Bull Red Pics and Summary (Cameron Jetties)
 

Back in BR now after some quality time in SWLA. The bull reds cooperated all four times we fished the jetties, to the tune of 24 bull reds boated, with the largest 45.5". Most fish were on cracked crab, with 3-4 fish on mullet. Crab also keeps the sharks from biting for those who prefer to avoid the sharks.

Thats nice man. You been beatin em up lately
Good for you man.

Nice pics and awesome catch....

Nice work MG!! That's some serious reelin


Sent

Nothing like some good drag screaming!

Nice work! 24 bulls oughtta put a good whoopin on some reels!

That's awesome!!!! I mean that's really AWESOME!!!! A lot of arms should be tired also:). Lol

The Shimano Symetre 3000's are holding up, but we often almost get spooled. Not been spooled yet. The drags are up to the challenge.

That's some good fun! Thanks for all your help to fellow SaltyCajuns!

Not to get off topic, but what made you choose the symetres? And why not go with a 4000?

Sounds like y'all had a good time!

When I bought the set of eight reels two years ago, I was thinking general inshore use and occasional bull reds, so I paired them up with 7 and 8 ft ugly sticks and 30 lb power pro. But my kids kinda fell in love with catching the big fish, and we sorta got good at it. So we've respooled 5 of the reels with 50 lb power pro. If I had it to do over I would go with the Symetre 4000 for the extra line capacity (140 yards of 50 lb pp instead of 110-120 yards.)

I chose the Symetre because the guys on the board here recommended it highly as a tough durable reel for general purpose boat rods. The Penn Battle was strongly considered instead, but some recent reviews indicated some quality issues with Penn Battles of recent vintage. When you're buying eight reels to put on your boat rods, you want them to last without a bunch of repairs. The Symetres have been up to the task for the first two seasons. If they continue to handle the big fish for two or three more seasons I expect to replace them with Symetre 4000s when the time comes unless my children have shifted their likes to smaller fish.

But the children are talking about sharks and mackerel and snapper and grouper and stuff of that sort rather than the finesse inshore game chasing specks, smaller redfish and flounder.

I thought I would repost a map of our favorite bull redfish spots at the Cameron jetties. 3 has been the hottest spot recently. 1 has done really well when we can't get through the cut. 2 is good on an incoming tide. 5 can be awesome, but it is less protected and has a lot of snags and you'll catch more black drum.

x2 on the jetty, ended up there last thurs. on channel side to get out of wind n whacked 'em pretty good (6) When the wind finally got out of the north (early sat. morn) We could have filled up the bed of a small truck! It was an all day bull red battle! Holly beach was hot!!! All caught on crabs, 1st time in my life I have had to buy crabs, But we went through 3 dozen crabs that we had caught like popcorn!

Wow, you guys were catching them. We usually buy 2 doz crabs and don't use them all. After the workout of catching 10-12, the children are satisfied and ready to head home.

ah gotcha. I thought you had bought them intentionally for bull reds, which is why I was asking about the 3000 instead of the 4000. I have two 2000 spinning reels with 20lb power pro and I can throw them all day. I was also looking into the penn battle but have heard mixed reviews. and the fierce doesn't seem to be very smooth. I tried about 4 at academy and they all felt the same.

we stopped counting reds at 20 and feel safe in saying we caught 30 and quit fishing at 7 pm cuz we were wore out n soakin wet! They were biting so good that last fish I caught had a big hardhead in his mouth! I didn't investigate but seems as if I hooked a hardhead and red nailed it on retrieve!

Wow! Great story. We've never had any success using catfish for bait. But last trip, one of my sons caught half a gafftop.

That would be hard to do...

Front half or back half??


:grinpimp:

Bet he caught a whole one and it got bit in half......:rotfl:





J/K

Sorry sir, couldn't resist.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

It was the front half and a very clean cut just behind the fin on top. He felt the tug of the gafftop, then a bigger tug, and then it went limp and was dead weight.