March 19, 2011 will, pending IGFA approval, will go down in fishing history and give St. Maarten the world recognition that it deserves for its’ fantastic inshore fishery.
I’ve had the pleasure to fish with Don Jones over the past two weeks whom has become a good friend of mine over the years. We’ve caught countless snook together on his yearly visits to St. Maarten and formed some memories that will last us both for the rest of our lives and hopefully the hereafter as well but yesterday was the best.
The snook action over the best three weeks had been getting better everyday as the inshore waters warm and bait is taking up residency along the beaches.
I introduced Don to a new spot earlier this week and after a great morning we decided to pay it another visit yesterday afternoon since he is scheduled to return back home today.
I arrived shortly after him and the first thing I did was ask him how he did that morning. Don quickly replied that he landed a tarpon 15 – 20 lbs but was disappointed that his efforts didn’t produce any snook.
We made about a dozen casts each before we found the ladyfish, which these days have become a nuisance. They are like mosquitoes buzzing in your ear, never quite letting us concentrate on what we set out to do which was catch snook.
After landing about a dozen between the two of us I heard Don’s drag start to sing. By the sound of it we both agreed that he was into his first snook of the afternoon. As the moss started to build up on his line we were more concerned with that and the snook getting away than looking at the fish to confirm that it actually was a snook.
Much to our surprise, when he finally got it to shore there was a 5-6 lb bonefish. (Video to be posted to YouTube shortly.) Don said that it was his first ever Bone. I congratulated him then advised him that he was one snook short of qualifying for the IGFA Inshore Grand Slam Club.
http://www.igfa.org/Clubs/Inshore-Grand-Club.aspxAfter explaining what an Inshore Grand Slam was Don was anxious, me too, for him to land a snook and put himself and St. Maarten onto the world inshore fishing scene with the only Inshore Grand Slam recorded in the Caribbean other than from the island of Cuba.
Another dozen ladyfish later and he felt that strike that only people fortunate enough to have caught snook dream about. At first Don he did not want to believe that it was a snook but once he saw those yellow fins we just wanted to make sure not to loose the fish.
With video camera rolling I had a pleasure to record Don pulling the snook onto the beach to solidify his Grand Slam.
High fives, hugs and congratulations were traded. People that were on the beach at the time were really curious because the snook was small and we were too busy celebrating to explain to anyone the significance of landing that small snook.
Now here’s the kicker about Don’s accomplishment. He caught all three species on the same lure. Rapala is going get some mileage out of this.
It makes my four snook and seven jack crevalles this morning seem insignificant.
