Friday Fishing Frenzy

This fishing trip was incredible. I went to my friend, Austen's house to fish with him and Davis. We went fishing in the canal. It was a Friday after school, and we had just made the plan. It was a clear, breezy day, which was surprising considering that the whole week had been gloomy and rainy. When we got to the dock, we saw that it was really low tide. We were discouraged, but we didn't know what was coming. I brought chicken and garlic to use as bait. Fish started coming as soon as I dropped the bait in the water. First, Austen and I started to catch puffers and in 8 minutes, we had already caught 6 fish! Davis caught a pin fish, the first pin of the day!  We kept on catching fish. Every time one of us dropped the bait, a big school of mangrove snapper, pinfish, and grunts would fight over the bait! We found some pots or holes in the ground where the fish would pile up. We would cast there and catch fish. It was amazing! We were running out of bait when we had already caught 20 fish! This had been a successful day, but it was not over yet, we dropped some bait, and we got a toadfish, a type of sandfish! It came out of nowhere. We saw how it blended in with rock and plants on the bottom. We had caught what I call the super slam of the saltwater canals here near Miami, Fl. Grand slams are when you catch a group of three fish in one day specific to that area. It is a super slam if you catch another species of fish along with the three. I have a few in my fishing goal list. I would say that the three fish in the grand slam would be the puffer, Toadfish, and pinfish/or grunt/or sailors choice-and add a mangrove snapper for the super slam. We had caught the super slam! We ended the day with a total of 23 fish caught, 15 caught by me, 7 caught by Austen, and 1 caught by Davis. The most fish I had caught personally in a day were 22 on Pier 60 in Clearwater. All of us together had beaten that record by one! I on the other hand had caught 15. A lot of fish! Stay tuned! More posts coming soon!

The Mangrove Snapper Trip

Today I went fishing with Jacob and Zaide. We went fishing for Mangrove Snapper across the street, but we caught many more fish. We bought shrimp to use because I found out after last time fishing in the saltwater canal next to biscayne bay that they like fresh or live shrimp, not old hot dogs and chicken with garlic. I cut them into pieces and dropped them in the water. I saw a mangrove snapper come and nibble at Jacob's and my bait. It kept on taking the bait away. I cut a smaller piece and tried again. Sure enough, the snapper took my bait. It took off away from me once I hooked it, but I reeled it in. I caught the mangrove snapper. Jacob then was determined to catch a fish. He caught a blue striped grunt, AKA sailor’s choice. We kept on fishing, and Jacob caught another Sailors Choice! I then dropped the shrimp in, and waited. Little fish were nibbling, but nothing big. Out of nowhere, a puffer fish came and bit the hook. I reeled it in and caught it! Jacob finished the day by catching a puffer, too. This was a very fun day to fish, and I am very happy to have fought the mangrove snapper, which always goes away once I put the bait in the water. Stay tuned! Posts coming soon!

Tuna Fishing

      Today was an interesting yet disappointing day. I went to Newport Beach at 4:30 in the morning because we were there for the 3/4 day boat, Patriot, Which caught a variety of fish that I would like to catch. Instead they put us on a boat called the Western Pride, and they didn't tell us why until after the boat came back to the dock. It was because the Patriot was already booked as a charter for that day, so they put us on a three quarter day boat which went for 200 lb bluefin tuna. We probably would have chosen one of the half day trips and some money back (since we booked online and half day trips cost less).

      I went fishing today with Dod Shlome. We have been talking about going on a 3/4 extended (12 hours) fishing trip to catch big fish. We boarded the boat at 6 AM and got going. We stopped at a live bait platform like in San Pedro, but nobody would use the sardines. We would all use lures and cast them out for a feeding frenzy. On the way there, one of the crew members called everyone in to have a seminar on bluefin tuna fishing. The first words he said were: "You didn't think we would be catching bass, did you?" Calico bass is the first fish I caught at the Santa Monica pier. The crew member told us about how big bluefin tuna are, up to 250 lb, and how they would be the fight of a lifetime. One of the crew members told me that a man once died while fighting with these fish because he was under so much pressure and adrenaline. The fish was landed by his friend who was also on the boat. He told us how we would have to look for "foaming" in the water. Foaming is when the water at the surface looks white because of the bubbles caused by waves of the tuna eating sardine bait schools from the bottom and chasing them to the top as they jump to catch the small fish, and birds diving down in the water to catch some. We would have to cast the lure into the center of the waves, wait, then reel in very fast. The crew member told us that bluefin tuna fishing in Southern California is rarely as good as it is this summer. All of these made me excited for the trip.  When we went outside again, we saw a grey whale and dolphins. We had seen a seal at the live bait platform. After waiting for about 2 1/2 hours, we saw foaming and called it out. We drove to it and cast out are lines. It was hectic!

