Trollies &
Kings
Trolleys posted on the
end of the pier at Sharky's, are an indication of the onslaught to
come in weeks, if not days ahead, of the annual Spring migration of
Scomberomorous cavalla, the Kingfish or better known as King
Mackerel. This biannual migration of the Kings occurs first in the
springtime and then again in the fall before water temperatures
become too cold for their comfort. Trolley rigs account for most of
the Kings caught from on the boards of the pier. Stretching out more
than seven hundred feet from the shoreline is the Venice City Pier,
also known as “Sharky's on the Pier.” The pier is an excellent
place to catch mackerels, sharks, Reds, Trout, Snook, Tarpon and just
about anything that swims in the Gulf of Mexico. The reason so many
fish are found near the pier and large sharks, to fourteen feet,
along with monster King Mackerels up to fifty plus pounds is that the
pier falls just short of a geological feature on the bottom, which
causes a metalimnion to occur. A metalimnion represent a rapid
decrease in temperature with depth; also called a thermo cline.
Sharks performed a regular duel migration, spending the day below the
thermo cline and rising towards the surface at night, as this is an
adjustment to their internal body temperatures with the top of the
water column being warmer than the bottom. This thermo cline acts as
an air conditioner does to us; hence many sharks too are caught off
the pier to which it is named. This small to medium drop-off or
subtle cliff, follows the coastline for miles from offshore in to a
point by the pier and extending itself northward to the reaches of
Tampa Bay. As little as a two foot difference in depth to six feet or
more turns this thermo cline into a flowing current or highway to
which fish follow. During the spring and now that it is Fall, the
biggest of the mackerels, the kingfish, will start their southern
migration back to the tropics following the kings highway, as anglers
wait in anticipation of catching a trollied King, over the subsurface
terrain!
The Terrain!
Besides this thermo
cline being a virtual highway to fish of all kinds, it is an
invitation for sharks in dining out on the passing menu choices. This
thermo cline, occurs because of a number of outcrops along its route,
coupled with a few freshwater geothermal springs and the remains of a
ancient fossilized coral reef just to the south of the pier, to which
I named “The Bone Yard.” Between shifting sands from the
currents, erosion, and beach re-nourishment programs, the Bone Yard
has entire fossilized mammoth tusks secured to the bottom along with
other artifacts, bones and teeth from days long gone by. Just to the
north of the pier lies the Venice reef. Created in August of 1980, it
has been used as a dumping grounds for concrete rubble, bridge
materials, culverts, re-bar and the remains of the old Venice Pier.
Plot numbers, 2706.296, 8228.91, it is a real treat in fishing for
more sharks, shallow water grouper, cruising barracuda and Ling
(Cobia). Not to mention all the bait stealer's including nice snapper
to convict fish, the Sheepshead, making the Venice Pier at Sharky's a
focal point right in the middle of a fishing phenomena.
Boaters Beware!
There is a 300 foot
limit to which you must adhere to this rule. There is no motoring,
drifting, fishing, mooring or trolling within 300 feet of the end or
sides of the pier. Refusal to obey this City of Venice Ordinance can
result in being boarded by the FWC, Sarasota Sheriffs Dept., or the
Venice Police patrol boats. Citations can be offered if you do not
heed the blue and white warning signs on the outsides of the pier or
if the authorities are not around or slow in arrival, an eight ounce
anchor weight, cast from twenty feet up on a twelve foot surf rod
with say a Penn 4/0 and twenty pound test line might just become part
of your vessel. Angered anglers in trying to catch a King Mackerel
with a trolley, do not like their space invaded or trespassed. It is
just as easy to stay away and FYI that thermo cline is not close
enough to the pier to cast to, so stay further out and catch the fish
that the pier angler can only wish.
Trolley Rigs!
Trollies need anchors to
work. Think of a trolley as a planer board. The pier is twenty feet
off the water. Generally, a long rod or surf-rod with a small
conventional reel like a Jig-Master up to a 4/0 or large spinner
spooled with a light line and a anchor weight attached is cast as
high and far as possible. Anchors are usually home-made from eight
ounce weights with wire applied around them and bent upwards, looking
like a small rope gaff, boat anchor or grappling hook. The best I
have seen were made by a gentleman known as “Frenchy”, who cut
re-bar into five inch long pieces and wrapped stainless steel wire,
like found in a coat hanger, around it with the use of electrical
tape, in forming five or six, nine inch hooks pointed out. After this
anchor is cast, one tries to “Anchor it” to the bottom as
securely as possible. The rod is then secured into a pipe that is
tied to the side of the pier. A second rod is rigged with a Kingfish
rig and attached to the secured line, the anchor line, by way of a
quick release, baited and free spooled out to where the anchor line
meets the water. The second rod is either leaned to the side of the
trolley or placed in a rod holder, put into gear and the drag is
adjusted to almost a free spool with the clicker on.
The Live Baits!
Baits
are generally by preference and live baits are best. Also, different
baits can be used to entice certain fish to bite, rather than others.
