InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Two Minute Warning: Build and They Will Come

January 10, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

There are many similarities between farming and fishing. A farmer has to plow his field and plant his crop. Then, after a while, it’s harvest time. In the fishing business, if you’re willing to do the work, it’s a lot like farming. This is especially true when it comes to creating and deploying artificial reefs.

Reef building is rewarding but requires much red tape. All of the permitting and inspections can be very frustrating. In our area of the Northern Gulf, the spring season brings the migration of cobia in large numbers. By making your own fishing spots you can significantly increase your chances of catching these fish. We use FADS, or fish-attracting-devices (which are simply underwater kites), to congregate the fish as they pass through.

We place them just under the surface in a safe zone where no boats can hit them. They attract and hold large amounts of bait. This in turn, attracts larger fish. The FADS also work well in deep water (several hundred fathoms) for the purposes of catching wahoo, marlin, dolphin and live bait. We are in the process now of building some large reefs, which will be homes for grouper, snapper and amberjack.

We’re building them out of concrete drums and commercial grade chicken coops. It’s a ton of work but the harvest is worth it. Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games. The hurricanes have
destroyed, buried, and moved our artificial reefs in the shallow water, forcing us to start all over again. Another frustrating situation is when you see a boat sitting right on top of your reef,
catching the fish that you worked so hard to harvest.

After all, you hauled the reef out there and you bore all the expenses. But in reality, it’s all fair game and there’s nothing you can do about it. With today’s electronics, you can’t let other boats get too close to a reef you’re fishing, or they can what we call, “zap you,” when they use their electronics to get your exact coordinates. Even still, all the work and frustration are worth knowing where you’re going instead of hoping and poking.

The reward of building your own reefs is a great harvest from the sea. So, get out there, plow the field, plant the seed and get ready for the harvest.

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: Fishing, Science Tagged With: artificial reef, cobia migration, fads, reef building

    Recent News

    man fishing off back of boat

    It’s all about the Benjamins: What to Do with Your Money

    By Alexandra Stark Some say that money cannot buy happiness, but it sure can buy a lot of other things. Money can buy boats, fishing rods and the biggest curved flat screen available. When, you might ask, does anyone have enough money to … [Read More...]

    angler fishing in game chair

    Setting Up and Using Game Chairs

    The following article was forwarded to InTheBite by Frank Murray, of Murray Brothers Originals. An expert in the construction and use of fighting chairs in heavy tackle situations, Murray came across the article which was originally published in New … [Read More...]

    us coast guard

    U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

      US Department of State, US Coast Guard, Jan. 20, 2021—The Department of State is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of an effort to build regional maritime security partnerships and counter illegal, unreported, … [Read More...]

    yacht rescued by coast guard

    Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

    MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  … [Read More...]

    operation sailfish winning teams

    Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

    … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Sign Up for the InTheBite Newsletter


    Be the first to hear about the latest Sportfishing News, Products, and Services!

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite Magazine Current Cover

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    Upcoming Tournaments

    Sun 24

    31st Annual Cheeca Lodge & Spa Presidential Sailfish Tournament

    January 22 - January 24
    Tue 26

    Reef Cup Invitational Sailfish Tournament

    January 26 - January 30
    Fri 05

    Islamorada Women’s Sailfish Tournament

    February 5 - February 7
    Sun 07

    Hawks Nest Annual Wahoo Championship

    February 7 - February 10
    Tue 09

    IGFA Light Tackle Open

    February 9 - February 11

    View More…

    News

    • U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

      U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

        US Department of State, US Coast Guard, Jan. 20, 2021—The Department of State is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of an effort to build regional maritime security partnerships and counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the South Atlantic. The U.S. Department of State announced the multi-month inaugural deployment of the new USCG Legend-class... [Read More...]

    • Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  A nearby good Samaritan saw the flares and reported to Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders the Santa Maria crew's distress. The good... [Read More...]

    • Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Annual Gold Cup Team Fishing Tournament First Place: Canyon Lady, Capt. Bill Davis Second Place: Ditch Digger, Capt. Jon Brooks Third Place: Miss Texas, Capt. Matt Bierley Operation Sailfish – 1st leg of “Quest for the Crest” Sailfish Series First Place: Showtime/Remix, Capt. Nick Carullo Second Place: TEAM HMY, Capt. Trey Claus Third Place: Goin' Raptor, Capt. Paul Sabayrac Pelagic... [Read More...]

    • Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Silver Sailfish Derby  First Place Most Releases Overall: Miss Texas Second Place: Priceless Third Place: Doing It All/Hardway Fourth Place: Gator One Top Individual Angler: Mike Simko with 9 releases Top Meat Fish: George Moss, Lunático, with a 32.8 lb kingfish Top Lady Angler: Carly Desmond, DaySea  Pelican Yacht Club Invitational First Place: Waterman, Capt. Kevin Paul Second Place: Dakeri,... [Read More...]

    • Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16, 2020—With COVID-19 transforming Americans' recreational habits, a new study from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has found that millions of new or returning participants have taken up fishing & boating. Particular increases were seen among nontraditional participants, signaling the activities' increasing appeal among new audiences. Titled Who's On Board: Keeping New Anglers & Boaters Hooked,... [Read More...]

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings Logo

    View the current standings for InTheBite's Captain of the Year Cup... Leaderboard »

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2021 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.