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Post by cnot on Jul 16, 2007 20:39:03 GMT -5
Went out to the mouth of the York River today in search of some doormats, didn't find any... Couldn't get the bait to stay on the bottom because the Croaker were so thick!! Wouldn't have been so bad if the Croaker were of any size, but today they were all in the 8 to 12 inch range. When we tried larger cut bait, the dog sharks picked up on it fast.
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Post by sandyharley on Jul 16, 2007 20:47:22 GMT -5
It was still better than a day at the ofice LOL and, you got a chance to catch some fresh bait.
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Post by cnot on Jul 16, 2007 21:12:47 GMT -5
I gave in, broke out the ultra lite rod and played with them while my buddy kept trying to get a flattie. those Croaker put up a tussel for their size. It was a great day and with the exception of the 10 knot blow, the weatherman was way off. No thunder storms or down pours.
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Post by mdram on Jul 17, 2007 6:51:20 GMT -5
remember croaker are poor mans drum
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Post by sandyharley on Jul 17, 2007 17:22:28 GMT -5
A 12"+ croaker is good table fair if you you clean it and, ice it rite away.I catch croaker while dead bait fishing for red fish in deep water up to around 20"here in SC.A croaker over 20" is rare around here
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Post by cnot on Jul 17, 2007 21:31:12 GMT -5
This is driving me crazy!! I have never caught so many under 12 inches and so few over that. And when I say the schools are thick, I mean THICK!! I have caught quite a few on a bare hook, and they are following a hooked fishall the way to the boat. (Croaker with a Mahi Mahi attitude!!!) LOL
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Post by mdram on Jul 18, 2007 7:08:11 GMT -5
ummm well the limit here is 9" then they can be kept, so use em as bait
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Post by cnot on Jul 18, 2007 10:38:22 GMT -5
Wow, you guys have a size limit on Croaker??? Is there a bag limit too??? Do they allow you to use them as live bait?? Some states consider anything with size or bag limits on a species don't allow you to use them as a live bait. (and some don't allow them to be used as cut bait either.)
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Post by mdram on Jul 18, 2007 12:31:08 GMT -5
yep 9" 25 per person per day
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Post by sandyharley on Jul 18, 2007 17:40:15 GMT -5
A 9 or 10" live croaker is great for digging big grouper in deep water
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Post by cnot on Jul 20, 2007 22:59:25 GMT -5
Grouper is a bit of a ride around here. Slightly smaller croakers are Flattie and Striper bait.
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Post by sandyharley on Jul 21, 2007 18:11:26 GMT -5
Big speck trout love them to !!!!!! I have used them for trout in the fall and, the big blue fish love them to.I use a 6"to 8" live croaker or pin fish under a large popping float.
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Post by cnot on Jul 21, 2007 19:46:20 GMT -5
I've caught big weakfish on them in NJ with them, never used thm for specks here.
Unless I read the regs wrong, VA bag limit on Groupers is 1 per person per day. With the cost of fuel, that is one expensive fish!!!
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Post by sandyharley on Jul 22, 2007 14:33:58 GMT -5
At one per day with the cost of fuel I can understand that !
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Post by cnot on Jul 22, 2007 16:47:23 GMT -5
I'll have to travel south for my stock up on them. Once again I'm left scratching my head over the regs in this state.
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Post by sandyharley on Jul 22, 2007 19:49:08 GMT -5
I guess they look at things in a deferent way up there
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Post by cnot on Oct 10, 2007 23:48:33 GMT -5
And the Croaker are still plaguing me! I go for Stiper and cach Croaker that are bigger than the Stripers in hte area.... King Neptune must hate me!
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Post by mdram on Oct 11, 2007 7:27:18 GMT -5
throw a 15/0 cirlcle hook in one and liveline him
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Post by cnot on Oct 11, 2007 20:23:17 GMT -5
I'm thinking of trying to talk my buddy into taking me out on his boat to some deeper water and offering the little buggers to Reef Mules... (Though the cats do love grilled Croaker....
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Post by sandyharley on Oct 11, 2007 20:45:12 GMT -5
Live baiting one out around the CBT may be the ticket.
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