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With the gulf temps reaching the mid-60's consistently, I was waiting for a window to get out and target the first migratory game fish to come into the surf. Monday afternoon was just the chance and I was lucky enough to be able to hit the window.
Conditions were a little sporty, but very yakkable. The shrimpers were out in force up and down the beachfront. I wonder what they were trawling for? I am used to seeing the bigger boats out later when the shrimp season opens, but I don't rememer seeing them this early. Ibtsoom?
Started soaking that dead shrimp and it was still a bit early for sheepies, but the drum are already here. Not super-fast action, but I filled the limit in about 1.5hrs. I caught and released a borderline sheepie, and another nice drum, and my buddy caught a decent sheepie.
One of the drum had strange parasites on it. I am used to seeing the pill bug-looking ones, and the ones that look like mini horseshoe crabs that you see on flounder, but this one was different. Weird filament-looking worms that hang on by their mouths.
The bite died off so we headed in well before dark. It should only be getting better until the bait stealers make it too much of a PITA in May, but it will be all about the surf-run specks with artis by then.
I'm not a very good Winter fisherman so I am excited to have a different pattern to fish.
Conditions were a little sporty, but very yakkable. The shrimpers were out in force up and down the beachfront. I wonder what they were trawling for? I am used to seeing the bigger boats out later when the shrimp season opens, but I don't rememer seeing them this early. Ibtsoom?
Started soaking that dead shrimp and it was still a bit early for sheepies, but the drum are already here. Not super-fast action, but I filled the limit in about 1.5hrs. I caught and released a borderline sheepie, and another nice drum, and my buddy caught a decent sheepie.
One of the drum had strange parasites on it. I am used to seeing the pill bug-looking ones, and the ones that look like mini horseshoe crabs that you see on flounder, but this one was different. Weird filament-looking worms that hang on by their mouths.
The bite died off so we headed in well before dark. It should only be getting better until the bait stealers make it too much of a PITA in May, but it will be all about the surf-run specks with artis by then.
I'm not a very good Winter fisherman so I am excited to have a different pattern to fish.
COMMUNITY WITH A LARGE
PROBLEM AND A 
PROBLEM.
The meat tastes the exact same, even looks the same and has the same texture when you cut them. They get bad raps from some folks (along with sheepies, which are oz for oz my favorite inshore fish to eat), but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that they do not hit artis regularly. Both can be tough to clean if you try go to about it like a trout.
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