       But, alas, we caught nothing and the school of tuna went away. This happened multiple times. Once, when we were driving, we saw a huge amount of foaming in the distance! We drove there as fast as we could and we did just what the crew member told us. We all wanted somebody on the boat to catch a tuna. The closest we came to catching one was when a tuna came and chased someone's line he might have caught the fish, if he hadn't reeled in too fast for the swift tuna. We ended up leaving with no fish, but the other boats did. As I said earlier, this trip was interesting yet disappointing day. I was happy that I got to experience tuna fishing, especially for the occasional bluefin in Southern California. I got to see a seal, a whale, and dolphins, and how "foaming" works. It was a good trip, but not what I signed up for or wanted.

Tips and tricks for the day:

Newport landing and Davy's Locker fishing trips are not too trusty, and research on what exactly every boat does and what you want to do before and after you book.

Tuna fishing is an interesting experience and can have you fighting the fight of a lifetime if you hook on.

Stay tuned! More posts coming soon!

22nd Street Sportfishing

        Today, I went fishing off a boat in San Pedro, CA. It is called the Monte Carlo, a boat made for half day trips for the 22nd street sportfishing buisiness. They have trips from 6-12 and 12:30-6. I took the second trip.

        I woke up today ready to fish. I had a good night's sleep thinking about where to fish. That morning, we thought to do something different. We looked up party boats that we could fish off of. We finally found one that we liked. 22nd street Sportfishing! My mom, Doda Annette, Jacob, and I booked the trip, got ready, and hit the road.

        When we got there, we bought the rods, hooks, and sinkers separately and then got on board. You have to set the rods up by yourself. Soon after the boat started to move, we docked right next to a structure on the water. It was a bait shop right in the harbor! The bait that we got was paid for by the boat. We saw seals jumping and diving around the shop while we were waiting. Once we got all of our bait, which was sardines, mackerel, cut squid, and other live bait fish. We set out to pass a lighthouse and go into the ocean.

       About 50 minutes passed before we got to our fishing spot, a place to catch sandads and sculpin. They have open tanks of the live bait and pieces of cut squid in the back of the boat for anyone to take. We used squid and small sardines to start. The first fish bit the hook. Doda Annette and I switched off reeling in the fish. We caught it! A sanddab! A sanddab is a flounder type fish, but smaller. It is a good fish to eat. Everyone on the boat seemed to catch a fish. We kept on catching sanddabs, but every one was catching a mix of sandads and sculpin. The person next to us caught lots of sculpin one after another. He was using a lure that had a lead tip which made the lure stay flat at the bottom. He also had a piece of squid on the hook. One time, we had a strong tug. Fish on! We reeled in as hard as we could, and we caught it! A sculpin! It was our only one of the day. Jacob caught some sanddabs. One was the biggest fish that he had ever caught!

       Since it was a successful spot we didn't move from it until near the end. Then we moved to a spot where people could catch sand bass and barracuda. Some people caught the sea bass', but most of the catches were barracudas. The barracuda is a fish on my list of fish to catch or fishing accomplishments. It was the first fish that I put on the list. I was excited and ready to catch one. I hooked a bait fish and dropped it down. After waiting for a bit, I felt a tug. The rod bent. I pulled up my rod to set the hook and....

       I missed. It was too late. I reeled up to see what happened, and I saw bite marks on the baitfish and its face was bitten into. I quickly put on a new fish, but no bite came my chance for catching one today was gone. Next time. There are barracudas in Miami too. I'll catch one someday.

       Today was a very productive day. We caught 12 fish total, 11 sanddabs and 1 sculpin. I caught or helped to catch 10 fish, and Jacob 4. I got to learn about catching barracuda. Today was a fun day of fishing.

Tips and tricks I learned today:

22nd street sportfishing is a good fishing service in San Pedro, CA, south of Los Angeles. The half day trips on the Monte Carlo take you to places to catch sculpin, sanddabs, sand bass, and barracudas. You can use live bait and/ or cut squid as bait. You set up the rods that you buy separate along with the sinkers and hooks.

A lead tipped lure can keep the lure flat and suspended over the bottom of the ocean.

When fishing for barracuda, be patient. Be ready to set the hook when the fish bites.

How to Use Worms as Bait

Worms are a classic bait for freshwater fish. The most popular way to hook them are to run the hook through the worm from one end, leaving a small piece to squirm around and attract the fish. You can find worms in the morning or at nighttime, but they show up more after it rained and made the soil wet.

