Large Croaker Fishing in Chocolate Bayou

[therocket37]

Hey guys I thought I would throw this out there and see if I can get a few tips. I've been fishing chocolate bay/bayou a lot and whenever the fishing is really slow, I'll go to Lutes, get some dead shrimp and go to a couple spots where i can have some fun catching small croaker, occassional drum, etc. If these croaker were just a few inches bigger I could fry em up. If I wanted to employ the same tacticts to catch some larger, eating-size croaker, any suggestions? I know I've read and heard that golden croaker like this are not nearly as common, aside from the "croaker run" in the fall but if I wanted to try and find some of these year-round any suggestions? Thanks everyone!

The fishing has been slow for me in chocolate bay, and with all this wind I've been having to go up the bayou and find some protection. If anyone ever wants to go fish chocolate, feel free to PM me. I fish there every weekend.

[dbarham]

Put that croaker on a hook

[GHSmacker]

I think with the continued use of croaker as bait has been the undoing of the larger specimens. When the nets are keeping every pinfish of preferred potlicker size, the fish simply don't have a chance to grow. Pretty simple really.

Is there really even a fall croaker run anymore?

[dreilly]

If I were looking for large croaker, I would go to the back of Greens Lake up the creek a bit on the oyster reefs. You could find a big flounder too. My neighbor had a "croaker hole" that he fished a lot. It was along the old intercoastal somewhere between Jamaica and Sea Isle.

[Termo]

I think with the continued use of croaker as bait has been the undoing of the larger specimens. When the nets are keeping every pinfish of preferred potlicker size, the fish simply don't have a chance to grow. Pretty simple really.

Is there really even a fall croaker run anymore?

X2

[Gulfcoast13]

Put that croaker on a hook

Hah!

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[Steve_A]

I think with the continued use of croaker as bait has been the undoing of the larger specimens. When the nets are keeping every pinfish of preferred potlicker size, the fish simply don't have a chance to grow. Pretty simple really.

Is there really even a fall croaker run anymore?

.................X3.......... i believe the use of croaker has not only hurt the croaker population, but has let to the middle and lower coast going to a 5 fish limit. The upper coast will not be far behind unless something is done now.

[Jerkyourcroaker]

Mark Fisher from TPWD helped me with some graphs and such on the Status of the Atlantic Croaker back in 2011. I should ask him for an update. Anybody interested in the data, the thread is HERE.

JYC

[dbarham]

I think with the continued use of croaker as bait has been the undoing of the larger specimens. When the nets are keeping every pinfish of preferred potlicker size, the fish simply don't have a chance to grow. Pretty simple really.

Is there really even a fall croaker run anymore?

I agree! whens duck season start in canada BTW

[trophytroutman]

.................X3.......... i believe the use of croaker has not only hurt the croaker population, but has let to the middle and lower coast going to a 5 fish limit. The upper coast will not be far behind unless something is done now.

X2!!!!