Oh and the reason why they aren't really reported is because the one's caught are rarely keepers! Usually they barely miss the keeper mark for me but again, as long as there is a wiggle at the end of my line I am happy as a pig in poop! Summer usually is their cycle here, used to be Fall for the "Tide Runners". All of my weaks have been always caught in the summer (june-august typically because they are chasing down dredgers and the sand worms) off of docks, Surfcasting never. It's either by boat or by dock early morning or dusk as they have a short window of being active around those times if you run into them.
Glad I am not the only one who misses those gorgeous fish, people around here tease me about going for weakfish even though I usually am the one who does walk away with the experience of "yes, they are around!" Be honored that you guys are the only ones I have actually told this all to!
Btw, the bucktails that worked were white and red with squid for the tail instead of rind, pink bucktails with squid tipped also were really hot a few seasons ago, by boat live-lining snappers got some big ones but those were far and few, and sandworms. Funny though, a bobber with a stinking shiner at dusk or dawn always landed me one for a long time. Drove everyone nuts who couldnt do what I did and fascinated those who never knew what they were.
And yes, blues on top teague on bottom. But also teague behind! Bluefish panick eat and run hehe. But the only way I know they are still around is that with a bobber and hook setup for snapper, the bobber gets yanked underwater so hard it makes bubbles! From experience, the only fish that do that when snappers are around are in fact weakfish, just pray the hook on their is trusty enough to hook it! HINT: USE FLOUNDER OR SMALL BLACKFISH HOOKS FOR ANY CHANCE OF GETTING ONE WHILE GOING FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
If you guys ever get one surfcasting please tell me. I'll be sure to get a photo before releasing a weakfish to ease some of the nostalgia here
Oh and Sea Trout in Florida are literally half weakfish and half trout. They have the signature fangs to prove it!