It Was A Snap(per)

6.29.12

Water 82 degrees

Dark water from Lanark out to Dog Island from Tropical Storm Debbie

We finally got way off the hill today as the seas died enough to get the Nan Z off the trailer in search of a red snapper

We double teamed them today with Phil, Dee and Larry following in their boat as we pursued the Red Snapper and anything else that would stretch our string.

We caught a few pinfish in umbrella cove and we were commenting on how Debbie had turned the water dark and reddish looking.  What a lot of water coming into the Gulf!

We headed another 17 miles off the Island at a 330 degree bearing.

I had one snapper number from a few years ago that I had never tried.  It was in 65 feet of water.

We arrived with some nice rollers coming by the boat and a fresh wind blowing so we didn't get overheated as the sun started beating down.

We started catching nice grunts right away.

Then Nancy's rod tried to escape her hands as she got pulled down hard.

The fight broke her old Penn reel, but she kept trying to bring the fish up.

As it neared the surface I saw the color we were looking for, Snapper color!

I scooped it up and it was a beauty for our little boat.

The fish was 27 inches long and weighed ten pounds on the boga grip.

Phil hooked up on a fish that broke his hook in half.  He blamed that on Wal Mart hooks.

We never did get another snapper to bite, and the sharks started rolling in.  I decided to pull anchor and head about 6 miles to another spot that was south of K tower.

As we were riding around we were going in and out of the biggest weed line I have ever seen here in our short time at the Forgotten Coast.  On one side of the weed line was the darker colored water, on the other side was the clean water.  Spanish and bonita were tearing it up whenever we got near the line.

We layed down and Nancy hooked up on one of the bonita and it took her around and around the boat.

She finally landed the stocky fish.  Not good to eat, but plenty of fun to catch.

As the afternoon breeze started kicking up we started working our way back to the hill.  The wind was making for a wet and rough ride.

Many more grunts, black sea bass and mackerel came to the boats.

It was nice to see Phil and Larry let Dee fish once in a while.  Every time they would let her drop a line she was hooked up on something.

Their white striper rods stayed bowed up most of the day.

It was a nice offshore trip with a great crew on one of the few days we have gotten offshore in this windy year of 2012.

Debbie Was A Bad Girl

6.26.12



We survived.  Spent the morning cleaning up.  Incredible rains of 26 inches in and day
.
Got out a little this morning and we couldn't go many places due to the roads being closed everywhere.

Lots of misery for a lot of folks.

Here is a link to Rock Landing getting pounded and a Towboat USA rescue of their own boat.

Bananas before Debbie

6.22.12

We finally managed to get out and fish a little.  The winds were from the SE at 15 mph and the water temp was in the low eighties.

Phil and Dee were down from Gainesville to do a little salt fishing and see the wonderful sights of the Forgotten Coast.

They brought their boat back to it's origin of birth here at Mike's Marine.

It is a sweet riding boat and took the inshore chop well.

Here they are with the pedal down looking for the next trout honey hole.

Fishing wasn't a total bust.

We managed to put a speckled and a few sand trout in the box for their guests that were at the house they rented on St. George.

The fish were in the 6 foot range around Turkey Shoals and the old motel on 98.

After a few hours of fishing everyone started to dig for their snacks to quell their appetite.

I heard Dee say, "Phil do you want a banana?", I knew then why we weren't slaying them.  

Guess the striper folks on Lanier don't have the same rules as the salts here at the Forgotten Coast.

Although the banana jinx was broken as we put a few sand trout in the boat after the consummation of the bananas.

I'm sure we would have caught more fish if we were banana less.

Unfortunately for their family, they are now stranded on St. George with no power as Debbie is hung up out on the coast.

Driving rain, high tides and wind in excess of 45 mph has closed the bridge over to the island.

I guess Dee won't be shopping for real estate here in the near future after their stranding!

Blow Wind Blow

It has been very, very, very windy this year.

Headed down to Crystal River to fish and try and get out of the wind.

Nope.

My Brother and I were stuck inshore and caught sharks and a few little trout.

Wind was howling out of the NE.

I think my boats are rusted in place in the garage.

Oh well, maybe this week, but it doesn't look good.

Caught a Good One Red Snapper Fishing

6.3.12

ME!!!

We were going out to try for Red Snapper, but the seas were too concrete mixer like.

We stayed in and were spooning up black sea bass and other cool looking fish.

This one let go of the hook and it ended up in my hand.  First time ever.

Cut all the hooks off except the embedded one, drove 15 miles back in the soup, loaded the boat and got home and got the hook taker outer which I thought was in the Nan Z, but wasn't.

Nancy looped it around the hook and with great pleasure yanked it out of my hand.

OUCHEY!!