Where the big boys play!
Friday afternoon around Hubbard's Marina means it's time to once again challenge the monsters of the fabulous Florida Middle Grounds. This time, we are going to fish deep, deep where the big boys play. As if we were not excited enough, here comes the Friendly Fisherman with a very nice catch of kings & Key West grunts. Wonder what a 1/2 day trip would be like? Just thinking of tinder, flavorful, fried grunts is making us hungry. OH! Here comes our chef, chef Tammy, with enough food to keep us absolutely stuffed. Let's go!
Three P.M. Friday afternoon, we are on our way. Watch out Middle Grounds, this is all out war!
Joe, one of our professional mates, gives us a short 'how to' seminar. This is going to be fun. As we are listening to Joe, the sent of burgers & Philly steak, onions & peppers, overtakes us. Hurry up Joe, Tammy is calling. Man! that steak sandwich was something to behold. Good food, real sportsmen/women, and the Florida Middle Grounds, who could ask for anything more? This is what Florida is all about. Why would anyone actually want to live anywhere else?
Some troll for mackerel, kings, and bonito on the way out, most hit the bunks. After all, we will be challenging the monsters of the Middle Grounds from twelve A.M. until eight P.M., that's a lot of fishing, a lot of fighting.
Twelve midnight, Saturday morning, Captain Hubbard eases back on the twin 1,150 HP Caterpillar diesels. Time to go to work. We are already in 150 feet of water. Immediately big mangos hit the deck. Chuck, Scott, and even Bob, yes, even me, catch some real beauties. In fact, we are all catching over-sized mangrove snapper. The bite was slow, but steady. In addition to mangos, some very impressive gags were caught, vented, and sent home. See you in July!
As we approach sun-up the number one Florida Fisherman huge fish box is almost full. If we could have kept gag grouper, it would have been overflowing. After a breakfast of the best French toast on the planet, it's time to move on. We are going to fish deep, deep where the big boys play. Finally, 200 + feet, deep for the Grounds. We are looking for red grouper. Sure hope the gags & American red snapper will leave us alone. Fat chance! They are big and hungry. Chuck, Craig, and Justin, just to name a few, tore the living daylights out of gags and ARS. Our mates did a tremendous job venting and sending these near extinct, very abundant, fish back home. See you later! Gerald Simons, & Tim Blake, just to name a few, really put on a show for us. Craig Scott, a regular on the Florida, could not get away from the gags, American reds, and king fish. Craig is a master, I love to watch him work, he is all business.
In between the American reds & gag grouper, many very impressive red grouper were hitting the deck. Our mates, Joe & his brother Chuck, take great pride in our catch. They never miss an opportunity to pose with these fish, these beautiful fish, these trophies.
Will, our first mate, just tied the knot. Today, he is a fisherman, not a worker. Will showed us how to do it. In addition to snapper & grouper, this fisherman's fisherman, this real pro, tore into some monster kings. Good luck Will! Teach that woman how to catch fish. Dave, Justin, Craig, and Kaije, and many others did a number on those monsters, those brutes, those red grouper. And, speaking of proud, you should have seen the look on Mister Kaije Guynn's face when he landed a most impressive tuna. Kaije also did well on another fighter, a fish known to give even the strongest a real battle, the mighty amber jack.
Captain Hubbard is so proud of our beautiful red grouper, he calls for 'picture time!' Boy! What a picture, red grouper, big red grouper, all over the place. Hold them up-if you can. Bet none of us will ever forget that picture. And the best part, it was only early afternoon. Enough of this picture stuff, let's get to work. Only one problem, the American reds and gags were completely taking over. Time to move. Oh well! We already have a very respectful catch. Let's eat dinner and head back to mango land. We are tired, tired from fighting, 'where the big boys play.' Man! Did they ever play, they flat wore us out. Even the vermilion snapper were, in this land of the deep, huge. We could not believe our eyes.
B Liners just don't get that bit. or so we thought. Even that kitty Mitchell grouper Justin caught was big.
Dinner was Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. Surely we are in heaven! Then, Tammy hits us with hot, bread pudding. How could life possibly get any better than this?
Well the even mango bite was slow. But we were about 'fished-out' anyway. Time for a nice hot shower, and a cool bunk. As we say good-buy, good-buy to 'where the big boy's play,' we can only think of our next trip. Friday, June first, watch out American red snapper. No more freebies. It's time to pay your dues.
We were a little late getting home. 'Deep where the big boys play' is a long way away, but look at that pile of fish. Can't help but wonder what it would have been like if we could have kept gags and American red snapper.
Well, guess what? The Florida Fisherman is preparing to leave on a 1/2 day trip. Think I will just stay on the boat and find out, 'what a 1/2 day trip would be like.' Why are they so popular? Well, it did not take long to find out. After only an hours run, Captain Eddie put us on the fish. Grunts, good eating grunts, were everywhere. What excitement! Smiles, cameras, action, and screams. 'I got one, I got one,' were abundant. What excitement! And, to top it off, Steve fed us a breakfast of good old Country sausage, gravy, and biscuits. Nothing could top that. Well! Almost nothing. That burger, with all the fixings, for lunch was just about as good as it gets. I want to do this again. Run shallow, run deep, Florida sure has a lot to offer. Can't even begin to imagine why anyone would actually want to live anywhere else.
Bob Harbison Native Florida Sportsman, member Florida Outdoor Writers Association
One P.M. the Friendly Fisherman returns from a 1/2 day trip. Big strings of delicious tasting grunts looks really interesting:
Leaving Madeira Beach behind:
Kings & mackerel were caught on the way out:
Joe gives a 'how too' seminar:
Food section:
French toast for breakfast:
Ice cold water melon on a hot day:
Bread pudding was great:
Snapper section:
Mangrove snapper:
Chuck:
Scott:
Bob H.:
Red snapper:
Chuck:
Craig Scott:
Justin:
Gag grouper, King fish:
Gerald Simon:
Tim Blake:
Red grouper, king fish:
Joe:
Dave:
Will (king fish) & justin:
Chuck:
Justin (red grouper), Kaije AJ:
Craig Scott:
Kaije Guynn is proud of his tuna:
We had these by early afternoon:
Nice Kitty mitchell grouper:
Sunday morning, the Florida Fisherman approaches Madeira Beach:
Will & his better half:
This is without gag grouper & ARS:
Sunday morning 1/2 day boat:
Captain Eddie leads us to the fish:
Their they are:
Proud:
Steve feeds us:
Nice catch:
Check out the video. The Friendly Fisherman returns from a 1/2 day trip.
We move the early morning catch around to make sure all fish are kept in the best possible condition. We want fresh, cold, fish.
Check out all the battles.
The 'deep where the big boys play' fish are distributed.
The Florida Fisherman, just in from 200 + feet of water, fishes for grunts within the sight of land:
