Merry Pier Fishing Report

Who: Me!

Where: The Merry Pier in Pass-A-Grille, Florida. More precisely, the North East Corner at the pilings.

What: Snapper. Mangos. Lot’s of ’em. Most about a foot long.

When: Sunday, starting about 7 a.m. High tide was around 8:40, and the bite peaked around 10:30

How: Tossing hand picked live shrimp tail hooked (with the point buried to reduce snags) on a #2 hook WAY upcurrent (despite a 1/2 oz weight). The tide quickly swept the shrimp back to the pilings, where the mangrove snapper were waiting. I used a 2 foot florocarbon leader (30 lb – those barnicals are sharp!) and 15 lb mono. The hooks were from Owner.

Why: Simple. I finished fishing by noon, spent a few hours on the beach, then had some friends over for a fresh snapper dinner. A new recipe:

Spray a glass baking dish with a thin layer of Pam 100% extra virgin olive oil. Layer the botton of the pan with snapper fillets (in a single layer). Add some fresh ground sea salt and pepper. In a seperate dish, combine seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, small cooked bay shrimp, a dash of Paul Prudhomme’s  seafood seasoning, and mayonnaise. Layer this over the snapper fillets, then add a layer of jumbo lump crabmeat. Lots! Finally, top with another layor of snapper fillets, spray on olive oil, add a dash of fresh paprika, and throw it in the oven. Good stuff!

3 Responses to “Merry Pier Fishing Report”

  1. Mike Estep Says:

    Steve,

    The recipe sounds great. The fishing sounds better. Really looking forward to meeting you and getting some tips. You know, not many guys like you out there, willing to give tips about one of there favorite fishing holes. Looking forward to some time on Merry Pier. Best wishes…..Big Mike

  2. Texas Bass Fishing Says:

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