04-16-2007, 07:18 PM
You know, growing up in Murrells Inlet, i've met alot of anglers in my few years on earth. And to my surprise, not many target Spadefish. I say to my surprise because they are not only easy to target, but plentiful and quite tastey on the table.
![[Image: spadatla.jpg]](http://marinefisheries.org/FishID/images/spadatla.jpg)
The average spade is around 2-3 pounds, but fish in excess of 10 pounds are common. They are found most commonly inshore in and up to 30' of water. Paradise reef, Pawleys Reef, and the one mile bouey are all great spots to target these fish and is quite accessable by a smaller craft being as Paradise Reef is only 3.5 miles offshore, and Pawleys only about 5. These are light tackle monsters that are commonly refered to as "saltwater bream" based on if there were a 8 pound bream, it would fight like this. And it's true, pound for pound, i'd say they are in the top 3 in the power catagory. I've had spades snap 14 pound line like nothing, so that should give you an idea of how strong they are.
Targeting spadefish takes no special tackle or knowhow, just a small deep V boat and basic spinning gear. They make thier spring entrants with the arrival of the jellyballs and green water. Spinning tackle is the prefered equipment since you are "chunking" for them with little to no weight, and a small hook. You need something very castable. My prefered weapon of choice is an Okuma Corranado CD50 spooled with 30 lb High Vis Yellow Power Pro on a 6.5' redbone stand up spinning rod, medium action. My outfit is overkill, but this is my universal chunking rod and reel for any senario. With the power pro, I get small diameter, great castability, and strength. I can do anything from cast a spoon to a king to drop a fiddler to a sheepshead with this rig, which is exactly why I match the equipment this way.
![[Image: t_11140.jpg]](http://www.marinetackle.com/xcart/images2/t_11140.jpg)
Any 10-15 pound class rod will work. 10 pound line is fine but many prefer 14, mono or braid. And of course a good spinning reel with a smooth drag. My rig is very basic. I attach a 18" piece of 20lb fluorocarbon to my main line using an albright knot. If tieing right on the main line isn't your thing, then simply tie a small swivel, like a Spro Heavy Swivel, to your main line and attach the leader to the other side. Then tie on your hook, usually a small snell hook, like a size 6 or 8 depending on the size of the bait. With the use of a small swivel, that should be more than enough weight. You don't want much weight because you want your offering to stay in the zone where the spades are feeding.
Now that you've got your rig all ready to go, it's time to chase them down. The first step is to load up a 5 gallon bucket with jellyballs. Just for your info, they don't sting. The worst they'll do is stain your shirt if you unknowingly brush your hands against it before you rinse them off. Here's a pic on one:
![[Image: 152.jpg]](http://crd.dnr.state.ga.us/assets/images/152.jpg)
Once you've got the bucket full, head out to your favorite reef structure. Try to get anchored close to either a reef ball, wreck, or something along those lines. For spades, you don't need a perfect anchoring job like you would for something like sheepshead. Once anchored, thread about 3 or 4 jellyballs on a very strong piece of rope, attach a weight to the bottom and lower it down close to the bottom. I usually use a fish stringer and just attach a piece of rope to it to extend it to the depth I need. Once I notice the fish beatin' and bangin' (feeding) on my offering, I begin to VERY SLOWLY bring the chum towards the surface. I'll bring it up to where I can just see the fish feeding, and then tie it off. Now it's time to bait up the hook. Just use the dome of the jelly ball, not the core. Cut the dome into 1x1 chunks and bury the hook into them. The snell on the hooks will help hold the bait on the hook. Toss the bait close by your hanging chum and allow it to float down to the feeding fish. Make sure you don't bring the jellies up too close to the surface as spades have a tendacy to be spooky. If your bait doesn't get a hit, keep trying. Once you catch a couple, you'll get the hang of it pretty quick.
Good Luck and I hope to see you guys on the water!