Fishing at Haddon Lake

Today I went fishing with my brother and Zaide. We went to try out a new lake in camden county, NJ, which is near Philadelphia, PA. In the morning, we searched for some worms to go fishing with. After we found some and put them in a container with wet dirt, we got ready for the fishing trip. We set out to Haddon lake. There were a few people fishing there. We weren't catching fish for a while. We changed places until we found one that we liked that had little moss in the lake near the shore. We were down to our last worm, hoping that a fish would come and bite the hook. We were waiting with excitement for a fish to bite the hook. I picked up the rod, and then a fish took a nibble at the bait! I got ready, and I set the hook! Fish on! The line got stuck on a branch and it was really heavy. I was reeling it in, and I brought it in. The fish was still on! It was a Bluegill. Because of its colors I originally thought it was a Pumpkinseed Sunfish, which would have been a new species; it turns out to be a Bluegill because of the lack of a red edge on the black spot and the fact that there aren't any blue lines around the mouth and eyes. This was still a great day and taught me not to give up and that it's not over 'till it's over. Stay tuned! More posts coming soon!

Pedal Boat Fishing

Today, I went to a summer camp near Philadelphia that opened up for the weekend.  I decided to go fishing in the lake where, years ago, I had caught a gigantic large mouth bass that cut the line just as I was pulling it up.  For bait, I used worms that I picked in the backyard last night.  We went to the boating area to get a boat.  We chose a pedal boat because it was easy for my brother and me to fish in the back while my father and sister pedaled in the front.  As we set out, I put a worm on my hook.  I cast it out and waited.  There were no bites for what seemed like an hour.  But fishing takes patience.  Finally, the bobber started to shake.  Then it shook violently, and then sunk under the water and the rod was bending.  Fish on!!  I reeled in as hard as I could but the fish was fighting hard.  I managed to bring it up. It was a great Black Crappie!  After taking a few pictures, I unhooked it and let it go.  I put on another worm, but no more fish bit for the rest of the afternoon.  It was a successful day.  Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

How to Use Chicken as Bait

I made this video to demonstrate and help you on how to set up your chicken as bait. You can use any chicken that you have, ones that are expired are GOOD and PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE. Chicken is a good bait to use when you drop at piers and docks. Research on the fish to see which baits certain fish like to take a bite out of.

Monster Puffer

Today I went fishing with Austen at his house. I brought over some of my chicken and garlic and hot dogs that I had kept in the freezer for a while now. Once I got there, I saw huge puffers coming toward the bait. Austen started to catch fish first, though, and he caught an Oyster toadfish. I was dropping my hook down hoping to get one of the monster puffers on my line. I tried and tried, but they kept on taking the bait... until that fateful cast. I baited the chicken on the hook tight and got reedit catch the puffer. Just then, The huge puffer came right up and bit the hook! FISH ON! I reeled in as much as I could, but he swam away very far and was putting up a good fight. I reeled in at the right time and way, and I brought it up! I caught it! Those were the only fish we caught today. I saw many mangrove snappers at the dock. I didn't know why they didn't bite the bait or even check it out. I looked up what they eat, and I found out that they eat fresh bait. I had bait that was in the freezer for months and has been taken out for many fishing trips. That is not fresh. I will try to get them with fresh or live bait next time.




Stay tuned! More fishing tips and tricks coming soon!

Fishing with Benji and Jacob

Today, I went fishing across the street with Jacob and Benji. It was cool to be fishing with Benji, my cousin, again as I have not fished with him for a while now and he lives in Calgary, Alberta in Canada, so I do not see him very often. We set out across the street with our fishing rods and used chicken and hot dogs as bait. Once we got there, we started to catch fish! Benji instantly came up with a pinfish! this got us excited and got us ready for the day. We kept on fishing, eager to catch another fish. Then, something weird happened. Sergeant Majors, small, yellow and black striped fish with white heads, that are known for being annoying and stealing bait, came and actually bit Jacob's hook! fish was on! He brought it up and we were very surprised. Soon, Benji caught another fish, an Oyster Toadfish. We saw it come out of it's disguise on the bottom and snag the bait on the hook. He got it! The next, and last fish of the day was yet ANOTHER sergeant major! Maybe they were very hungry today.

That is all for this post. Stay tuned for more interesting fishing trips, tips, and tricks!

