New Smyrna and Oak Hill 4-25-2020

[SHELLFISH]

On Friday I stopped at Doris Leeper Park here in New Smyrna and spoke with a couple of fishermen. Their catch was off and all they were getting was undersize Mangrove Snappers. They also told me that their bait was getting harassed by crabs! Just what I wanted to hear! The crabbing has not been good in our area for quite some time!
On Saturday 4-25-2020 I arrived at Doris Leeper Park at 8am to find the park empty! That is real unusual for a Saturday here especially with everyone on social lockdown! All five ring nets were in the dead low water soon after arrival and the park started to fill up with visitor fishermen and kayakers.  I had four nets baited with Sheepshead racks and the fifth net was baited with a Lionfish rack. After one hour and many pulls on the nets I had not seen a single crab! The tide was outgoing at a pretty good clip by then. Time to relocate!
I then drove down to Riverbreeze Park to give that a try. It was also slow there and I was the only crabber there. After two hours I had two male keeper crabs. That was it! There were lots of little three inch crabs all over the place and hopefully they will grow quickly. These are my first two keeper crabs of the season. Hopefully things will pick up around here. I had a poor year last year and I hope I don't get a repeat! I hope everyone else is doing better than I am!

[jack1747]

You mean lionfish like the poison kind?  

[booman17]

Thanks for the report!  I found that most at riverbreeze were small or females.  I am going to try and get out this weekend.  Feel like I may stop by Goodrich's as I feel like it has to start producing at some point.  I am interested in your bait choice.  Did you go out and catch those fish.  This fall before my daughter was born I was trying to catch a sheepshead.  I have never caught one before.  Hopefully next fall/winter when I have more time.  I did just watch a youtube video today of someone shrimping put of Oak Hill.  Would like to also try that in the near future if the crabs are not going to show up!...Again thanks for the report and hopefully things pick up soon!

[SHELLFISH]

You mean lionfish like the poipshead are a great tasting fish but difficult to catch!son kind?  

Yes! I bought one the other day to try it out. Very tasty fish!
I had the remaing rack and thought I would use it  crabbing.
It did OK  but not great. The Sheepshead racks worked much better.
Another fish rack that doesn't work as well as others is Gray Triggerfish.
All Snappers, Mullet and Flounder work well!

booman17 Sheepshead are a great tasting fish but difficult to catch!
They are supreme bait stealers; worse than Mangrove Snappers.
The secret is to set the hook just before they bite!
If they were a mammal they would be a Coyote..."The Trickster"!

I just got a report from Goodriches: He did well using bacon as bait!
Yesterday There were two Asians crabbing at the south causeway in New Smyrna.
They were using chicken legs in ring nets and a couple hand lines too!
They were only catching female eggers. One hour no legals!