Mangrove help
 

I am looking for some pointers for mangroves. I went out of freshwater city yesterday hoping to catch some with no luck. Any info would be appreciated on how to be successful on them. What depth does the rig need to be? How far out are you running? What bait? What set up are you using (rod,reel,line,leader)? Needing pointers because what I did yesterday did not work.

What did you do?

I usually start on rigs with 50ft+ of water. Distance from shore will depend on what area you're fishing. You can use cut bait (spanish sardines are my favorite) or live bait.

You're mainly going to have to focus on your gear. I find that heavier spinning tackle is the best way to go. I have 5500 series reels on 7ft XH rods. They're spooled with 50lb power pro. From there, I'll tie on a flourocarbon leader. The size and length of your leader will be dependent on the water clarity. I generally start with 10ft of 40# and move up or down from there. A rule of thumb I use is that the cleaner the water, the longer and lighter the leader has to be. I use 3/0 Mustad demon perfect 1x strong circle hooks. I find bigger hooks make the bait fall too fast and the mangroves will avoid it.

Give this a try next time you go out and let us know how you do.

Mangrove help
 

This is the way to do it. Move around the rig till you find them. I like up current but they can be on any side. Don't over chum. Croakers are the best live bait. Hook em between the dorsal fin and the head. Spanish sardines are my favorite cut bait too. I use 8000 and 12000 shimano reels on xh jigging rods

I started in around 75 feet of water fluro leader owner 2/0 circle hook. I fished several rigs around this depth all I could manage were red snapper. I also fished closer in around 50 feet of water several rigs, used Spanish sardines and cut poggies, tried with chum and without.

Did you see any mangroves?

None, only snapper I saw were the elusive red ones.

Always possible they just weren't there

last trip I went out we chummed with a mix of cooked elbow noodles and corn.........

put mangrove in the boat spitting up noodles and corn.

Much cleaner
spin reels, flourocarbon leaders, small circle hooks

It's hard to catch what isn't there. If you're after mangroves and don't see them come out after throwing a handful of chum, keep moving. You'll know when you're on the right rig. There will be a cloud of burnt orange bruisers swarming the chum.

Or baby back ribs ;-)

Caught these off of Grand Isle and the big ones had BB rib bones in their gut. Fished a manned rig, near the galley where kitchen scraps get thrown out in 5 gal buckets!

We like live croaker or pogy and cut pogy or cigar minnows. Rarely tie to the rig. Chunk some chum, drop your bait, no weight, in chum ball and free line it out until the Mangrove eats it. We often catch the bigger ones up to 100 ft away from the rig.

Motor back up and repeat. Good luck.

[QUOTE=skeeter77346;769030]Or baby back ribs ;-)

Fished a manned rig, near the galley where kitchen scraps get thrown out in 5 gal buckets!



^^^ I've always found that manned rigs generally hold more mangroves.

Thanks guys I'll be trying again soon

Skeeter.. Gove me a call next time u go... I'll tag along.. Can show U how I caught them..

Thks

Gunner

Out of Freshwater City, about how far out to reach 50 ft. depth? Any block #'s would also help. Guess it would be Vermilion blocks? Or SMI?

About 30 mi south/southwest. Due south keeps you on top of the shoals for a while before it starts to drop. I would usually fish them at VE119 and the rigs in that vicinity...about 35mi out of freshwater mouth. Also about 60ft or so IIRC. I think you could find them a little closer heading a little west.

Two keys to catching mangroves once you've located them....

1) Let the bait drift, with a few pieces of the same as chum, without ANY tension on the line. The idea is to get the baited hook to free drift at the same sink rate as the chum. If you stop the "fall" with any tension the mangroves will almost always shy away (I have found this to be true even when fishing them with live shrimp in the clear water of the Keys).

2) Now...you've got one to swallow the bait and it is hooked up firm...and it is going like a bat out of hell to cut you off at the closest barnacle encrusted leg/pipe. It will succeed unless you react quick/have the drag bound down hard/and pull it away from the rig with aggression. The suggestion of a high test braid and fluoro leader is how we have had the most success but I either run from the stern of the boat all the way toward the bow as soon as I set the hook to gain some distance between the fish and the rig. Some times, if positioning the boat upcurrent by power, I will throw it in gear and move off the rig about 20 yards pronto...the crew knows this and are prepared cause we hit it in gear hard for a few seconds. Either way works well if they are running in the 6+ lb range.

Thanks for the info. Uh, not clear on "IIRC" means what, forgive my ignorance?

Biggun I will be calling next time I try for them. Thanks for all of the help guys I hope to put some in the box next time!

If I Remember Correctly..IIRC

which means?
 

???