Capt Bryan D. [cool]
[signature]
The average spade is around 2-3 pounds, but fish in excess of 10 pounds are common. They are found most commonly inshore in and up to 30' of water. Paradise reef, Pawleys Reef, and the one mile bouey are all great spots to target these fish and is quite accessable by a smaller craft being as Paradise Reef is only 3.5 miles offshore, and Pawleys only about 5. These are light tackle monsters that are commonly refered to as "saltwater bream" based on if there were a 8 pound bream, it would fight like this. And it's true, pound for pound, i'd say they are in the top 3 in the power catagory. I've had spades snap 14 pound line like nothing, so that should give you an idea of how strong they are.
Targeting spadefish takes no special tackle or knowhow, just a small deep V boat and basic spinning gear. They make thier spring entrants with the arrival of the jellyballs and green water. Spinning tackle is the prefered equipment since you are "chunking" for them with little to no weight, and a small hook. You need something very castable. My prefered weapon of choice is an Okuma Corranado CD50 spooled with 30 lb High Vis Yellow Power Pro on a 6.5' redbone stand up spinning rod, medium action. My outfit is overkill, but this is my universal chunking rod and reel for any senario. With the power pro, I get small diameter, great castability, and strength. I can do anything from cast a spoon to a king to drop a fiddler to a sheepshead with this rig, which is exactly why I match the equipment this way.
Any 10-15 pound class rod will work. 10 pound line is fine but many prefer 14, mono or braid. And of course a good spinning reel with a smooth drag. My rig is very basic. I attach a 18" piece of 20lb fluorocarbon to my main line using an albright knot. If tieing right on the main line isn't your thing, then simply tie a small swivel, like a Spro Heavy Swivel, to your main line and attach the leader to the other side. Then tie on your hook, usually a small snell hook, like a size 6 or 8 depending on the size of the bait. With the use of a small swivel, that should be more than enough weight. You don't want much weight because you want your offering to stay in the zone where the spades are feeding.
Now that you've got your rig all ready to go, it's time to chase them down. The first step is to load up a 5 gallon bucket with jellyballs. Just for your info, they don't sting. The worst they'll do is stain your shirt if you unknowingly brush your hands against it before you rinse them off. Here's a pic on one:
Once you've got the bucket full, head out to your favorite reef structure. Try to get anchored close to either a reef ball, wreck, or something along those lines. For spades, you don't need a perfect anchoring job like you would for something like sheepshead. Once anchored, thread about 3 or 4 jellyballs on a very strong piece of rope, attach a weight to the bottom and lower it down close to the bottom. I usually use a fish stringer and just attach a piece of rope to it to extend it to the depth I need. Once I notice the fish beatin' and bangin' (feeding) on my offering, I begin to VERY SLOWLY bring the chum towards the surface. I'll bring it up to where I can just see the fish feeding, and then tie it off. Now it's time to bait up the hook. Just use the dome of the jelly ball, not the core. Cut the dome into 1x1 chunks and bury the hook into them. The snell on the hooks will help hold the bait on the hook. Toss the bait close by your hanging chum and allow it to float down to the feeding fish. Make sure you don't bring the jellies up too close to the surface as spades have a tendacy to be spooky. If your bait doesn't get a hit, keep trying. Once you catch a couple, you'll get the hang of it pretty quick.
Good Luck and I hope to see you guys on the water!
Capt Bryan D. [cool]
[signature]
] If you need help, just let me know. If you're in the area of Myrtle Beach/ Murrells Inlet, I have no problem getting up with you and personally showing you how to effectively use a cast net, it would be my pleasure. [cool] I'm also setting up a date to get a few members together on Myrtle Beach State park pier if you'd like to join us. I'm going to bring some extra gear and just spend the day fishing with everyone and passing on some tips that might help everyone out. I might even bring a little propane grill or something, it's hard to tell. Anyone is invited and welcome. [
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