Mobile area.....

[Amy D]

I'm a stay at home mom and my husband is a truckdriver and rarely home.
We moved to Mobile 3 years ago from the midwest and are clueless about
fishing around here although I want my kids to grow up with it -- so
that leaves it up to me. :)

Anyone in this area willing to take some rookies fishing? Mobile,
Mississippi, Pensacola?

I want to learn everything about everything - salt, fresh, crabs,
oysters, shrimp. :)


thanks,

amy

[Rich]

Hi Amy,
There is a fishing pier on the way to Dauphin Island , south of Mobile, at
Cedar Point. It only costs about $3 each to go fishing from the pier for 24
hours. They have a tackle and bait shop and restrooms. the people that run
it and the people on the pier would probably be a lot of help to a beginner.
they have always been nice to us. It has been a few years since we fished
around there, but I think the same people run it. Their phone # is
251-873-4476. Good luck.
Rich

[Amy D]

Rich wrote:

> Hi Amy,
> There is a fishing pier on the way to Dauphin Island , south of Mobile, at
> Cedar Point. It only costs about $3 each to go fishing from the pier for 24
> hours. They have a tackle and bait shop and restrooms. the people that run
> it and the people on the pier would probably be a lot of help to a beginner.
> they have always been nice to us. It has been a few years since we fished
> around there, but I think the same people run it. Their phone # is
> 251-873-4476. Good luck.
> Rich
>
>

Thanks Rich! We drive by there all the time but have never stopped in.
:) Spring break next week! Maybe have to stop by.

amy

[Rodney LongShot]

Amy D wrote:

> I'm a stay at home mom and my husband is a truckdriver and rarely home.
> We moved to Mobile 3 years ago from the midwest and are clueless about
> fishing around here although I want my kids to grow up with it -- so
> that leaves it up to me. :)
>
> Anyone in this area willing to take some rookies fishing? Mobile,
> Mississippi, Pensacola?

Pier fishing

Dolphin Island pier,, turn right at the T,, it's at the public beach
Alabama State pier, at Gulf Shores,, 825 feet long

Just walk out on the piers and ask for help,, everyone will show you the
ropes on getting started, you start with the person that takes your
money,, find out what they are catching that day and get the right bait

You don't need heavy gear, unless your going for the huge fish,, and you
won't be, not at first that is, so fresh water size stuff is all you need
>
> I want to learn everything about everything - salt, fresh, crabs,
> oysters, shrimp. :)

Then you need to ask questions at these piers to start with,, make sure
your talking to someone who is not in the same shape you are,, there are
many novices that fish these piers.

Don't forget to rinse down all your gear with fresh water before leaving
the pier, the have hoses for this


--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Boomerang Fishing Pro. , Long Shot rig
Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights,
and the EZKnot http://www.ezknot.com

[licker]

> I want to learn everything about everything - salt, fresh, crabs, oysters,
shrimp. :)

This will take many years to perfect this. If you don't mind taking a ride
to Louisiana try emailing and ask him when his next fishing
school is. He does one on sal****er fishing and he is does one once a year
on bass fishing. He phone number is 504-340-1843. His classes are usually
in the New Orleans area which is about 2 to 3 hours from Mobile depending on
how you drive.

To learn about oyster fishing you need to take a ride to Pointe a la Hache
and see the oyster boats when they are harvesting. They unload at the dock
with sacks of them into 18 wheelers. There is a processing house on the
other side of the levee from the dock. If you can get a ride in a boat out
into the marsh you will see some oyster reefs just below the water line.
Most reefs are marked with white PVC poles. When they are harvested, the
oyster boat drops a dredge a circles the reef several times. The dredge is
then lifted and the oysters are then separated into individual pieces. They
usually come up in big chunks. They are then placed in burlap sacks for
storage. The old fashion way of harvesting oysters was with the use of long
handle tongs. The boat would pull up to a reef and the men would work these
tongs on the oyster reef breaking it apart and bring it up to the boat for
harvesting. Oyster season is usually in the summer months.

