Gags And Wahoo On Parade

[harbison]

  Gaga And Wahoo On Parade
In Central Florida more than the weather is hot in August. Gag, as well as wahoo, fishing also heats up. Gag grouper offer even the most experienced angler a real challenge. Often, particular during warmer weather, gags stay very close to their rocky homes. 'Lock-ups' are a regular occurrence.

Friday, August 26, let's check out the Friendly fisherman as she returns from a half day grey snapper trip. These little fellows are numerous, fun to catch, and very tasty:



Nice catch!  

Our FWC is hard at work collecting real data:

And now the rest of the story.
John, Jon, and Tammy welcome us to the Florida Fisherman ll, our home away from home for the next 39 hours:

Joining us today, fishing out of Orlando, Florida, is long time friend Mr.  Mike Greenwood. Mike has been with Bass Pro for fifteen years. Mike wants a big gag. Hopefully!

Let's go!  Beautiful Madeira Beach, Florida, is hard to leave. But we are on a mission, a mission to catch 'Gags And Wahoo On Parade!'



Out 'Jersey Girl' makes leaving a lot easier. Meat balls smothered with melted cheese, and Tammy's own special sauce on hot Tampa Bay Cuban bread, makes leaving a lot easier. What a way to get started!

And then there is fishing. What a battle:

Bar jacks are plentiful, put up a good fight, and are tasty:

The early morning weather is far from perfect. That big old cat takes it in stride:

Once again, our fishing coach, Mr. John Martin, leads by example:




Mike can really use that Bass Pro equipment he sells:

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Mike is proud to welcome Sherill to Florida fishing. This young lady and her husband flew from Sturgis, Michigan, 1,200 miles to fish our Florida waters:



Sturgis may sound good, however, that Winter average minimum low of 14 degrees may be a slight consideration for us Florida boys.
The mangrove snapper fishing has been slow; regardless, we have a respectable catch:

Some very nice gags have hit the deck, but no wahoo. Oh well! Maybe next time. Sun down...Tammy time:

Tammy adds her own special touch to everything she cooks, and it shows:

That pot roast taste every bit as good as it looks and smells.

Talk about stuffed; we are all the way there. On No! How could anyone pass up the best red velvet cake?

Let's enjoy the beautiful sun set before we hit our bunks.
What's all the excitement? Looks like Eddie has something big, really bit, on. This guy is fast, big, and strong. Ed is trolling hundreds of yards behind the Florida. On & ON goes the great battle.
 
Finally!  Color...the color of a huge wahoo. First mate, Will, calls for another gaff. Will sinks the gaff deep into the front section of the mighty fish, his partner, Jon, hits the back half. It takes both of these strong, young, men to lift the huge struggling fish onto the deck of he Florida Fisherman.

Dan (L) is so proud of his partner, Ed. Mr. Sumrall's wahoo it the scales at a whopping 53.1 pounds. That's 53.1 pounds of pure energy, pure speed. Watch the great fight .17 seconds into the video at the end of this report.

Here is what enticed the beast:

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Gags And Wahoo On Parade. This is our Florida.
What a trip. Sturgis, Michigan, wait until you hear about Florida.
After a good night's sleep Captain Bryon takes us under John's Pass Bridge and gently docks the Florida:


Every wonder how a 72' boat docks in such a small area? Nothing to it...if you know how!



Now that's a lot of fish:


Sir, that's some wife you have. Sturgis, Michigan, will never be the same:


Let's collect jack pot money and head home:

Bet you already know who ended up with the money:

Gags And Wahoo On Parade...What a show! As the weather cools  fishing will get even better. With gags open the remainder of the year. Watch out September, October, and December, here we come. Join us, we need all the help we can get out there.
 
Be sure to catch,  Great Wahoo Fight'  You won't believe your eyes
 

Bob Harbison  Florida Outdoor Writers Association
 

[Hotrod]

 

[Hunter 2]

Great report

[harbison]

    Thanks guys!   What an honor to share Florida with the great state of NJ.   

[Kenny]

Always a fun read !!

[fluke - u]

  ... Another nice report Capt. ....

[harbison]

    Thanks!   The Florida Fisherman will be going on dry dock next week. It will be gone for two months. Hope to do a lot of hog hunting.