Live Shrimp Fishing

I haven't caught a fish since summer, and so it was cool to get back to fishing, especially with a type of bait that I don't use so often, live shrimp. We got live shrimp at around 2 from a place in north east Miami, Arky's Live Bait. It is a great bait shop and it sells lots of good supplies including aerators and different types of baits. I then went across the street form my house to the canal connected to Biscayne Bay and went fishing with my brother, Jacob. On the first drop, Jacob had hooked on to a fish. His rod was bending and he fought it for a little bit until he brought it up. It was a big Yellowfin Mojarra! We measured it and we found that it was 14 inches! I don't have a picture of the measurement of the scale because I was rushing to dehook the fish as it was out of the water for a while. 14 inches is a big Yellowfin Mojarra, so I regret not doing so. After that, I caught a puffer fish, which I was trying to avoid because of its big, sharp teeth that have even cut my hooks. Surpringly, it was easy to dehook. The last fish of the day was a Mangrove snapper. It started to rain, so we went in. Even though it was sunny before and during most of the fishing trip, I am not surprised because of the unpredictability of Florida's weather. This was a good, fun day of fishing, and I was glad to get back at it again. The canal is best at high tide, so next time I will try to fish at the right time. Tight lines.

New Del Mar Fishing with Jacob and Shlome

Today I went on a great half day fishing trip on the boat New Del Mar of the Marina Del Rey Sportfishing company. We went from 12:30 to 5 P.M. I wanted to go fishing on a boat with my Uncle Shlome, especially because we didn't get to catch any fish on the trip from Newport Landing last year and the mistake they made by putting us on the wrong boat. We went out with my brother, Jacob, too. On the way out of the marina, we stopped at a floating live bait stop. Two main differences that I have found on party boats in Southern California and Miami is that in SoCal the boats have a big live well on the back of the boat and is not only easy for people to take live anchovies, but at every stop a crew member stands on top of it and throws out some live anchovies to chum the water. Another difference is the useful floating live bait shops on the way out of the landings/marinas. After the bait shop, we were ready to fish. We went south along the coast for about an hour and a half until we got to the surprisingly very inshore kelp beds off the coast of Rancho Palos Verdes. Other than live anchovies, cut squid was another available bait. The squid would end up being way more effective. Everyone on the boat started catching right away. We were catching Sand and Calico Kelp Bass. Despite the fact that the boat was catching, Shlome, Jacob, and I weren't. Until finally Shlome felt something and then set the hook. We reeled it in and we caught it. A Barred Sand Bass! Our first fish of the day! Soon after, Shlome had another fish on! He was reeling in, but then the fish got the hook stuck on the thick kelp. The spot was really cool. Not only were people catching fish, but the huge volcanic bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula was an interesting sight to see. Later, I felt something on my line, so I started to reel up. I stopped, and the rod didn't bend, so I knew that there wasn't a fish. But as I was reeling up the rest of the line to check if I had bait, a fish took the Squid. I reeled the fish in with Jacob, and I caught it! A Calico Kelp Bass! A Calico Kelp Bass was one of the first fish I had ever caught. I had wanted to catch another one since then not only because they are really fun to catch, but the picture I have of it is not a great one and it doesn't show the intricate pattern on its side. After releasing it, we went to another spot because the water became colder, which tends to make fishing slower. For our next spot, we went about a half hour north up the coast until we were near Redondo Beach. The way the houses were set up was and it was really cool to see. Jacob and Shlome were the first people to catch fish, and they did so immediately. They had a double hookup of mackerel that they brought in, only to dehook them and have another double hookup! They caught those, too. By then, I was really excited for this spot. We kept on fishing and we kept on catching. At the bottom, I started to feel nibbles. I was pulling the line a little to make the bait move until I had a fish! The rod bent and I reeled it up. I caught it! It was an Ocean Whitefish! We kept it to eat that night. I caught another Ocean Whitefish from the bottom before I decided to fish near the surface again. I could see schools of Mackerel were swimming by about 5 feet below the surface of the water so I dropped my piece of squid there and watched. Soon the school came and the ravenous mackerel were crushing my bait. When I saw a mackerel eat the squid and then swim quickly while my rod was bending, I jerked the rod up and started reeling to set the hook. I caught it! Jacob and I kept on fishing like this for the rest of the time at the stop. Shlome went to the other side because he saw people catching more Ocean Whitefish, but he ended up not catching any fish. When time was running low we went back to then dock at Marina Del Rey. I caught 14, my brother caught 17, and Shlome caught 4. When we went home, we fried the Ocean Whitefish and used it to make delicious fish tacos for dinner. This was a really fun trip and I learned a lot. I hope to be fishing on this boat agin. Tight Lines!

