where's the weed lines?

**FISHINPOC** · #1 08-10-2009, 05:38 PM

Headed south out of POC Friday AM. We wanted our snapper and had our limit in under an hour at a rig 20 miles out.

Good, now we can head out deep and look for pelagics. We drove by the Dunbars, North and South Baker, and never found anything on top. We drug some plastic in open water on a rip - nothing doing. We saw only tiny bits of scattered weed all day - what gives??

There was one shrimper in 260 feet of water - managed a just-legal ling and one little tunny and then it went dead. It was an extra 80 miles of motoring for two fish more than what we got at that 1st rig - anyone else see any weedlines?

Went out to the same rig for another snapper limit Saturday and it was a parking lot. Managed four Reds, a couple of vermillions, and a few short AJs and last but not least a flounder which was a first for me out here.

Check out the greedy snapper - he ripped off one of our croakers and went straight to the next hook with a different result.

**WillfishforFood** · #2 08-10-2009, 06:06 PM

we went on saturday too, and never really saw any boats at the rigs we fished. We had a great day, and fished the shrimp boats in close and caught king after king after king, and some jacks and other misc fish.

**teckersley** · #3 08-11-2009, 01:35 PM

I agree! WTH? Very odd year for sure. I posted a similar thread a while back and it has not gotten any better since.

**Tiny** · #4 08-12-2009, 07:10 AM

They have weed lines in the Gulf of Mexico??????

**Red Tuna** · #5 08-12-2009, 01:01 PM

I was looking at one of Hilton's maps the other day that shows the upwellings and downwellings...

From what I understand, fishing over an upwelling is ideal for finding pelagic fish, and a downwelling is bad.

Well, there is a huge downwelling right over some of the most popular spots in our area. Centered probably 40 miles south of Freeport, or about 40 miles east of Port O Connor. So German Charlies, W 27s, and A28 are right in the middle, and Salvadore and Tequila/Sunrise are right at the edge.

I know nothing about this really and I could be getting this wrong, but I wonder if that is why the pelagics haven't been around as much this summer?

**bailout2860** · #6 08-12-2009, 02:03 PM

Oh they have been around you just gotta look in the right places.

**ColeS** · #7 08-12-2009, 06:06 PM

Now that is interesting. I've been looking over my notes from past years and have noticed:

1. The snapper fishing is better at this point in the summer than I can ever remember. Beeliners and grouper are pretty good, too.

2. Amberjack seem to be spotty.

3. The shrimpboat tuna action seems spotty.

4. Chicken dolphin are steady, but no big ones.

5. I haven't seen a piece of seaweed bigger than my fist all summer.

I went to Campeche yesterday and am pleased to say the strong westerly current that has plagued me all summer seems to have abated. It was a very pleasant day out there.

Cole

**fuelish1** · #8 08-13-2009, 07:55 PM

I know that in prior years, there was a limit to the amount of sargassom "weed" that the commercial boats could harvest to make fertilizer...did that end and now they have scooped it ALL up? I didn't see much of anything on my 48hr trip either....used to see it all over the place, now, NADA (guess that makes the surf fishing MUCH more enjoyable)

**Swells** · #9 08-13-2009, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuelish1

I know that in prior years, there was a limit to the amount of sargassom "weed" that the commercial boats could harvest to make fertilizer...did that end and now they have scooped it ALL up? I didn't see much of anything on my 48hr trip either....used to see it all over the place, now, NADA (guess that makes the surf fishing MUCH more enjoyable)

It's them girls, I'm telling ya. Seaweed is used in the following girlie things: lipstick, girlie ice cream, girlie shampoo, and nearly all salad dressing. Check out the Inter-Webs if you doubt me.

Unfortunately, in a recession these girls buy MORE instead of less. The comms responded by taking 99.47 percent of the seaweed in the Gulf.

Us guys? Sometimes a little seaweed is used in making beer and explosives, but not near like them girlies can do, I'm tellin' ya.

**Possession Limit Lures** · #10 08-13-2009, 08:31 PM

Crew and I traveled about 40 miles out to A-19 area (from Matty)yesterday and intentionally diverted about 10 miles south on track in, no weed lines at all.We only had a few shreds of weeds around color change a few miles out.-Mike