# Breaking in a newbie....St Lucie 4-13



## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

Took a busman's holiday with my bud Gene and he had a friend in town from up north; she'd never been fishing but was dying to go. 

Tossed the net a few times to fill the well with pilchards and slogged our way offshore in some sloppy conditions. 

Set up early on the sandpile to wait out a front that was coming through and had some bite-offs from kings, and a missed opportunity at a few small dolphin. Front passed, conditions laid down and so we picked up and ran farther out. 

Seemed our new angling friend was jinxed at the start; every rod she touched the fish came unbuttoned. Eventually we had a nice bull dolphin take a bait and put on a super aerial display, only to toss the hook after 5 minutes. We watched him underwater spit the hook, get free, then swim right over to another bait and take that one. Game on again, and that was his last mistake! 

New angler with her first catch:










Scored a few more bites after that, and eventually she wanted to hop up in the tower to see if she could see a turtle. After a while, a gasping "SHARK!" scream came from above and I looked over the gunnel to see a fatty hammerhead checking out a bonita we had hanging over the side. And another pair of lanky teenage hammerheads tagging along behind it. I untied the bonita and tossed it out on a dock line and the big momma made a beeline for it:

http://vimeo.com/22369867

What's left of a 10lb bonita after shark feeding:









All in all it turned out to be a great day, and I think we converted another over to the dark side of fishing..

-T


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

nice bull, looks like the seavee project as about done.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Nice report and congrats to the novice on her first fish!  I'll have to watch the vid later...


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> nice bull, looks like the seavee project as about done.


Sure is, I'm just enjoying it at this point!

-T


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

nice fish and that cover over the motor is awsome, what a great work area


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Nice, Tom where did you find the pilchards?


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> Nice, Tom where did you find the pilchards?


Man I wish I could publicly divulge the info on the larger pills but inevitably I'd have 100 hoarders at my honey holes when I'm trying to catch bait and I usually only carry 80 rounds for the deck mounted Ma Deuce, so the other 20 or so guys I'd have to gaff and run through the chum grinder . 

The best I can say is to keep an eye on the birds when you're running in the river. They will teach you all you need to know. Those that rush to break the inlet before sunup never know what goes on inside the inlet/river as the sun rises. Dedicate a morning on the boat to skipping fishing for a couple hours and learning what you can by driving around and keeping your eyes open, scouring for birds. Birds need to eat and wake up hungry!

The longer the pelicans keep their head in the water after diving, the smaller the bait they're feeding on. Terns are worth their weight in platinum for leading you to bait. Seagulls are worthless but at times can be a help. I usually follow seagulls a bit when all else has failed, it's approaching high noon and I have nothing but a lizard fish and a dead clam in the baitwell  

The pilchards are here now and will stay for the summer months as they grow. Large bunker/menhaden are in the St Lucie up past the roosevelt but will be up near Jensen causeway also; west side. 

As far as I know, there is no magic ticket to the bait in our area. Many, many times I've had to go offshore with a dozen lousy baits that I could scrounge up with all the tricks in my bag. 

The days that it works out and the wells are full can be awesome days, and most of those days seem to be in the next 2 months; at least for me. 

PM sent for a little more info

-T


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

I've been catching them all over the inside. Like Tom said, look for the birds. I've found them in places I'd never imagine.


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Nice dolphin, nice boat, great job! I'm living vicariously through these reports. Keep them coming!


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## GTSRGTSR (Nov 10, 2009)

I'll be visiting the area this weekend, staying at the St Lucie Locks campground. I'll be bringing my 20 footer and I'll for sure use your tips wisely. Are you sabiki fishing or netting? I am not great with sabiki and wouldnt think you'd do that in the river but I'll ask anyway!!


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

> I'll be visiting the area this weekend, staying at the St Lucie Locks campground. I'll be bringing my 20 footer and I'll for sure use your tips wisely. Are you sabiki fishing or netting? I am not great with sabiki and wouldnt think you'd do that in the river but I'll ask anyway!!


Thats quite a haul to the inlet unless you plan on towing closer. Not to thread jack Tom but I net them.


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> I'll be visiting the area this weekend, staying at the St Lucie Locks campground. I'll be bringing my 20 footer and I'll for sure use your tips wisely. Are you sabiki fishing or netting? I am not great with sabiki and wouldnt think you'd do that in the river but I'll ask anyway!!


If you stay at the St Lucie locks campground, your best bet, as outcast said, is to trailer the boat. If it was the weekend, I'd personally put in at Palm City ramp and make the run to the inlet that way; the PC ramp is a lot less crazy on the weekend. 

During the week, use the sandsprit park ramp. 

Sabiki rigs are great when the bait is offshore, lately it's been on the bullshark barge and the sandpile. Inshore, cast netting is the best way. 

If you put in at Palm City ramp, go under the Palm City bridge (toward the inlet) and head to the first no-wake zone (about a mile). Just after sunrise there will be bunker on the right and left of the channel before the no-wake zone which are easily netted. They're about 5-9" and will work although they are nothing like a pilchard or greenie offshore. 

Mullet are around all over the place, just look for them. 

If I were you I wold follow the no-wake regulations religiously. We just had a boating death this week and I think the FWC and sheriff will be a bit strict for a while. 

-T


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## GTSRGTSR (Nov 10, 2009)

We dont really care if we make it all the way outside. We only planned on being inside, messing around. I fish outside down Boynton way so this trip is more about the experience of that area. It would be nice to have some liveys, though!!!


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