Crab: Crabbing can be done by several methods. Commercial fisherman
usually us traps. Individuals can use a circle net to catch them or by
using the line method. A good circle net would be made with stainless steel
rings and good quality netting. There would be two large rings of the same
size. Netting would be sewn between the rings to create three to four inch
side when lifted. The top ring would have 4 lines that come up to a small
float. The float has to be big enough to lift the lines but not the sides
of the net. A longer floating rope that will reach the surface or to where
you want to tie off to is then attached to the float. If not tying it off
to a secure object, then another float is attached to the top of the
floating rope at the surface. Just make sure you leave enough slack to keep
the net from being lifted from tide or wave action. If using the line
method, just tie a chicken neck to the string and let it sit suspended in
the water just above the bottom. After sitting a while get a dip net and
place it in the water about 12 inches away from the string. Do not lower
the net all the way to the bottom only about 6 inches or so in the water.
Now the most important thing is to slowly raise the net. When it gets close
to the surface if you see a crab holding own then bring the net underneath
it and scoop it into the net. This method requires wading in the water or
by working off of a pier that you can reach down into the water.

I hope this helps you visualize some of this.

Sarge

[Amy D]

Rodney LongShot wrote:
> Amy D wrote:
>
>> I'm a stay at home mom and my husband is a truckdriver and rarely
>> home. We moved to Mobile 3 years ago from the midwest and are clueless
>> about
>> fishing around here although I want my kids to grow up with it -- so
>> that leaves it up to me. :)
>>
>> Anyone in this area willing to take some rookies fishing? Mobile,
>> Mississippi, Pensacola?
>
>
> Pier fishing
>
> Dolphin Island pier,, turn right at the T,, it's at the public beach
> Alabama State pier, at Gulf Shores,, 825 feet long
>
> Just walk out on the piers and ask for help,, everyone will show you the
> ropes on getting started, you start with the person that takes your
> money,, find out what they are catching that day and get the right bait
>
> You don't need heavy gear, unless your going for the huge fish,, and you
> won't be, not at first that is, so fresh water size stuff is all you need
>
>>
>> I want to learn everything about everything - salt, fresh, crabs,
>> oysters, shrimp. :)
>
>
> Then you need to ask questions at these piers to start with,, make sure
> your talking to someone who is not in the same shape you are,, there are
> many novices that fish these piers.
>
> Don't forget to rinse down all your gear with fresh water before leaving
> the pier, the have hoses for this
>
>
Thank you! I bought a bunch of basic fishing gear a couple years ago
and it's still sitting here unsused waiting for my husband........<he's
an over the road truckdriver>. I guess I'm going to have to get my
fishing license and take the kids. I have no problem with asking
people...he does <rolls eyes>. :) Maybe we'll start at the river a
mile from our new house.....there is a little marina there......

Thanks ya'll!

amy

[Amy D]

licker wrote:

