Ladyfish, one of the most exciting fish to catch around Gasparilla Island, will eat just about anything.
They can be caught on surface and diving lures, spoons, flies and maybe a shoelace tied to a hook.
A ladyfish hits the bait with force, runs all around the boat when hooked and can be seen crashing baits on the surface, Ladyfish can sometimes be found by watching schools of birds diving on the water.
Article Photos
Ladyfish look a bit like a baby tarpon up close.
Ladyfish are not good eating as table fare but are great fun to catch. See how many you hook before you actually get one to the boat.
They look a bit like a baby tarpon up close. They are silver, shimmery and acrobatic as tarpon are.
To catch some of these great fighting fish stay out of the middle of the action. Ease away so you can cast bait into the commotion. Do not drive your boat into the school as they will dive in the water and might not come back up. Stay as far away from them as possible as you cast.
Sometimes other fish mix in with the ladyfish such as amberjacks, blue fish, trout, mackerel, kingfish and tarpon. A nice trout or a jack may want all of your line or, better yet, a 50- to 80-pound tarpon could light up your day.
Anglers of all ages love ladyfish as they are fun to catch and provide a lot of fast action to bend the rods. Be careful when unhooking them as they flip and flop everywhere.
Ladyfish are so plentiful in Boca Grande waters you sometimes have to change your fishing spot to get away from them if looking to catch another species. Ladyfish aren't lazy and will often run other fish off.
