Crystal Pier 2024 (Pics Added)

[Midnightpass]

I’m staying at the cottages on Crystal Pier for a week.. It’s a family trip with the Son and Grandkids joining us for the 3 Memorial Day weekend.. My wife and I came down yesterday and will be leaving next Wednesday… I’ll be surf fishing AMs 5-7 or 8… And maybe other times if the kids want to….
Relating to my previous post…. Not much salad and plenty of sand crabs….Mostly small, but lottsa soft shells..
1st AM… 14- hand size BSP with a couple being dinks.. Caught on back to back SCs.. One mongo size crab was hit by something that might have been a big corb or SFC..
There has been a red tide here, but I think it was more noticeable yesterday than today…
Butch

[William Ritchie]

Good luck out there . Have a fun trip . Hope to see a good report . Incoming tides should give you a shot at seeing and fishing the structure.

[Midnightpass]

Well the red tide is still pretty prevalent.. :cry……
Butch

[Midnightpass]

2nd day… Red tide still around… Surf a little milder, but the low tide had me looking for hole again… Found a couple and they put out 12-BSP.. All hand sized except one that went 14”… Nice fish that pulled some drag, and had thinking corbina for a few seconds.. Still using back to back soft shell sand crabs (that are abundant under the pier)…. There was some eel grass to be a little pain in the neck, but definitely fishable…
Butch

[professionull]

Do any of the sand crabs have eggs under them?

[Midnightpass]

Do any of the sand crabs have eggs under them?

Most are pretty small, but I did see some orange color on some…
Butch

[Midnightpass]

10 or 12 hand size BSP for each of my Grandson and I… Same small doubled up sand crabs… Kyle, my Grandson got a drag puller, that came unhooked… He got the hit on another almost golf ball size crab… He’s still thinking about that one… A little more salad and current today… We did manage to get one double together..
Butch

[Mike M]

I hope you find the "fun-size" fish today, Butch:)

[professionull]

There are quite a few leopards roaming around, I'm surprised you haven't caught a pup yet but that might have been what your grandson lost. If you don't mind taking a walk or driving down towards the MB jetty rocks, there's some decent fishing along those on the inside beach edge

[William Ritchie]

I fished from the pier to PB drive today 4 to 7:00 , good longshore trough where N and S current shoved into a rip out in front of tower 23 , 1 small butt released on a drop shot fluke . Saw 1 other fisherman digging crabs further south . Lots of terns working inside the stall areas . Would be better with a little more water on the flats , was headed to a -0.6 low around 7:45 . Tight lines , WR , ADD /EDIT , there was a big hole just outside the Bungalos on the North side of the Pier that would be good with another couple feet of water .

[Midnightpass]

I fished from the pier to PB drive today 4 to 7:00 , good longshore trough where N and S current shoved into a rip out in front of tower 23 , 1 small butt released on a drop shot fluke . Saw 1 other fisherman digging crabs further south . Lots of terns working inside the stall areas . Would be better with a little more water on the flats , was headed to a -0.6 low around 7:45 . Tight lines , WR , ADD /EDIT , there was a big hole just outside the Bungalos on the North side of the Pier that would be good with another couple feet of water .

Exactly what I found out as well Bill.. Those holes do hold fish, but a little more water in them definitely makes all of the difference.. Yesterday Kyle pulled 24 BSP and one little round ray out of them… I only managed 8 or 10… Today I got 6 to his 4 in about an hour of fishing.. All small to medium… Nothing big or from the croaker family… No Leo’s either… He and family had to leave for home about 9am, so I’m fishing solo for the next couple of days.. My Son messed his knee up a little bit so he didn’t join us fishing..
Butch

[Midnightpass]

Well, today was a pleasant change from all of the BSP….. I did manage to get 7 perch, but in addition to that I pulled out a 20” SFC and a fat 25” corbina.. I’ll post some pics when I get home.. I have no way to resize the pics to fit in the forum… The corb was so much fun and took me forever to bring in with A 4# leader, 6# line and a # 8 mosquito hook.. There were a bunch of kelp stringers that I was worried about too…. That was the best and longest fight I’ve ever had out of a corbina, SFC, striper or any other bonie, local, surf fish…
Butch

[Perch killer]

Butch, we haven't met but my hat's off to you man on those big boys. What a great day for your trip south. Sounds like you hit the right tide and avoided the red tide conditions. It was awful at MB. Out of curiosity, did you get into them on the north side or south of the pier. I've never got into anything but perch on the south, croakers & beans to the north side when a good hole or trough developed.

Congrats again & look forward to the photos.

[Midnightpass]

I don’t know why, but I hardly ever fish the North side…. I’ve been coming to the pier for about 17-18 yrs, and have only fished the North side a couple of times… Maybe I’m fishing the wrong side? I’ve caught a few corbs 20”-24” and a couple of SFCs in the 18”-20” range just to the South of the pier, and maybe one 18” SFC to the North… Next trip I’m going to take your advice and check out the North side a little more… Oh, and I only fished the South side this trip…
Butch

[Perch killer]

You got it figured out; don't change a thing !

[Mike M]

Well, today was a pleasant change from all of the BSP….. I did manage to get 7 perch, but in addition to that I pulled out a 20” SFC and a fat 25” corbina.. I’ll post some pics when I get home.. I have no way to resize the pics to fit in the forum… The corb was so much fun and took me forever to bring in with A 4# leader, 6# line and a # 8 mosquito hook.. There were a bunch of kelp stringers that I was worried about too…. That was the best and longest fight I’ve ever had out of a corbina, SFC, striper or any other bonie, local, surf fish…
Butch

Way to go, Butch! The text doesn't do those fish justice... those fish were Fat!

[vdisney]

Dang Butch, you've caught more fish this trip than I've caught in all of 2024. A 25" is a monster, glad you're having fun

[Midnightpass]

Ok guys... A pic overload....

[Midnightpass]

Even more ...

My grandson and me...

Sorry for the pic overload..
Butch

[Perch killer]

That bean is a tank ! Nice job on those croakers too. Looking at the pier in the background, looks like familiar territory near the PB Drive parking lot between hotels. That spot has produced for me as well. Thanks for sharing.