Crawfishing

I thought this whole time it was called "loberstering" but was corrected as I purchased my fishing license. Now this I haven't done but I am looking forward to mini-season which begins at the end of the month. I've been briefed on what I need to do. Take a deep breath, dive a few feet, tickle the lobster and lead it to my bag while making sure there is no fish bigger than me or a sting ray or any other thing that would scare the living begeezers out of me as I slowly release air and make sure to have enough to come back up. Geez that sounds tiring to me. I am a bit fearful of the ocean especially after my boyfriend caught a black-tipped shark and then expected me to go diving after I witnessed the whole ordeal. What crazy person does that?! Me. I dove in 15 feet deep water (minutes after the shark thrashed and released itself from the galf in its mouth). This was a bit scary at first, I kept looking out for the shark even though I knew we were no longer at 100 feet plus depth and were actually where we caught our bait. I felt pretty comfortable and think I'll be able to tickle and catch. The idea of surf and turf is my motivation. Do you have any advice for a first time "crawfisher?" I want to be most effective while not getting stung or eaten.

Forgetting Something?

Spoke about shaving, sunblock vs. sunscreen, catching bait to catch fish and not once did I mention the need for a fishing license. Unless you're under 16 or over 65 you will need a fishing license. These can be purchased online, over the phone, at bait and tackle shops, tax collectors' office and even Wal-Mart. They are not costly and are valid for a full year from the date of purchase. Keep in mind that if you add a permit such as "crawfish," it does not allow you to catch it unless in that particular catching season. There are requirements as far as fish weight and length goes as well as a limit on how many fish per person. Make sure that you can legally take your catch home or be ready to pay the fine(s). Do not start cleaning (gutting) your fish while out in the water, this, too, can cost you. Pay attention to what you catch and make sure you can keep it. The idea is to have fun while abiding with Florida Law. Here is a link that can better inform you on obtaining a license: http://www.floridasportsman.com/

On to Fishing!

Okay, now here is where I am lacking! You've successfully caught bait and it swims in the bait well. You will now sail to deeper waters, 100 feet plus. To catch something like a Black Tipped Shark or Grouper you will need to use a heavy weight rod and a different hook, add weights to your line and put your live bait on the hook. If I have not mastered knotting to catch bait, I'm not even going to try to explain knotting for heavier fish as for this type of fishing you will also add weights to your line so that the line makes it deep into the water. Ask for help! Once your rod, line, hook and bait are ready to go, cast your line by releasing your bail. You don't really have to throw it out; you can simply drop in front of you. Once you see slack on the line, lock your bail and reel in a bit. Try to drop your line at a distance from where your buddies drop their lines to avoid getting tangled, especially when catching the big ones! You will not be able to see the fish approaching your live bait this time and the tugs are really noticable. I use a rod holder, looks like a belt and prevents the soon to be heavy rod from digging into your body. If you feel a strong pull, enough to where a fish can be potentially hooked on, pull your body back a bit along with the rod and reel in. The fish will fight it and will try to swim back down, KEEP REELING IN! You will continue reeling in each time you pull the rod up (it will go down as the fish is fighting) and this is as far as I have gotten. I have not been able to bring a fish on to the boat and into the cooler =( shall I talk to them like Bert and Ernie?

Catching Bait

Yes, to catch the big fish you must catch some bait. To catch your bait you will use bait that you buy at a fish and tackle shop. I use squid or balihoo as my "bait" catcher. Now this is my forte! You will catch bait in depths of 5-15 feet (depth finder = best friend) and around grassy shallows or near reefs. Pick a light-weight fishing rod. That’s it. I know that different rods use different fishing line (holds more or less weight) but in the beginning just getting your rod, putting on your hook, adding the bait and dropping the line is all you need to worry about. To catch bait, use a hair hook. I learned the hard way that it is okay to double and triple knot your hook on the line to ensure that it stays there. If you don’t know the fishing knots (I don’t) just tie a lot! Add your bait to the hair hook (small piece of squid or balihoo), release the bail on the reel and cast (technical word for throwing) your line until you see your bait a few feet under water. Lock the bail and reel in your line a bit. Feel a tug? Pull your rod up a bit to get that hook stuck and start reeling your bait in. Once you can reach the bait, pull the line closer to you and try to remove the hook as gently as possible. Make sure that this is a fish you can actually keep for bait or at all. This is where your habitual fishing friends come in handy! If it’s a yes, congrats! Take your bait and put it in the bait well that should be circulating salt water. Now you’re ready to catch more bait!

Click on the link below if like me you didn’t know what a bail is!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fishing_reel.svg

SPF What?

Sunscreen vs. Sunblock. Sunscreen soaks in the UV rays so that they don’t reach your actual skin. Sunblock completely blocks the UVA & UVB rays. Sunscreen is not as messy and is usually invisible. Note that if using something that is “invisible” you may miss spots and potentially have streaks in the areas that you missed. This explains the streaks I had the first time! I guess a helping hand is needed, too. If you have sensitive skin, look for products made especially for you. Clothing will not shield your body from the sun; it is comparable to simply applying SPF 5. You will need more than this for a full day of fishing. There are many products today that aren’t as “creamy” and are absorbed as quick as sunscreen; in fact many products are composed of sunscreen and sunblock. To find these look at the list of ingredients, specifically for titanim dioxide or zinc oxide. It may have both. I have translucent skin and don’t make a habit out of spending a full day under the sun with the water amplifying its effect. I wear nothing less than SPF 50 and apply it before I even leave my house and continue to apply throughout the day. There are sunblock sticks that you can buy and they become handy when reapplying to your face. Especially after you’ve been cutting bait and have smelly hands.

To Shave or Not to Shave?

Ladies and Gents: Do not shave the night before or the day that you will be going fishing. This will irritate your skin especially if you go inside the water. If you must shave, you may get some red, mosquito-bite looking bumps on the area you shaved. For a moment, I thought I had chicken pox and it was starting on my legs! Should this happen to you, go to a pharmacy and buy “jock itch” cream. It contains Clotrimazole which relieves the irritation, itching and redness. Apply this cream (thin layer) at least twice a day; this is what a pharmacist advised me. It is not oily and is absorbed fairly quick. The small red bumps will disappear within a few days. If possible, plan ahead and shave at least a full 24 hours prior to hopping on the boat.