>>I want to learn everything about everything - salt, fresh, crabs, oysters,
>
> shrimp. :)
>
> This will take many years to perfect this. If you don't mind taking a ride
> to Louisiana try emailing and ask him when his next fishing
> school is. He does one on sal****er fishing and he is does one once a year
> on bass fishing. He phone number is 504-340-1843. His classes are usually
> in the New Orleans area which is about 2 to 3 hours from Mobile depending on
> how you drive.
>
> To learn about oyster fishing you need to take a ride to Pointe a la Hache
> and see the oyster boats when they are harvesting. They unload at the dock
> with sacks of them into 18 wheelers. There is a processing house on the
> other side of the levee from the dock. If you can get a ride in a boat out
> into the marsh you will see some oyster reefs just below the water line.
> Most reefs are marked with white PVC poles. When they are harvested, the
> oyster boat drops a dredge a circles the reef several times. The dredge is
> then lifted and the oysters are then separated into individual pieces. They
> usually come up in big chunks. They are then placed in burlap sacks for
> storage. The old fashion way of harvesting oysters was with the use of long
> handle tongs. The boat would pull up to a reef and the men would work these
> tongs on the oyster reef breaking it apart and bring it up to the boat for
> harvesting. Oyster season is usually in the summer months.
>
> Crab: Crabbing can be done by several methods. Commercial fisherman
> usually us traps. Individuals can use a circle net to catch them or by
> using the line method. A good circle net would be made with stainless steel
> rings and good quality netting. There would be two large rings of the same
> size. Netting would be sewn between the rings to create three to four inch
> side when lifted. The top ring would have 4 lines that come up to a small
> float. The float has to be big enough to lift the lines but not the sides
> of the net. A longer floating rope that will reach the surface or to where
> you want to tie off to is then attached to the float. If not tying it off
> to a secure object, then another float is attached to the top of the
> floating rope at the surface. Just make sure you leave enough slack to keep
> the net from being lifted from tide or wave action. If using the line
> method, just tie a chicken neck to the string and let it sit suspended in
> the water just above the bottom. After sitting a while get a dip net and
> place it in the water about 12 inches away from the string. Do not lower
> the net all the way to the bottom only about 6 inches or so in the water.
> Now the most important thing is to slowly raise the net. When it gets close
> to the surface if you see a crab holding own then bring the net underneath
> it and scoop it into the net. This method requires wading in the water or
> by working off of a pier that you can reach down into the water.
>
> I hope this helps you visualize some of this.
>
> Sarge
>
>

Thank you, Sarge for some great info!

Once <at the end of last summer I think> we were at Pascagoula's pier
and someone was tossing a circle net off the pier. I believe he was
trying to catch shrimp....?

I've often seen families at this little park on Mobile Bay wading out
with flashlights and buckets right at dusk.....crabs?

Have you ever witnessed a "jubilee" on Mobile Bay? Since I don't know
anyone that lives on the bay I'll probably never witness one unless we
are accidently at the park but they are so fascinating!

amy

[licker]

Amy wrote; Once at the end of last summer I think we were at Pascagoula's
pier and someone was tossing a circle net off the pier. I believe he was
trying to catch shrimp....?

If he was throwing a circular net and then lifting it he would be throwing a
cast net for either shrimp or bait fish.

Amy wrote:I've often seen families at this little park on Mobile Bay wading
out with flashlights and buckets right at dusk.....crabs?

I done something similar to this but used Coleman lateens and a gig. We
went lantern for flounder. This can be dangerous at times since stingrays
bury themselves in the sand and at night their eyes look just like flounder
eyes. I do most of my crabbing after they already been boiled at the local
bar it is some much easier.

Amy wrote: Have you ever witnessed a "jubilee" on Mobile Bay? Since I don't
know anyone that lives on the bay I'll probably never witness one unless we
are accidentally at the park but they are so fascinating!

No, I don't live in Alabama but in Louisiana. I have witness several
parades on the water in a town called Madisonville. They do this every year
around Mardi Gras. Being this area is very heavy catholic there is a
blessing of the fleet (shrimp boats) every year in many locations on the
different bayous and communities. This is done in right before shrimp season
starts. This will be occurring around May of each year.

Suggestion number one is "Take A Kid". Teach them conservation and respect
of the resources. Never take more then what you can use. I not sure what
the limit is in your area but in Louisiana the limit on specks is 25. With
my son and I in the boat we can limit out sometimes and have too many fish
to eat. This is especially true when you catch a limit of 3 to 5 pounders.

If you want to have fun take some market shrimp and bait a hook off with it
and threw it off a pier in Mobile Bay. You might catch anything from a
hardhead catfish (trash), gafftopsail catfish (edible), speckle trout
(edible), redfish (edible), black drum (edible), sheephead (edible) or any
other type of fish out there. If you are interested in a good internet
resource to look for information on what is edible go to www.al.rodngun.com
There is a fish identification section. There is also reports on the area.
This may be some helpful information as to what works best in your area.