Gloomy to Exciting

Today, I went fishing on Sea Legs III with Doda Annette. We have been waiting to go fishing together, and last Monday we planned this trip. Our annual Sea Legs fishing trip. When we got on the boat, It was gloomy outside and the water was choppy. We bounced side to side as the waves pushed the boat. By the time we got to our third stop, only three fish had been caught in total on the boat. Fishing was very slow, but that did not discourage Doda Annette or I. We kept our hopes high and knew that we WERE going to catch at least one fish today and that our streak of catching fish on a boat, let alone Sea Legs was going to keep on going. After a little while at our third stop, I felt a tug. I reeled in as hard and fast as I could, and I caught a grunt! The streak is still alive! Doda Annette and I were now very excited, but little did we know the excitement just started. I bit later, I dropped my half eaten (because of the grunt) piece of squid back into the water. I saw the sun start to come out more, and the day was looking better now. Then, I felt a huge pull! I hoped it wasn't just my line tied up with someone else's which happened a lot that day because of the waves. I also thought it might have been a knot because it feels very heavy like a fish is on when you use that type of heavy deep-sea fishing gear. I reeled in halfway, and there was a knot. The crew and I untied the knot. But then, I still felt the gigantic, super heavy tug of a fish! I reeled in as much as I can, but the fish was making the line tension very tight and the rod looked like it was about to break. I had to reel in a little, and then wait, then reel in some more in order to prevent the line from snapping. Doda Annette helped me reel in a little by pulling up some of the line too. Soon enough, I saw the whitish, light-beigish reflection of the huge fish. I reeled it in enough to bring in onto the boat, and I caught it! A huge Red Grouper! That fish is on my list of fish that I want to and will set out to catch sometime in my life. On it read "Any Type of Grouper," and now I can cross that off! I am very happy that I had caught that. The average length for a Red Grouper is 15-16 inches, and this Red Grouper was about 20 inches. The grouper beat the average by 4-5 inches! There is a pool for five dollars for the biggest fish on the boat. I won because of the fish, but I couldn't keep the grouper because it was not Red Grouper season, which starts on May 1. The only other things we caught were seaweed and an eel caught by Doda Annette. It looked funny as it wrapped around the bait to clam it as his. The first mate got it off by lightly tapping it's head with a small metal pole. We didn't catch anything else that day but It was very fun at the end for the sun to start shining and for me to cross off something from the list.

No Fish

Today was one of the many days which I did not catch fish, and it stinks that today it snapped the streak of catching at least one fish in the Tampa area. Today I went to go fishing at pier 60, a pier in clearwater on which I caught 29 fish (my record high of fish in a day) last time. I tried small, cut up bits of shrimp and squid like last time, but no fish. No one else was catching fish that day either. Tom, a helpful volunteer, was there, as he is usually, helping everybody who needed it. I asked Tom why people were not catching fish, and he said that it was because of the seasons changing. Now it is spring. Last time I came here, it was Winter. I went on the Queen Fleet twice, one in winter and one in spring, and I caught way more in winter. (I caught 11 fish that day, and that was the record before Pier 60) I suggest to come to fish at winter or maybe summer. I had a fun time even though I did not catch fish, and now I know to find out about the best times to fish according to the seasons and the weather.

Oleta River State Park Fishing

I was planning to go fishing with Zadie, and I chose today to be a good one to set out. That morning, I was getting ready, but I saw tat it was cloudy outside. I didn’t like how gloomy it was outside, but I guess I had to fish with it. Hey, I can still catch fish! I brought chicken as bait. Someone recommended to me that I use garlic with my chicken when I fish, so I put garlic powder in it and mixed them up. 

We went to park at Oleta River State Park to give it yet another try. When I got to the pier, I saw someone with five poles and a lot of live shrimp for bait. That is a good method of fishing, especially from docks and piers. Someday soon, I will try it and see if it works for me. I brought my spinning reel and Ugly Stick rod to fish with chicken and garlic. I started to cast and wait for a fish.

Fishing was very slow today. I didn’t catch fish for a while, and nor did anyone else. The gloomy weather made it worse. I started to think that I wouldn’t catch a fish today, when I started to feel a bite soon after I casted! I started to reel in, but it got away. I now knew that there was a hungry fish, and I knew where it was. I told Zadie to get ready for a fish, and I cast in the same place again, I waited for about a minute, until a fish bit the baiting was hooked! I reeled in and stopped at the right times too. I had to stop it from going under the dock to prevent the line snapping or the hook sliding off the line. I dragged It away and I brought it up! It was a Porgy! My first fish at Oleta! It was a very big one too.

The rest of fishing today had no more excitement and it started to rain. We had to pack up and leave to avoid the rain. It was a fun trip, and I am happy that I caught a fish. It was good to try a new fishing method too.

Here are the tips and tricks from today’s fishing trip:

• Garlic adds smell to chicken when using it as bait
• A gloomy day doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t catch a fish
• If you are fishing in a place with a lot of fish, try using many rods at once (remember, I will use this method sometime soon)