I've been fishing at least 10 times since January and can't seem to catch a single keeper!

Bass- NOPE!
Pompano- NOPE!
Spotted trout- nope!
Flounder- NOPE!
Sheeps head- NOPE!
Black Drum- NOPE!
Grouper- NOPE!
Snapper- NOPE!

Tried Lures, live shrimp, frozen shrimp, squid, fish bites. Tried the beach, trie the jetty, tried the pier, tried a charter boat. ZIP, NADA NIL!

Spent hundreds of dollars on new fishing equipment, hours on Youtube trying to figure this shit out, spent $100 on a charter boat out of Fort Pierce today and still JACK SHIT! Caught a cobia today that was about 6 inches too short and had to throw him back.

I'm taking a break from this shit for a while. Each failed attempt is a full day I should be spending in the shop and I have nothing to show for it.

Tony.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:
Each failed attempt is a full day I should be spending in the shop

I feel that you are missing the point of fishing.

I thought the point was lunch and/or dinner?

There are plenty of much cheaper ways to relax, if that is your point.

I've never been a fisherman. Growing up I always thought it was an excuse to drink beer.

I fished the streams of SW Idaho a bunch in my late 20's. Caught loads of trout but generally released them. I think I burnt out and haven't fished in over 40 years.

Relax...Take a chill pill....Remember a bad day of fishing is better than a good day on the job...........And unless you give away any caught fish then you have the extra fun of cleaning them and then cooking them. ...................... drill sgt.

I like cleaning and cooking fish. I don't mind having a trip or two where I get skunked, but 10 straight trips of failure without bringing anything back gets demoralizing.

I went out on a charter yesterday to at least give me some hope that there's some way of bringing back some fish and the captain gave some bullshit excuse about a cold current moving in and ruining the bite. Well if you knew that, why did you waste my fucking time and my money!?

Anyway, this is my first rant in the "What's your deal" forum.

Tony.

Don't give up, just wait until fall. During the month of October the annual mullet migration will be going down the east coast of Florida . These are bait sized "finger mullets" and easily netted in the surf.

I plan a trip every year going back decades centered around this event. I target spotted sea trout and flounder mainly but catch reds, Spanish mackerel, Jack crevalle, bluefish and others.

The pompano are also moving down the coast then but use shrimp or sand fleas for them.

Looks like Cape Canaveral and surrounds would be good for you. Come on up to Amelia island the 12-21 Oct . and I'll show you some pretty good Florida fishing.

Fishing on a lake with a friend once. I caught a bunch, he didn't catch anything.

We weren't leaving until he caught one. I said- You're putting to much effort into it. Where's your beer, Light a cigarette, here's a sandwich. There's a fishing rod in there somewhere.

Bam fish on= Successful fishing trip.

Back in the 90's I could tear up the Spotted Trout down in Ecofina.

Then first day of scallop season down at Keyton Beach be in the water all day long grabbing them off the bottom.

I'd be pretty disappointed if I didn't catch anything after paying for the charter.

But fishing to me is a relaxing thing. I'll just sit in my chair, smoke a cigar and relax. I'd prefer not to catch anything as to not disturb the peace.

Benny,

Being a Florida native and having lived all over I can say, which you probably already know, that Florida fishing is different than midwest, west coast, etc. fishing.

Time of day, weather, bait, lure vs live bait. Fresh, brackish, salt...

If you wanna get some positivity, go to a nice river, take some chicken livers you've left out for a few days in the sun and put a heavy weight on it and let it sit on the bottom, hell, throw 3-4 lines...and just wait for the catfish.

You might also have to deal with the damn eels, but its fun easy rewarding fishing with good meat to boot.

Bass fishing can be different for large mouth, small mouth, slight differences in a lake or pond vs river. I always had good luck with worms on old zebco reels just sidearming it under the brush hanging over the river bank.

MY favorite Florida fishing is cork or bobber fishing for bream, nightcrawlers work best but crickets also work, time of day is important, time of year, and the lunar cycle even. Right now is a great time for bream, late spring into summer. You can find a good spot and fill up a cooler. Find some nests, go when its overcast and not full on death ray sun, a little wind and some moving water helps. They will be feverish and bite anything.

Start working out the kinks and get your rhythm and you'll start seeing results.

ETA: If a charter doesn't catch anything I would be upset, we used to go out in the gulf and have our max per person in 5 minutes at each spot...you go out to different distances and come back in to closer and closer wrecks to the shore. Catch amberjack, snapper, trigger, tuna, and occasional grouper.

Maybe you could go fishing with Sheriff Judd and 150 kids on his annual Take a Kid Fishing day!

Link Fishin' with Judd

When I was in Tampa, I went out with this charter and had a blast: https://slotmachinefishingchar...pVxfSukYIfkumzQZ_lYI

Welcome to Florida, home of Publix grocery stores, where they have fresh, never-frozen, fish for sale.

They also have five-dollar packages of sushi every Wednesday, fresh-made in the store. I recommend the spicy tuna.

Benny, sorry about your luck. I’d give a party boat from Ponce Inlet a chance. I’ve been on Sea Spirit a few times and have never been skunked. Here’s to hoping your luck changes

Fluorocarbon leader, circle hooks, and figure out the tides. one thing that doesn’t change is Florida fish like structure too.

quote:

I’d give a party boat from Ponce Inlet a chance.

If you don't score any fish, there are a couple fish restaurants there. I haven't been to "Down The Hatch" for several years, but we used to get a pitcher of beer and the "all you can eat" plate of whatever their boat caught that day, for a very reasonable price.

Maybe Golf?

It's not for me but I know some fellas that get together every two weeks.

They don't do tournaments or anything.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Welcome to Florida, home of Publix grocery stores, where they have fresh, never-frozen, fish for sale.

They will slso literally “toss” you the packaged fish so you can truly claim you caught it. So I’ve heard.