Sarge

[Amy D]

licker wrote:

> Amy wrote; Once at the end of last summer I think we were at Pascagoula's
> pier and someone was tossing a circle net off the pier. I believe he was
> trying to catch shrimp....?
>
> If he was throwing a circular net and then lifting it he would be throwing a
> cast net for either shrimp or bait fish.
>
> Amy wrote:I've often seen families at this little park on Mobile Bay wading
> out with flashlights and buckets right at dusk.....crabs?
>
> I done something similar to this but used Coleman lateens and a gig. We
> went lantern for flounder. This can be dangerous at times since stingrays
> bury themselves in the sand and at night their eyes look just like flounder
> eyes. I do most of my crabbing after they already been boiled at the local
> bar it is some much easier.
>
> Amy wrote: Have you ever witnessed a "jubilee" on Mobile Bay? Since I don't
> know anyone that lives on the bay I'll probably never witness one unless we
> are accidentally at the park but they are so fascinating!
>
> No, I don't live in Alabama but in Louisiana. I have witness several
> parades on the water in a town called Madisonville. They do this every year
> around Mardi Gras. Being this area is very heavy catholic there is a
> blessing of the fleet (shrimp boats) every year in many locations on the
> different bayous and communities. This is done in right before shrimp season
> starts. This will be occurring around May of each year.
>
> Suggestion number one is "Take A Kid". Teach them conservation and respect
> of the resources. Never take more then what you can use. I not sure what
> the limit is in your area but in Louisiana the limit on specks is 25. With
> my son and I in the boat we can limit out sometimes and have too many fish
> to eat. This is especially true when you catch a limit of 3 to 5 pounders.
>
> If you want to have fun take some market shrimp and bait a hook off with it
> and threw it off a pier in Mobile Bay. You might catch anything from a
> hardhead catfish (trash), gafftopsail catfish (edible), speckle trout
> (edible), redfish (edible), black drum (edible), sheephead (edible) or any
> other type of fish out there. If you are interested in a good internet
> resource to look for information on what is edible go to www.al.rodngun.com
> There is a fish identification section. There is also reports on the area.
> This may be some helpful information as to what works best in your area.
>
> Sarge
>
>

Thanks. :)

You need to check into jubilees. :)

It's a phenomenon that happens in Mobile Bay and only in one other place
in the world I think. Where the "oxygen level" gets weird and all the
critters float to the top gasping for breath and you can catch flounder,
crabs, everything else, etc with your bare hands. :) Quite awesome!

amy

[licker]

Amy,

I did some research on what you are calling a jubilee. I have never heard
of it before. I have seen fish come to the surface in large numbers in the
brackish marshes of Louisiana after a very heavy rain and an rising tide. I
never called this a jubilee. The fish seemed to survive this occurrence and
just move on to other areas.

However here is a link to your area on the jubilee. May be this will help
you plan to catch one. It talks about what is needed for this to occur and
when it is more likely. http://www.cofairhope.com/jubilee.html

Sarge

[Amy D]

licker wrote:

> Amy,
>
> I did some research on what you are calling a jubilee. I have never heard
> of it before. I have seen fish come to the surface in large numbers in the
> brackish marshes of Louisiana after a very heavy rain and an rising tide. I
> never called this a jubilee. The fish seemed to survive this occurrence and
> just move on to other areas.
>
> However here is a link to your area on the jubilee. May be this will help
> you plan to catch one. It talks about what is needed for this to occur and
> when it is more likely. http://www.cofairhope.com/jubilee.html
>
> Sarge
>
>

That's a good article. I read one once that there is only one other
place in the world that it happens. The tides, weather, wind have to be
just right...the tide pulling out the oxygenated water while winds
blowing in, I think.

amy