish macks done busted loose.

[country road]

There was a heck of a good bite of decent size Spanish mackerel at the Gulf Shores State Pier today. There were several limits (15) caught and I managed a half a limit before I had to clean fish and go home. (I got there late.) Sharks were really bad so you had to horse your mackerel in as quickly as possible. I lost a couple of fish, lures and all. They were hitting best on yellow and silver Gotchas. Quite a few sheepshead were caught early on live shrimp. Spring is busting out on the Gulf Coast---blooming dogwoods, redbuds and azaleas with spring gobbling season in just a few days. Life is good, in spite of politics.

Good reports from pier and surf fishermen over east in the Florida Panhandle with early king mackerel, cobia and blackfin tuna. Good whiting and pompano. If anyone is wondering about where to take the family over Spring Break, this is a good choice.

[Solitario Lupo]

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a blast.

[MattM37]

I have to just grin and shake my head at how it must be to have sharks in the water trying to steal your catch right off the hook. That's probably a tad more exciting than having a chain pickerel nail a pumpkinseed you're reeling in. Thanks for the story, hope the fun lasts a good long time.

[fitch270]

Jealously reigns in my house as a second Nor'easter is being talked of in a weeks time.
Living vicariously through you sir!

[country road]

I have to just grin and shake my head at how it must be to have sharks in the water trying to steal your catch right off the hook. That's probably a tad more exciting than having a chain pickerel nail a pumpkinseed you're reeling in. Thanks for the story, hope the fun lasts a good long time.

It was more of the same this morning, but without quite as many sharks. Lots of doubles on Spanish on double jig rigs. I didn't miss the multitude of sharks from yesterday, but you still had to get them in a fast as possible. It's really something to see up to half a dozen five-foot blacktips after your fish. If you can get your fish to the top and jerk it out of the water, it really messes with their single-mindedness of purpose and they go bananas searching and bumping into each other. There was a little bite of sheepshead around 11:00 and I got a couple---one of them was around seven pounds and took me partway around the octagon on the end with me trying to keep it out of the barnacled pilings, and trying (in as nice a way as I could under stress) to keep an inexperienced fellow angler from dropping a pier net down too soon and tangling me up. Everybody was smiling after it was over. Light winds, temperature in the low seventies and sunny. Sorry, but I had to do it.

[DakotaMan]

Good to hear from you Country and good to hear the waters are full of fish this early. Love casting Gotchas at those Spanish. They are the fish that signal the beginning of a great new season. Tight lines and may all your door knobs smell like fish!

[country road]

Good to hear from you Country and good to hear the waters are full of fish this early. Love casting Gotchas at those Spanish. They are the fish that signal the beginning of a great new season. Tight lines and may all your door knobs smell like fish!

It's a real pleasure to pick my nose now---instant memories of fishing. Those Gotchas are certainly well named---I don't see how a fish can strike one and not get hooked. If I get within two feet of one, I get punctured in my skin or clothing. Yesterday, I got to use my hook removal skills when a man relaxed his vigilance and let a Spanish flop a Gotcha hook into his index finger. From as deep as the hook was, I know it hurt him, but he went right on back to fishing after I patched him up.

You'd have laughed if you could have seen the activity when that bad attitude sheepshead took off around the pier this morning with this gray- headed, old, fat dude in hot pursuit, leaping over unattended tackle and feinting through the throng of open-mouthed tourists without speaking a single obscenity or harsh word. I ate that fish for dinner just a little while ago and fish just doesn't get any better than that. Wish y'all could be with me. I enjoy seeing my friends catch fish.

[country road]

Jealously reigns in my house as a second Nor'easter is being talked of in a weeks time.
Living vicariously through you sir!

Wish you and your family could be with me, shedding outer garments in the sunshine. And catching fish.

[country road]

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a blast.

It's as much fun as an old man can have standing up with his clothes on. If you get the chance to come visit, the Gulf Shores Pier has a well deserved reputation as the friendliest and most helpful regulars on the northeast Gulf Coast.

[DakotaMan]

Good to hear from you Country and good to hear the waters are full of fish this early. Love casting Gotchas at those Spanish. They are the fish that signal the beginning of a great new season. Tight lines and may all your door knobs smell like fish!

Wow! I really enjoy that kind of fishing frenzy. I know that at times we all like the peace and solitude of a quiet fishing hole but my blood happens to boil when I see fish on several lines at once and fun lovin' fishermen having the time of their life. I truly wish I were there. I'll be heading to the Tampa / St. Pete area in a couple of weeks and hope the fish have arrived there too. I'll probably be fishing from the beach, maybe a pier and if they kings are there already, I may get a boat and chase a little.