Picture Florida PERFECT
The mangrove snapper have been going wild this year. The catches have been outstanding on every trip. Every 44 hour adventure has loaded the boat. For April the full moon is 4/22/16 at 1:25 A.M. We will be fishing all night Friday for mangrove snapper, and all day Saturday for tuna, kings, red grouper, scamp grouper, and vermilion (beeliner) snapper. Beeliners are often overlooked by many; they should not be. These deep water snapper are plentiful, are running big, and are very good eating. There is no closed season and, on the overnight head boats, a two day possession limit of 20. They are extremely delicate. The fresher the better. When fried really fresh in a light oil, such as olive oil, the vermilion snapper offers a meal fit for a king; fit for a Florida Fisherman.
Come along with us as we board Hubbard Marina's Florida Fisherman ll. Twenty eight highly motivated anglers are ready to go. And, joining us as a fishing consultant, Mr. John Martin. John is just about as good as it gets. His vast knowledge and experience can help even the seasoned angler:
The weather forecast is 'Picture Florida PERFECT.' This is going to be a good one. Let's go!
Next stop...the far off Florida Snapper Banks:
We are hungry; good and hungry. It's Chef 'Jersey Girl' Tammy's time to shine. When Tammy goes Mexican, we are all winners:
Ever hear of outriggers on a head boat? They work! Next Thursday we will be, for the first time this year, fishing deep drop for snowy, yellowedge grouper, and pelagics. Outriggers provide additional trolling opportunities. We will be fishing waters from a few hundred to over 1,000 feet deep. The huge grouper and trolling opportunities are endless.
Mr. Brendon Baldwin:
Friday evening..snapper time:
We in the Deep-South take our eating as seriously as we do our fishing. Often guest bring specially prepared culinary delights to satisfy even the most demanding appetites. In preparation for our upcoming deep drop trip, Mr. Bo Janecka has prepared one of his specialities...deep-water snowy grouper stuffed with fresh crab meat garnished with seasoned rice, red potatoes, and chunks of fresh cut pineapple. Guys! It just does not get any better than this:
Or does it?
Obviously Bo is an accomplished cook. But can the owner of Janecka electric catch fish? Well!
Bo, now that is really impressive:
The sharks are running big, bad, and mean. This hammerhead was released on the gaff. What a fight! You earned your freedom:
For the first time ever we have been seeing large numbers of juvenile American red snapper. This is a very good sigh. They are our future:
This is turning into a major mangrove snapper catch:
Mr. Richard Sipple:
Early Saturday morning. We have been catching mangrove snapper, tuna, and kings all night long. We are hungry; I mean really hungry. Nothing beats Jersey girl's hot off the grill bacon, eggs, and country sausage gravy over hot biscuits:
The weather is 'Picture Florida PERFECT!'
Wonder if the AJ's are ready for breakfast?
They are! Talk about a fight. Are you man/woman enough?
Looks like young Mr. Baldwin is in for a real fight:
For those who have never fought this power-house you can't begin to imagine the brute strength, the fight you are in for:
Look at the size of those snapper:
Even the vermilion are running huge:
Now this we like to see:
Around five P.M. Saturday evening the mangrove snapper fired up again:
The Florida's huge fish boxes are overflowing:
We are absolutely wore-out from over 24 hours of actual fishing time. After a hot off the grill Chef Tammy center cut pork chop dinner, with all the trimmings, it's time to hit our AC bunks. Take us home Captain John. Madeira Beach, Florida, here we come:
Now that was one quick night.
Guys! We catch thousands of pounds of fish on a very regular basis. We fish vast areas from the North Western edges of the Florida Middle Grounds to off Fort Myers. We fish from just over 100 feet of water to well over 1,000 feet. We keep only sustainable amounts of fish. We are very strict on both size and possession limits. The Florida welcomes FWC participation. Back at the dock:
Sarah, you need to have a talk with that boy friend of yours. Brendon's 55.5 pound AJ was not in the jack pot:
A 37.5 pound AJ, 7.2 red grouper, and 7.4 mangrove snapper brought home the money. Captain Bryon (R) is one happy Captain:
Be sure to watch for our report on the upcoming 63 hour deep drop trip. Better yet! Join us. You will not believe the fish from 700+ feet of water:
Be on the lookout for my next hog hunting report. I will be visiting Perry, Florida's best, Two Guys and a Hog, May 26-27.
Like country whole-hog wild hog sausage? Check out my 'How to' article on the forums and in an upcoming issue of Woods'nWater magazine. Absolutely nothing artificial, no fillers, just pure goodness:
Want to see the action. Check out my short, action packed, video. Be sure to 'catch' the huge AJ fight 5:30 minutes into the video:
https://youtu.be/1Qjv4LFX8CsBob Harbison Florida Outdoor Writers Association