How to catch spadefish
This article provides saltwater fishing tips for catching Atlantic spadefish, which are sometimes called “angelfish.” The fish’s elongated anal and dorsal fins, along with the black vertical bars, give the fish the appearance similar to an angelfish. Spadefish can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, along the southeast coast of the United States, and in the Caribbean. The fish usually school and might be caught in inshore waters, nearshore waters, and offshore waters. Spadefish are numerous, fun to catch, and good on the table.
Saltwater Fishing Tips: Location
Spadefish, like other fish species, can be found near food sources. For these fish, that means algae, sponges, sea squirts, soft corals, small crustaceans, and crustacean larvae. Most of these can be found growing on or living near structure, so that’s the best place to fish for spades. Try bottom structure like rubble, reefs, rocks, and wrecks. Spadefish can often be found around bridge supports and pier pilings. In clear water, I’ve often seen them around fishing piers in Florida.
Saltwater Fishing Tips: The Right Fishing Gear
When I fish for spadefish, I use ten-pound line. I also use a section of wire leader to avoid my line being broken. Once a spadefish is hooked, it will often try to wrap the line around a piling or other structure, and most of these are encrusted with barnacles that have sharp edges. A wire leader will often save your line and your fish. You’ll also need a small circle hook, as spadefish have tiny mouths.
Spadefish put up a great fight when hooked, in part due to their shape. The fish can reach weights of almost fifteen pounds, but it’s extremely rare to catch one that large. The ones you catch around fishing piers will most likely weigh from one to four pounds. The heftiest spadefish I ever landed tipped the scales at around five pounds, and I thought I had hooked a monster! Larger specimens are often found in deeper offshore waters.
Saltwater Fishing Tips: The Right Bait
Many experienced spadefishermen will tell you to use pieces of ball jellyfish, but I never have. I always use small pieces of fresh dead shrimp, and the spades love it. Sometimes I fish right on the bottom, usually under a pier. If I don’t get a bite pretty quickly, I’ll bob the bait around the pier pilings
I do not want to go fishing but I would not mind making some of that delicious fish for dinner. Interesting article.