Going South to fight the big boys
After month of anticipation the big day is here. Finally, the first of eight sixty three hour very serious fishing trips. Our destination, 150 miles South West of Madeira Beach, Florida. One thing about the John's Pass area, there is always something to 'catch' our attention:
Chef Tammy has the food, drinks, snacks, and music ready.
We are out of here; we are 'Going South to fight the big boys.' 'Catch' you in three days, Hubbard's Marina.
After a great Chef Tammy dinner it's bunk time. After all, we will be challenging the big boys for three days. OK! We are well rested and ready to go. So are the fish:
Gag grouper & American red seasons are going to really be something:
When Chef Tammy is not cooking:
John Martin is on fire. First huge gags and now mango & mutton snapper:
Mr. William Trippett, sir, that's a yellowtail snapper to be proud of:
We are having problems keeping the barracuda away from our snapper. This one will never eat another snapper:
Sunup 150 miles off shore is something special. It makes us hungry, hungry for a Jersey Girl
cheese, bacon, ham, and sausage omelette on fresh, hot off the grill, Cuban bread:
Mr Trippett, first yellowtail and now a huge mutton snapper. Sir, it's an honor to have you on our team:
Mr. John Martin is on fire:
The African pompano are hungry:
Mr. David Underwood, Largo, Florida, that looks like a 'Big Boy!'
Gag season is going to be a good one. See you in July, partner:
Captain Mark Hubbard. Mr, John Martin:
Get that picture. That's one to remember:
The red grouper are on fire:
One of the best parts of these extended trips is getting to really know so many interesting people. Captain James Maslanka, retired commercial fisherman, fished the Georges Bank area for sword fish. The stories he tells are fascinating. Georges Bank separates the Gulf of Maine from the Atlantic ocean. Don't believe everything you saw in the movie, 'Perfect Storm.' The sword fish are virtually always dead when they reach the boat.
Captain Maslanka:
Now there is a mangrove snapper pulled from the jaws of a goliath grouper. Those monster grouper were all over the place:
We ran into huge schools of yellow tail snapper and they were hungry:
Nice mango:
We found some steep ledges that were covered with true black (carborita) grouper. Most were too big, even on 9/0 heavy duty equipment, to handle.
If we were able to get them past the razor sharp ledges, they would lunge and snap 125 pound test line like it was thread. We put a camera down and saw a monster carborita guarding the ledges. At first we thought they were goliath grouper. However, they were much too aggressive and fast for goliath. We did manage to land some of the 'smaller' ones.'
At times we saw huge schools of barracuda swimming just under the surface. Forger trying to get a snapper past them. They were even attacking our amber jacks. We got some past their teeth:
Sunset Saturday evening. We are still well over 100 miles from Madeira Beach.
Chef Tammy has gone Italian with the best lasagna imaginable. Great friends, old & new, plenty of fish, and a meal fit for a king. What a way to end, 'Going South to fight the big boys.' Next Thursday we do it all over again. We will spend three days 150 miles NW of Madeira beach, Florida. We will be fishing 700-1,000 feet of water targeting, among other things, snowy grouper and barrelfish. Will provide a full report.
Captain James Maslanka overlooks a mountain of fish:
Only one thing left. Who was in the money?
The winning grouper hit the scales at 14.6 pounds; the snapper 11.6. Many bigger fish were landed, but were not in the jack pot.
Bob Harbison Florida Outdoor Writers Association
