New Old Reels and New Grouper Hole

9.5.10
Wind: calm
Water temp: 83
Tide: Incoming

We wanted to go out and try our new old reels I purchased at a garage sale Saturday.  What a deal for a total of $27.

These are mint condition Garcia 5000C, Penn 67 and a Penn 309M.
We hooked up the 309M to use for grouper digging. I'm eBaying the other two reels.

This is a Garcia Kingfisher level wind, also in mint condition.  I'm gonna use it for grouper digging and kingfish trolling.  It is stainless steel with cool engravings in the side plates.







We went out to the flat south of 2 flat to pick up some pinnys and try and catch some trout.  Got around a dozen pinfish and Nancy had her line bit off a few times.  She caught some black sea bass, but no trout.

We headed off to the barge to try and troll up some kingfish, but upon arrival realized that there were too many weeds in the water to successfully troll our lures.

So we decided to take our pinfish and frozen LY's and get our lines stretched.  Our last few trips had a lot of casting involved with a few fish. When you go out for the groupers, you are guaranteed some line stretching fun.

While proceeding to a spot about 4 miles south of the 24 marker the depth finder went red with fish, we slowed an went back over the area, threw out the marker bouy and went to work.  On the first drop, I had the rod about taken out of my hands as a grouper liked the live bait presentation.

The next drop and a gag was on board.  The next drop this keeper gag came up to get an ice bath.

This fish is an "endangered species" and next year, it will be illegal to keep the gags.  You wouldn't know they are "endangered" the way they were eating our bait.

While Nancy was taking a break, I decided to drop her "new reel" down and immediately broke it in with this nice red groupa.

We then hit another spot about a mile away with the same results.  We decided to finish up at the "Yank Hot" hole.

We fished it for about an hour and caught red grouper after red grouper.  No keepers, but close, and a lot of fun.

We finally used up all of our bait and headed to the hill on smooth as glass seas.  That was nice for a change.

The trip odometer read 48 miles when we got back.

Sometimes, it is nice to go out and get your rod bowed up over and over.

Sweet.

Made In The Shade

9.3.10
Wind 5-10 mph
Tide outgoing
Water Temp 82

Got out at a leisurely 9 AM.  We wanted to fish the outgoing tide.  Headed all the way down to the jetties at the end of Alligator Pt.  We had good success there on a high tide a while back and wanted to try it again.
The bait was everywhere, from Bald Point, through Mud Cove and clear down at the end of Alligator Pt.
We made 4 passes and all we had to show for it was Nancy's lady fish and a bunch of "they should be here"s.
Wanted to stop at Mud Cove to look for Tarps again.  We made a pass and didn't see nary a one.  I think the tarpon drill is over.  Boo Hoo.
Visited with Doug and Linda Thursday and Doug gave us an Anchor Shade.

So, with the sun getting high we decided to figure this thing out.  It is actually a big ol' beach umbrella with ties at the end to anchor   it to the boat.
We got it up and, look at me, it works!  It's better than our beach umbrella we purchased for $6 at DG.  Now that was a poor mans t-top.  This is a kind of middle class man's t-top.

We decided to head back to the oyster bar at the mouth of the Ochlockonee to finish up.

This nice trout stopped my retrieve in mid jerk and put up a nice fight.  Nancy also caught one the same size on here Gulp Shrimp rig.

We folded up the Anchor Shade and headed to the house.

On a side note, the weather is finally breaking, but the yellow flies are still around.  A hell of a year for those SOB's.

No Tarps

8.27.10
Weather: Overcast
Water temp: 84
Low tide

Tried at mud cove to troll up some tarps this morn.  Got down there at low tide, nothing happening. Didn't even see one.

Headed out to the flat South of 2 flat and caught 3 trout.  Caught some pinnys and tried for cobia on the way in with no luck.  Tide was rolling pretty hard coming in.

Got in before a rain shower came in.  Oh well, next time!

One Tarpon Jumped

8.23.10
Weather: Scattered clouds, stormy out in the Gulf
Wind: 10 mph SE
Water: 85 deg.

The first few exciting seconds of a tarpon hook up is one of the most exciting moments that can happen to an angler. Unfortunately, it is one of the least captured moments on camera because of it's suddenness and the shock of what is happening.

