The Winds Have Picked Up but the Bridge is Hot

Yesterday was beautiful weather with great fishing for the few guys that had trips. Today it is blowing 25 with gusts to 27 so that limits most smaller boats to the bridge or Bay. The bridge is loaded with Ballyhoo which means the predators with be thick. Cero, King Mackerel and a few Spanish along with a variety of jacks plus the other usual bridge suspects.

With so much bait your job is to make your bait on the line look stupider than the others. A little trick when fishing live ballyhoo is to reverse hook your live bally. Wire leader say size 4 Monel with a 2/0 to 4/0 hook depending on the size of your bait is the ticket. Since there are some smoker kings at the bridge a longer (12 to 18 inches) wire leader/mono leader is in order. Total length should be over 4 foot. I rig one rod for the smokers to start and then go with the flow. If the big kings are feeding you will need to rig an anchor ball to cut away and chase the fish. Don't actually cut your line, have the line clear so you can unhitch quickly with the ball tied to keep the line floating.

I normally anchor and chum up bait for the live well and fish the slick as is normal. However, if there are plenty of bait sprays break out the light stuff and sight cast to them. Just about any lure or bait will work, but I have this 6 inch red head white body bomber long A that has been beat to hell the last two years that works just fine. Flyrodders, if you have a 10 weight or better to fight the breeze you can have possibly the time of your life.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas