# Trolling Surf



## texasangler07

Buddy and I are planning to troll the surf with a jet ski. Plan on targeting tarpon and kings. What is a good bait to troll? Saw some ribbon fish and mullet imitations for trolling at bass pro shop today. Or is live bait the way to go?? Thanks in advance


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## Fishin' Soldier

Have you checked out my post on Bluewater discussion? If not go check it out. If you want to get together this summer let me know.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=204474&page=9


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## bwguardian

Not sure where you are located...but here in the Galveston area tarpon do not start showing up until mid June.


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## texasangler07

Oh I understand they won't show up for a while. Ill be fishing Port Aransas area. Just wanted to plan ahead.


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## Reel_Blessed II

Will Kings show up that close in Port A?


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## Tarponchaser

Jacks are there now... 

I will let you know.

TC


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## texasangler07

I believe people catch nice kings off of Bob Hall Pier later in the summer. I may be wrong though. So yes they come in real close.


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## fuelish1

Tarponchaser said:


> Jacks are there now...
> 
> I will let you know.
> 
> TC


jacks are one hard fighting fish...I'm amazed at how many people want nothing to do with them........you can't eat tarpoon, bonefish or most other glamor species either! I'll take any fish that bites and fights! I've seen some nice kings and spanish mackeral come over the rail at Bob Hall....not to mention many other species!


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## texasangler07

HAHA if a dang Jack takes my bait I promise im not gonna cry about it! Fight is what it is all about...plus good shark bait!


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## Animal Chris

Reel_Blessed II said:


> Will Kings show up that close in Port A?


May is a good time to find kingfish close to the beach. Easy way to look is to troll a #2 1/2 Drone spoon, rigged with a 4 oz trolling sinker, just behind the prop wash and skip a rigged ballyhoo on top, just behind it. Get ready for some silver ballistic missiles. And, if they don't jump, it's either a jack or a ling. Also jumped more than a few tarpon this way, too.


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## Reel_Blessed II

Animal Chris said:


> May is a good time to find kingfish close to the beach. Easy way to look is to troll a #2 1/2 Drone spoon, rigged with a 4 oz trolling sinker, just behind the prop wash and skip a rigged ballyhoo on top, just behind it. Get ready for some silver ballistic missiles. And, if they don't jump, it's either a jack or a ling. Also jumped more than a few tarpon this way, too.


Good deal. Thanks for the tip. Look forward to hooking up with some off shore goodies this Summer. Now, If I can gigure out what a Drone spoon is I'm set. LOL...Don't think the Academy in Austin has any off shore items. Heading to Rockport today after work for some inshore fishing and golf this weekend and got some reports that ACE hardware actually has a decent selection so I'll start building my offshore arsenal. Thanks.


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## 11andy11

magnum rattle traps ought to work also.


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## texasangler07

What kind of rod/reel is proper for trolling for kingfish/tarpon?


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## Animal Chris

Here you go. I usually just use the #2 1/2 in all chrome, but have had good luck with the larger ones in black with red flash and yellow with black flash. 
Another good trolling lure is a tiger stripe Wiggle Diver, rigged with a trolling weight.


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## GameThumper

Animal, how far off beach do you troll? Do you have to find a gut and run it?


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## Animal Chris

All depending on the time of year, I'd go a half to a mile off the beach, maybe deeper. It would all depend on the water conditions and bait.


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## daddyhoney

I have never trolled from a jet ski (yet) but have fished near shore plenty. Some of my largest kings were with in 1/2 a mile. Caught one near 45# paralling the Galveston jetties. I like magnum Rapalas the best. Blue mackrel, green mackrel, and best by a wide margin is white with a red head. The big spoons also the job done.
I need to try the trolling in line sinker mentioned above. The old Russell lure or King Getter will find the jacks if they are around. :clover:Good luck and be safe. Gary


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## ML56

*? Animal Chris*



Animal Chris said:


> May is a good time to find kingfish close to the beach. Easy way to look is to troll a #2 1/2 Drone spoon, rigged with a 4 oz trolling sinker, just behind the prop wash and skip a rigged ballyhoo on top, just behind it. Get ready for some silver ballistic missiles. And, if they don't jump, it's either a jack or a ling. Also jumped more than a few tarpon this way, too.


You mentioned ling , do we have a fishery for surf running ling like the Florida coast? I have a hunch that we do but our dirty surf just doesn't let us stalk and sight cast to them. Sounds like you might know for sure.What's your experience with ling close in?Any info appreciated-Mike


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## Animal Chris

Most of my fishing took place along the middle Texas coast, out from POC and Port A. Typically, when you head out the jetties, you'll have 3 different water colors, the sandy water off the beach, then the sandy green water and then the clear green water. The sandy green water is usually referred to as "jackfish green" and the clear green water is referred to as "kingfish green" water. While we don't experience the schools of "cruiser" cobia like they do off the Northern Gulf of Mexico in the spring, there are ling to be found. We would see them quite frequently around the the inshore buoys, close in rigs and along the weed lines, many times less than 5 miles offshore, but the key is to fish in the clear green water. 
May used to provide us with some of our largest kingfish of the year, along with some nice ling. And of course, then there were times you couldn't beat the jackfish off with a stick. But it was not unusual to find them all within site of the jetties.


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## Mustad7731

Most of the guys are talking about artificials...That is cool...I've caught most of
my close in kingfish with "Silver Russel Lure's" plus lots of Jacks...
If I was looking for Monster Kings I think I'd rig with live mullet 9"+...Put a hook thru
the eye sockets and a stinger with wire thru the front part of the tail...
That is what the guys in the King Tourneys use...LIVE BAIT Bigger the better....
Mustad7731
Jackie


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## Tarponchaser

That will work. Big jacks really like big live bait also. Its a case of who gets there first.

TC


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## Slim-N-None

i was gonna try trolling about a mile or two off the galveston beachfront last year, but i had a kid so i didn't get to go at all last year. does that sound like it's far enough out? My brother thought trolling wasn't a good way to catch fish, that is till he saw it fill a cooler with fish. now he wants to try it again. i'm also wanting to just go out and try chum up a bunch of sharks and fight em till our arms hurt, but i don't think that would be a good idea on a jet ski.....


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## Tarponchaser

Slim,

My experience off of the Galveston beach is that no chumming is required. Just drift a bait and you will catch sharks. It only takes one to make my arms hurt.

Due to dire financial circumstances and bailout applications not yet being available at my local bank, I have had to scale back for this tarpon season.

Instead of the 23' Shamrock gas guzzler, I will be fishing out of a newly acquired Aqua Ray. This very seaworthy vessel may be seen by googling Aqua Ray and looking at the ones used in Cancun by tourist.

Mine is powered by a new 25 HP Yahama and should be very efficient and stealthy as it is about the size of a large tarpon or medium sized shark.

I am hoping that Scott will either create a new division for motorized craft under twelve feet or allow me and Slim to enter the kayak division.

Due to space restrictions, my former crew will have to be replaced. Small, agile, and brave or foolish persons may apply by PM.

TC


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## Spec-Rig.006

PM Oz on the shark page, or at extreme coast ... he seems to be the king of trolling the surf for kings ...


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## Capt. Billy L. Sandifer

*Corpus Area Tarpon*

Saw in the Salty Angler that some guy landed one on the 22nd of April and another was reported off the end of the Packery jetty 2 days ago so they are here. Capt. Sally told me last week she had a major jack school attack along the East shoreline of Aransas recently. Y'all are talking about Ling. Late last 2 Summers we encountered as many as 30 Ling in a bunch around nearshore platforms and sightcast them to 51" and of course lost bigger ones Biggest King we got was butterfly jigging near the bottom in 42' of water (52"), so you just never know till you go. Man won't it feel good when this wind tunnel slows down a bit. Local CC weather is now saying "breezy" if it's less than 40 mph. and Windy if it's over 40 mph. What a hoot. Very best to everybody and have a good season. Capt. Billy L. Sandifer


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## Animal Chris

Capt. Billy L. Sandifer said:


> Local CC weather is now saying "breezy" if it's less than 40 mph. and Windy if it's over 40 mph. What a hoot. Very best to everybody and have a good season.


*After all Capt. Billy, the motto of the Sparkling City By the Sea is "Where the cool breeze blows", but they left out one word...*

*Constantly! *


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## CrazyYak

Spec-Rig.006 said:


> PM Oz on the shark page, or at extreme coast ... he seems to be the king of trolling the surf for kings ...


Their not trolling the surf...

Fishing nearshore at an undisclosed location.


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## CrazyYak

Tarponchaser said:


> Slim,
> 
> My experience off of the Galveston beach is that no chumming is required. Just drift a bait and you will catch sharks. It only takes one to make my arms hurt.
> 
> Due to dire financial circumstances and bailout applications not yet being available at my local bank, I have had to scale back for this tarpon season.
> 
> Instead of the 23' Shamrock gas guzzler, I will be fishing out of a newly acquired Aqua Ray. This very seaworthy vessel may be seen by googling Aqua Ray and looking at the ones used in Cancun by tourist.
> 
> Mine is powered by a new 25 HP Yahama and should be very efficient and stealthy as it is about the size of a large tarpon or medium sized shark.
> 
> I am hoping that Scott will either create a new division for motorized craft under twelve feet or allow me and Slim to enter the kayak division.
> 
> Due to space restrictions, my former crew will have to be replaced. Small, agile, and brave or foolish persons may apply by PM.
> 
> TC


I'll gladly loan you a kayak! Who needs engines anyway?


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## Tarponchaser

Yak,

Thanks for the offer. However; some years ago, I promised God that if I ever got back to shore, I would never venture on the water with a vessel that was not powered again. I plan to keep this promice.

A 25 HP motor in barely powered and I am hoping to be able to enter it into the kayak division.

See you at Galveston,

TC


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## northpaw

Tarponchaser said:


> Yak,
> 
> Thanks for the offer. However; some years ago, I promised God that if I ever got back to shore, I would never venture on the water with a vessel that was not powered again. I plan to keep this promice.
> 
> See you at Galveston,
> 
> TC


Yeah. but my paddle has yet to run out of gas or fail to start.


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## Tarponchaser

Those are good points but I am pretty sure that my paddle would run out of gas.

Good Luck,

TC


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## mhutch1970

i have seen tarpon and kings caught off the bob hall pier over the memorial weekend.....both fish are in the surf now.....it is time


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## gigem87

texasangler07 said:


> What kind of rod/reel is proper for trolling for kingfish/tarpon?


My setup is this:

Shimano TLD 15's on the FTU copy of the Falcon SC-10-1610 rod. XXH action, 6'10" long. Spooled with 40 pound mono. Also have Shimano TLD 20 on the FTU "King Katcher" rod...

Will be dragging big Rapala's and also drifting shad, ribbon fish, mullet, etc. out of my old Boston Whaler Outrage 21' banana boat down in Port A. Wave if you see me!


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