# Ladyfish



## AnarChrist352 (Jun 22, 2013)

I caught both my first saltwater fish on the fly rod and Ladyfish today during the night. I'd waded out a bit on a bar like 15 feet and the casted with the wind parallel to the shore. Due to te waves, it had drifted near the shore when, in an explosion of black water and refracted light, my fly had been engulfed. I had no control as it took for the open water and burned right into my backing. It kept running until it was about 1/3 or 1/2 into my backing when I began to gain line. It ran on and off until I finally saw it, by the flashlights of passerbys. It had almost seemed almost shark-like. It took another run, but I quickly regained the line. It was truly something else. 
I can't get the photo up now. But I was hoping to get tips. I was fishing a black schminnow with a lot of flashabou


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## dtala (Jun 23, 2013)

my first saltwater fly rod fish was a ladyfish, prolly 50 years ago. great fish.


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## Hooked On Quack (Jun 23, 2013)

"Poor mans' Tarpon"



They do fight well !!


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## flatsmaster (Jun 23, 2013)

And just like a poon keep them out of ur boat unless u want it spray painted gray No No:No No: they make a mess!!


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## Hooked On Quack (Jun 23, 2013)

flatsmaster said:


> And just like a poon keep them out of ur boat unless u want it spray painted gray No No:No No: they make a mess!!






Had a buddy of mine got sprayed across his entire chest!!

I said, "Now you know why they call 'em ladyfish !!!"


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## savreds (Jun 23, 2013)

silver goggle  eye'd boat crappers!!!


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## kc65 (Jun 23, 2013)

where there are ladyfish there are trout...


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## AnarChrist352 (Jun 24, 2013)




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## jdthayer (Jun 25, 2013)

I've never eaten them. We have caught numerous of them. Are they good to eat?


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## littlewolf (Jun 26, 2013)

No they are not good to eat. We made the mistake of trying that once. The meat is really soft and mushy and oily.

But they are fun as all get out to catch!


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## SouthPaw Draw (Jun 26, 2013)

Good for using as cut bait, that's it.


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## shakey gizzard (Jun 26, 2013)

Them jokers can sure enough catch some air!


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## AnarChrist352 (Jun 26, 2013)

shakey gizzard said:


> Them jokers can sure enough catch some air!



I know! I caught another and all it did was jump


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## Headsortails (Jun 26, 2013)

A great fly rod fish.


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## thedudeabides (Jul 5, 2013)

Flatsmaster that is one BEASTLY red in your picture!!


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## flatsmaster (Jul 5, 2013)

thx dude ... we are blessed with 1 of the only fisherys in the world  where they dont go offshore when they get big so we fish them with light tackle ... my daughter caught it tailing in 2 ft of water with about 50 of his closest friends!!!!


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## thedudeabides (Jul 5, 2013)

I can only imagine what that was like on light tackle.


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## Paymaster (Jul 5, 2013)

littlewolf said:


> No they are not good to eat. We made the mistake of trying that once. The meat is really soft and mushy and oily.
> 
> But they are fun as all get out to catch!



Shore birds like'm!


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## sea trout (Jul 5, 2013)

great shark bait


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## FishingAddict (Jul 5, 2013)

I once meet a guy in FL who was telling me that there are about a week in FL where you are allowed to net ladyfish commercially. He was "on call" for when the state opened up the season (I think it was during mating season)- if they called him in he dropped his regular job and caught them.

I asked who in the world bought such a fish?  McDonalds... Eat up!!


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## asc (Jul 6, 2013)

Not Mcdonalds, but there is a market for them. They are cooked and pressed into cakes, it is an asian dish.  

Market price last year was aprox. $1.30/lb to the boat.


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## bass123 (Jul 24, 2013)

has anyone ever used them as kingfish bait?


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## FishingAddict (Jul 24, 2013)

bass123 said:


> has anyone ever used them as kingfish bait?



Nope, but I imagine they wouldn't do as well as blue runners, pins, and some other types of white bait as it seems like they'd die pretty quickly on the hook. I could be wrong, however!


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## coloradowalt (Jul 24, 2013)

Don't bring them into the boat, they will crap everywhere. Most folks hate them, but they are a great fly rod fish. They bite well and the aerial show they put on is spectacular.


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## little rascal (Jul 24, 2013)

*We used*

them for strip bait for trolling Christmas trees for kings when cigar minnows wasn't working. They were dark and mushy looking to me? But if that's what they use in a filet o fish at Mickey D's, then I need to try some for table fare!!


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