First rigs south of GI
 

Hitting Grand Isle early next week with my children who are eager to fish, but also interested in boating some new species besides the usual inshore mix. If the Gulf lays down, we're thinking about hitting the closes rigs south of Grand Isle. How deep is the water? Is the water clear right now? How would you fish it to provide some new and interesting species in the boat? The children are 12, 13, and 14 and have caught plenty of inshore fish up to 40 lbs. They'd be thrilled with spanish mackerel, king mackerel, tripletail, sharks, snapper, grouper, ling, etc.

What baits would you be sure to bring?

Get some live croakers and try for mangroves

First rigs will yield sheephead. Thats about it. Maybe redfish on the bottom.

Bull reds all day on the bottom. Mister gafttops drum and jacks. Sheepshead on the legs.


"Its Just a Ride "

There's likely some spanish mackerel out there. Online source likely have different trolling rigs used elsewhere that surely would work here. They're great fun to catch and tasty if prepared correctly.

Spanish are fun. You can catch them by thowing any fast moving jig/swimbait - they like it moving fast. You pretty much need a wire leader though as they will bite right through your line.

I've caught spanish before, but my children have not yet. I also love to eat mackerel, so we're optimistic.

By "jacks" you mean Crevalle Jacks? These are really high on my son's list of new species he wants to catch because we've heard them referred to as "reef donkeys" and so many have described how much they fight.

Do jacks have a preference for live fish as bait, or will cut bait work? Is fishing for them a bottom type of deal, or do we let the bait down to where we're marking fish on the finder, or cast close to structure with a slip bobber?

I think you may be confused. While jack crevelles do fight pretty good "Amberjacks" are know as reef donkeys. Jacks and be caught on the bottom or trolling the rigs.

Attachment 52806
Yeah. Jack Cravells. Caught this one yesterday on med light Waterloo. 25 mins on the rod. Them things throw down.


"Its Just a Ride "

We were catching big ones speed jigging the other day while trying to catch snapper. Jig color didnt seem to matter to the jacks

Nothing like a 30 lb jack blowing up a topwater popper.

They were in huge schools just shredding everything in sight. White water everywhere. I knew better but I couldn't resist. Then I had to get my bait back. 15# test and med / light. Finally can say my Lews got a good break in a I put that Waterloo to the test. I was a little worried it was too light but it did work.


"Its Just a Ride "

That's that Northside Yellowfin baw!

Lol....grand isle peir tuna!

Lol... Every once in a while you see a report pop up on LAS where somebody caught a "yellowfin"