The first few reports are back-dated to coincide with when those trips were taken, but I will do my best to keep this thread updated with future trips as they happen. I do this mainly for myself to keep a log of my progress and also partly to add something to the forums and this Broward section.
Thursday July 18, 2013 - shortly before sunset
A large front was moving east and when I got to the beach it was approaching fast with dark clouds to the northwest. I went to the north side of the pier and got a few casts in with artificials before the downpour came. I had a rain coat in the truck, but foolishly left it there and I didn't want to haul all my gear (cooler, bucket, two rods, backpack) back to the truck to get it and instead continued fishing. I got drenched and then hid out under the pier until a break in the rain. Fished a bit more, the rain returned in earnest so I packed up and left - zero bites, zero fish landed.
Saturday July 20, 2013 - 6:00 AM, sunrise in half an hour, high tide around the same time
I got to the surf before sunrise and began with artificials again. I used a soft brownish shad with gold glitter, a green tail and red jig head. About one foot out from the surf crashing the beach something hit it hard and shortly after the lure and fish were gone. The uni knot I tied had come loose. Bah! I then switched to a different knot, a double loop something or other (I forget the exact name, make two loops, put one thru the other and then tag end (holding the lure) through that one). That knot holds very well. I continued fishing with that same shad for about an hour after sunrise with no further activities. One bite, zero fish landed (that one got away, bah)
Monday July 22 2013 - around Dusk
Given my so far lackluster results with artificials I decided to rig up a fishfinder rig, but having no live bait, I put a frozen shrimp on it and my wife and I sat and waited to reel in the goods. I bet you guessed it, picked clean by bait fish - bah again. I went back to using a bucktail jig but never got bit - zero bites, zero fish landed.
Tuesday July 23, 2013 - Dusk to Dark (9:30ish)
As I still had no live bait, I stuck with artificials again. Earlier today I had received my shipment of lures from Treasure Coast Tackle, further up the coast. I got a couple Unfair Lures Rip N Slash, a couple of Unfair Lures Minnows, and one other. TCT was awesome, they gave me free shipping and some free hand-washing product to test. I will definitely order from them again. So, with my shiny new lures I was excited to nail the fish. I tried both the Chartreuse Rip N Slash and the silver/black Minnow. Zip. Zero bites, zero landed fish. Things can only go up from here!
Thursday July 25, 2013 - 7:00 to Dark (9:00ish)
I was determined to try the fishfinder rig properly this time, so I rigged up a sabiki on my smaller rod and left for the beach. I got there about 7:00, one hour before sunset. My wife was going to meet me there after her nail appointment, but then reneged as she didn't want to scuff her new nails - bah, what are her priorities!? The tide was still out quite a bit, but the bait was going crazy, and so were the birds. A good sign I thought. I loaded up the sabiki, tipped with pieces of frozen shrimp and put it out. A couple of tries and then I got what I believe to be a pilchard. Having never done this before, I had previously consulted the all-knowing-but-often-incorrect internet
so I knew that I should probably hook the bait through the nostrils. I had a 2/0 circle hook, which was a little stiff going through and I wound up pushing the hook out before the other nostril, really messing up that cartilage in the nose, but I casted him out anyway. After about thirty minutes, I noticed that it didn't seem that the fish was swimming around any as my line was quite steady. I reeled it in, and found the pilchard was dead. I must have killed in the process of getting that hook through the nostrils. I need more practice at this! Zero bites, zero landed fish unless you count the pilchard which I don't. But at least I had a real attempt at fishing with live bait for a chance, so I count that as progress. I am going out of town on Saturday for a week, so my next update will probably be a week from Sunday or later. I do plan to take my tandem fishing kayak to Biscayne Bay after our trip, but I will leave that out of this journal since this is about Broward surf fishing. See you all next time!