Sometimes, the bait does not wish to participate with the angling
event at hand and you are stuck with what ever you catch, even though
you are targeting a particular species. Pinfish are always around the
pier pillions. Pinfish are excellent in catching Tarpon off a
trolley. Kingfish are the principal in mind but if all you catch for
bait are Pins, that is what one uses. Kings will take Pinfish too but
there are better baits in the pot, if you can just catch them.
Ladyfish catch Tarpons but big Ladies will bring in a curious King as
it splashes to skips across the water. A legal mackerel, twelve
inches at the fork, is an excellent intimidating a big king.
Mackerels are carnivorous, as they will eat each other if possible
and smaller than them. Cigar minnows as live finger mullets can be
deadly in producing many a bite but the best “Cotton-Candy” bait
in catching King Mackerel along the Kings Highway is the Blue runner
and the bigger, the better. Once kingfish season, the full migration
is in swing, is hot, the best choice bait is a live Blue Fish. Again,
the bigger the Blue, the bigger the King. With the trolleys are in
place, anglers go about the ritual of catching the trolley baits.
Trolley baits are caught with regular spinning rods throwing spoons,
jigs, straws or Sabik’s and will consist of legal Bluefish or
Spanish, Blue runners, Ladyfish and large Thread Herring to Cigar
minnows. Placing the bait hook just under the dorsal fin of the bait
fishes and either allowing the stinger to swing free or hooked just
under the anal fin, the bait is ready for presentation to its prey.
Free spooling out the baits, on twenty to thirty pound test line,
with stand up gear, the bait rods reel positioned next to or on the
railing with a Down-East rod holder in gear, clicker on, with a light
set on the drag, the wait is on.
Dead
Bait:
Dead
baits are possible when the bait bite is off but only with certain
types of fish. The dead bait must be butterflied but not cut away
from the head, only the tail. The perfect bait in enticing a bite is
a legal mackerel. As the currents or wind moves the anchor line back
to fro, the wings of the butterfly ripple along side the bones or
backbone, giving the interpretation of a live injured fish in rest.
Now wait for the bait in a bite.
King
Fever:
Now
that the wind is starting to blow out of the north by northwest,
stiffly at times and the water temperature starts its dip down
towards the seventies, the biannual run of migrating King Mackerels
begins. All along west coast of Florida beaches, westerly winds bring
in the bait and right on, their heels are Kings, big kings averaging
between twenty to thirty pounds right up on the beaches. Venice
municipal pier, Venice, Florida extends right into the migratory
highway of these streaking giants of the deep. Trolleys across the
“T” represent the beginning to the end of summer with
unrestrained bouts in battles of but a few short weeks to capture the
biggest king of the year. It is fun to follies as each hook-up
represents a choreographed moment, in as anglers each move to
intertwine their lines in freeing the fish in its flight to freedom.
Last Sunday as the water plummeted into the lower eighties, pods of
bait danced the shoreline to dipping birds and also in a flight was
that of the cast nets, casting their nets or dipped the Sabik’s in
frenzy of a fill for the down buckets.
Anchors set to the tune of the trolleys in
an erratic line across the rails, as each baited their favorites and
released them down the lines. Hurry up and wait mode over took the
minutes to hours ahead as we each awaited a wind from the west. A
slack wind meant a changing of the baits in a wetting fashion of the
changing of the guard as each expired to become a chum delight or an
offering for later in the night. As the prevailing wind of the west
increased to a stiff blow and the swell increased to a white water
chap, “FISH ON!” as all scampered to see who was on deck. A 4/0
screamed in agony as all but a few yards to the spool before a head
was turned. In a matter of moments, over four-hundred yards of
thirty-pound Diamond stretched to the horizon. As the battle ensued,
two more hook-ups took place creating a choreographed moment as each
angler moved about shouting his direction on the deck to the battle
hymens of the King with a weaving of lines as each fish took its own
path. At the same time Spanish were caught as fast as a line hit the
water, most in the twenty-four inch range, mixed with monster
twenty-pound Jacks and Blues to Ladies bring up the rear. The birds,
skimmers, eagle gulls, sea gulls and pelicans shot like missiles
honing in on the targets below in frenzy while tipping lines on the
dive, a three-ring circus of dazzling feats to fish. To my own
amazing disbelief, while casting a light spinning outfit equipped
with but a six-foot Sabik a fifteen pound Bonita (tiny tuna) slammed
the top feather and made a dash to the horizon. I maneuvered around
those who were hooked up to the kings, knowing all the while, this
was not to, as I had on no wire with 12 pound Cajun line. Eighteen
minutes later, my gaffed Bonita was on the deck at my feet. A great
catch and one, which will be chunked this winter, when baits are
scarce and the Bull bite is on. When
the bite occurs, the King moving at lightning speeds will dump a
couple of hundred yards of line off the reel in seconds. The clicker
screams and the fight is on as more fish move down the Kings Highway!
Trolleys posted on the end of the pier at Sharky's, are an indication
of the onslaught to come in weeks, if not days ahead, “FISH ON”!