We had one today. We were trolling through Mud Cove looking for tarps. The water temp is starting to decline and we know the silver king will soon be leaving the waters of the Forgotten Coast, so we wanted to give it another try.
Nancy was trolling a Bomber Long A in Chartreuse Flash and I was trolling a Yozuri jerk bait. The ol' Bomber was vintage 80's model that I used to night fish for stripers on Lanier when it was the mode of operation for hooking up on those freshwater giants.

We had just started a troll through the muddy water that the spawning LY's had made. I was looking down at my rod when I feel the boat jump and I look up to see Nancy trying to make it to her rod that is doubled over and drag screaming. I look back behind the boat and see a 150 lb. class silver king tailwalking towards the beach. Holy $%*#!!! She can't get the rod out of the rod holder because the monster on the end of her line has the rod pinned with pressure. Again, the tarpon tail walks out of the water! Holy double $%#@!!! I manage to turn the boat so Nancy can get here rod out of the holder, but as she finally regains control of the rod, the lure slips from the fishes mouth.

Wow!!

After a few more trolls that ended up with nothing we headed to the hill.

It was a successful trip. We started at the barrel on low tide and caught 4 14" to 15" trout. Hit the sticks at the OR mouth and caught another trout and Nancy caught a nice red and lost one at the boat. The Jacks started schooling and I caught this guy. They pull like a bluegill on 'roids.

We had a good scare this morn as we were heading over to the barrel. We were running down the sandbar early, and suddenly this huge wake appeared to the port side, I was just cruising half paying attention, and I thought it may have been a whirlpool or a gush of water coming from the bottom.  But it was only 3 feet deep.  I gunned the motor to get past the turbulence.  Slowed to and idle once I was past maybe a 100 feet and it went away.  It could have been a submarine surfacing if we had been in deeper water.  We waited for a few minutes to see what it was, but nothing came up or moved the water.

Started my day with a good heart pounder and ended it with the same.

Broke Lines, Chics Rule

8.21.10

Weather: hot/humid overcast with rain showers

Water temp:88-90

Clarity: super clear

Nancy and I wanted to run Nan Z out to 24 and troll for some kings and hit a grouper hole or two before it got super hot. Headed out at low tide early. Figure the incoming tide would be the ticket for the day.

Stopped out at 2 flat and picked up some pinnys and caught a few blues on a BPS jerkbait painted in the clown pattern with a yellow belly. They were fun, but threw blood all over the boat.

Wind wasn't letting up, but we decided to make the run to 24 since the clouds were parting. Got to the bouy and didn't see any birds or bait just seas that made the Nan Z bob like a cork on the water. Decided to head out to the barge. Found bait but the seas were so rough we could only make one troll and decide to head to Ochlockonee Shoals for calmer water and trout fishing.

Caught a bunch of trout, brought home a nice 16" sandwich (fried in butter and panko, YUM!). Also caught some blues on jerkbaits, one was the biggest I have caught here in the Gulf, maybe 3 lbs.

Fished our way back in. Stopped at Rotary Reef on the way in, got over a rock pile with the live pinfish and dropped down, Nancy immediately got broke off and I dropped down and ditto! Probly a big ol' grouper. Couldn't get hooked up again, so decided to do the cobia run back to the dock.

Stopped at the 2 marker and lobbed the cork and pinfish about 10 times with no results.

Headed to the tripod which has been hot for the summer. Nancy lobbed her pinfish in there and it slowly took off. She set the hook, but came up empty. I could see her bait moving around in the pilings and upon closer inspection could see it was still in a triple tail's mouth. He was trying to digest it. It was a nice one too! We haven't got one of those to the boat, so we were disappointed to see it keep swimming around the pilings trying to swallow our pinfish.

Rebaited and threw out again, Nancy started yelling cobia! Her cork was right by the boat and I looked down at a BIG cobia. It swirled around her pinfish but never hooked up. She casted again and we could see the pinfish swimming around and around trying to avoid being dinner. The cobia kept coming up and swirling on the pinny, but never ate.

Finally, the last cast, the pinfish barely got in the water and the cork took off. Nancy set the hook and it was on again! The power run, the maneuvering of the boat, and the screaming of the Penn's drag as the cobia headed back to the tripod. This time he won, as the Ugly Stick whipped back to it's normal position, unbent.

We headed back to the hill as a light rain began to fall. As I let Nancy off to back the boat in, another nice boat came in and the guy's wife was waiting at the ramp to back his trailer in and pick up him and his boat. We pulled out at the same time. As I got out of my boat, I told the older fellow how nice his boat looked.

