Alternative to Wolftrap for spades?

[Ketner]

You guys got me worried about the crowds at Wolftrap. I guess that the proliferation of articles in the last couple of years has encouraged this.

Knowing that I am asking a question that would draw attention to somebody's personal spot, but reminding everyone that I will only be around for 2 weeks this summer, is there an alternative to Wolftrap??

BM is ok[grin]

[jrocket567]

Your super-secret, high bottom profile wreck [excited]

The week shouldnt be too bad, and if wolf trap is full, head over to the cell, or range light-- you dont always have to be directly on the structure, but the closer, the better- if i see more than a dozen boats at wolftrap and dont see anyone crankin on two laps around it, im off to the next place

have fun, good luck

JP
"KwikRelease"

[FishHook321]

Are there any around York Spit or just cobia fisherman. I saw a few boats around there Saturday and was just wondering about spades.

[Sea Gristle]

They may have been there all the time but this is the first year I've heard of spades all the way up at the target ships. If you think about all the structures that are the usual hotspots (CLT, CBBT, Cell,WT,RL) They all share one thing in common; deep surrounding water rising very quickly to shallow or the surface. Problem is you don't find that structure/depth relationship in to many places in the bay. I've never seen them around the rockpile off the Rapp, for instance. It goes shallow enough but I don't think the water is deep enough, but then again I'm not out there all the time. I've never fished them on the ocean wrecks so that may shoot my theory.

I'm sure if there are some spade honey holes (or should I say honey poles?) you're probably not going to hear about them in a post.

[fishingkdr]

I never hear of anyone trying for them at the stingray or windmill lights either. I don't understand why they wouldn't be on those structures if there at Wolftrap? Any Ideas?

[Ketner]

I fished Windmill light last year with no success. I saw a couple of other guys there too and it didn't look they were doing any good. I think spades go towards "atol" type structure, and the area around Windmill is very shallow, getting to <5ft actually at the light. Just some thoughts.

When I lived in Chas., SC, I used to carry a shovel with me and we would knock the growth off of bridge pilings to "chum up" spades and sheepshead. We used jellyballs for bait.

[Sea Gristle]

I have heard that juvenile spades have been caught in nets in the Rapp, but they clearly don't school like they do on the usual structures. I wonder if anyone's ever tried Whitestone or Coleman bridge.

[Baybreeze]

Years ago...many years ago we use to catch juvenile spadefish in the crabpots near the mouth of the Rapp. Actually around old duckblinds/ structure close to a drop off or not far from it..if they are/were there well guess what had to be there first.........there is structure and sharp drop offs in the rivers and other areas...

Good Luck and tight lines,
Matt
"Baybreeze"

[jrocket567]

ive tried different places throughout the bay the past couple of years, and the places that all produce have a very high profile off of the bottom-- more than a lump--- something high-- water depth does play a role, but not as much as profile-- remeber wolftrap is in 12-18 feet of water, and deep water is more than .1 mile away- Id try large buoys-- I wouldnt be too suprised if a few would school up around them, like cobia do in the fall- just what ive found over the past couple years chasin those 'vertical stripers'

JP
"KwikRelease"

[Sea Gristle]

Good point about WT - bet if the bay had reef "walls" like coral reefs they'd hand around those. There's certainly some steep ledges by 42 but I've never heard anyone get them there and it's close to the cell on the way to the range light so it's in the migratory route...