Fishing with Reggie

Today I had a great time fishing with my friend Reggie at the Haulover Inlet Jetty. We started off with dead shrimp off of the rocks towards the beginning of the jetty when we arrived. I was the first one to catch a fish. I threw out half of a shrimp on my small hook. I felt lots of nibbles, and then I soon felt a tug. I reeled in a Blue-Striped Grunt. We didn't catch anything else here, so we worked our way down to the end of the jetty. There, I showed Reggie how to work my sabiki rig. To use it, you drop it in the water and gently and slowly bob the rod tip up and down. I did not put any pieces of shrimp on the saki. Sure enough, a fish was caught on the sabiki. We had caught a Bermuda Chub, a fish that wasn't on my bucket list, but a fish that I would have liked to catch. A little while later, a teenager came over and was using his cast net to catch live sardines. We asked hm if we could use some. At first, he refused to give us a few of his many baitfish, but later he gave us about 10, which was very kind and appreciated. We had used about half before they started to die. We thought they were useless until we found a man catching Mangrove Snappers. When we asked him what bait he was using, he said that he was using the sardines from the teenager. (they were together) He said that it was just fine to use the dead ones. In fact, he was only using dead ones, by the time we got to him, at least. We used up the dead ones and caught nothing. We packed up and got ready to go and saw the man fishing on our way out. We watched his technique. He hooked the bait twice, through the back of the head and again through the body, like squid. He had a medium-big sized egg sinker. He cast the bait out a bit past the rocks. When the line was tighter and he felt a little tug, he set the hook. Reggie and I didn't have to leave right then, so we struck a deal with him. Since we weren't keeping any fish, we asked him to share his bait with us, and whatever we would catch, we would give to him to eat. The man agreed and shared his bait with us. We followed the technique. Reggie was the first to get a bite since we started fishing again. He set the hook, but it broke the line. We could tell that it was a big one. He then set the hook and I helped him bring in a Black Margate. We caught it! Next, I set my big circle hook and we brought in a thin, silver fish called a Lookdown. Because of how thin it is, I was surprised when the man said that he likes the taste of Lookdowns and he wanted to keep it. We kept on fishing, and Reggie and I caught a Mangrove Snapper. We then decided to pack up and leave. We went over to my house to rest, and then we went across the street to end our day of fishing. Reggie casted out his mini rod with a small egg sinker and a small J hook to the middle of the canal, where I had barely ever caught a fish from before, with a piece of hot dog. It was extremely low tide and the fish weren't near the dock, so he had to. He set the hook and we caught a big Grunt! Then, he casted again and he caught a Pinfish! Then, I used a piece of hot dog on my big circle hook and I hooked a fish. I reeled it in and I caught a Grunt! After this, Reggie and I packed up and ended the day. This was a really interesting fishing trip in which I caught and was credited for 6 fish and Reggie caught and was credited for 4 fish. I learned about a new spot, a new technique, and Reggie and I both had a great day of fishing. STAY TUNED! MORE POSTS COMING SOON!

Central Park Fishing

This was a very fun and exciting yet short fishing trip in the center of New York City. On a visit with my family to New York City, we walked through Central Park. When we passed by some of the lakes and reservoirs, I was wondering if I could fish and which types of fish were there. I was looking at the pond until I found something and went to check it out with my brother. At one of the platforms next to the lake, a fisherman was using bread to fish. Before we went over to check it out, we saw him get a bite, hook the fish, and reel it it. It was a catfish. When Jacob and I found our way to the platform, I started talking to the fisherman. The fisherman, who's name is George, was very friendly. He told Jacob and me that he released every fish he caught. He also told us that he liked catching catfish, but he really wanted to catch a Carp. If a Carp bit, it would run with the line. George showed us how he took a piece of bread squished it to make it strong and help it stay on the line, and he would keep the bail locked after casting it but would leave lots of slack. He didn't have a sinker on his line. After a little bit, the line started to tighten up and it became straighter. Jacob and I noticed this and let George know. He set the hook, and Fish on! We reeled it in and caught it. A catfish! Next, we repeated the same routine. It wasn't long before another catfish bit. Again, the hook was set and the fish was brought in. George dehooked the fish and I took a picture before letting it go. By then Jacob and I had to go. Thank you George for giving Jacob and me an awesome fishing trip. Stay tuned! More fishing tips and tricks coming soon.

HOW TO PUT LINE ON A REEL WITH SAM