He said "Captain I saw something I've never seen a few minutes ago". Assuming I was gonna hear something about fishing or the bad weather that was coming in, I listened intently. He said "I just saw two ladies back boat trailers in at the same time! Chics rule!" he said with a thumbs up and a big smile.

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are!

Not A Bad Little Mid August Trip

Finally got my sea legs back under me after my last trip to Crystal River. Jeez, recovery is getting harder.
As we pulled into Mashes Sands and were depositing the Nan into the river, I looked up and realized I couldn't see across the river to Bald Pt. We pulled out and let a passing rain cover us up at the ramp.
We got to see the hot August sun rise over the trees while we were waiting and then got to see a beautiful rainbow present itself over the river after the rain had passed.

I had heard that a fisherman had caught some tarpon above the bridge trolling. Since we haven't fished there to any degree, we decided that we would fish for some reds on the high tide in the grass at the mouth of Mini Chaires and Little Chaires Creek. Then go above the bridge and try this trolling thing. My Dad would be proud! He was the trolling king! Nancy bagged a nice puppy red and I caught a non keeper trout. Nancy has become a true believer of the New Penny Gulp. My trout ate the Chartreuse/White Gulp Jerk Shad. Sounds dirty don't it?

I started to rig up the trolling rods and Nancy suddenly yelled "I got one" with a grunt thrown in. She managed to get the trophy sail cat. Check out the whiskers on this brute!

After removing the slime from the line, we headed up above the bridge to troll. I had my rod slammed down once and Nancy had a quick hit on her Yozuri minnow, but nothing hooked up. I got to finally smoke a fine cigar my Mom got me for Doug's Bday party last week. It was a good one but didn't produce any catches. We did get to mingle with a family of dolphin that had found a nice pod of bait to munch on.

As the sun was getting higher and hotter we finished off the trip fishing the oyster bar in the mouth of the Ochlockonee River with good success.

I landed two nice reds on the new penny Gulp shrimp. One was this 20" keeper and the other one was trying to be a keeper.

Headed to the hill I noticed quite a few shrimp in the ramp cut. Only 4 rods to work on after this trip. The joys of saltwater fishing!

Shallow Nuclear Groupa

8.10.10

Headed down to go shallow water grouper fishing out of Crystal River.
Kind of knew it wasn't gonna be my day.  On the way down, stopped at Chompers for a chicken sandwich and shake and proceeded to chomp a piece of my mouth out the size of alaska.  That felt good and knowing that Doug was having steak for his bday dinner and Linda would be pouring wine, I would have to take it easy.
Hunter and Doug went golfing and I got the stuff rigged.
Headed out with Grouper Greg, Buckeye Bob, and Landscaping Shawn.  I guess we were out about 13 miles from the nuke plant before we laid down.

We had loaded up on pinfish from a well placed trap, but the livewell killed them all the way it looked.  I guess that makes that makes it a deadwell.
A brisk wind was blowing, we didn't know we would be fishing in a tropical depression until we got back.
We hit about 6 rock pile/rock holes during the day.  Grouper Greg had a hard time getting the boat right, the wind and tides playing havoc to his captain skills.  But, if you cast right where the rock was you were guaranteed a grouper, grunt, shark, ray or a cobia.
It didn't take long until you were hooked up and then they wised up.

Doug caught 3 keeper grouper.  Hunter caught one keeper and the rest of the boat added 3 more I think.

As for me, I made the first cast of the day with just a hook to see if I could cast my rod.  I caught a nice spanish on a bare hook.  I know it's bad luck to catch a fish on the first cast, so when I caught one without bait on the first cast, I knew I was in trouble. I caught some grunts and two stingrays. Oh yea, and a catfish, lucky me.  After eating half a sandwich, I started feeling not so good.  On the way back the seas were very choppy, and got my back stoved in pretty good.  Hunter said to me "I can't wait to touch the grass" and I couldn't agree with him more.
Got back to the dock and had to lay down in the back of Doug's truck and consequently at Doug's house and the Cube on the way home.  Also, got to see the CVS's restrooms from Crystal River to Perry since I got a bad case of diaper rea too!  Fun!
I think it would be a fun trip on a calmer day.  I imagine you could look down and see the rocks.
Grouper fishing in 12' of water, who would have thunk?!