After offshore Gulf of Mexico fishing for over thirty years, I thought it would be difficult to find many, "First time ever" experiences any more. Wrong!
Went fishing for American red snapper today. Recorded many first!
1. First time ever: I fished ever weekend of ARS season this year. I caught my limit on every trip.
2. First time ever: Fished on a 36 foot Contender. What a boat!
3. First time ever: Fished On a boat with three 275 HP Mercury four stroke engines. Fast does not even begin to describe this combination. We hit 110 feet of water before we had time to settle down. And quiet! At idle you would not even know those three monsters were running. At cruising speed, over 35 MPH, you could carry on a conversation.
4. First time ever: fished South, instead of North, of John's Pass.
5. First time ever: Witnessed an epic battle between man & beast.
We were drifting over cheese bottom for red grouper. Landed some nice
fish, lost some really big ones. Then our flat line was hit, and hit hard. We
did not know what this monster was. We only knew Mister Gary Schmidt had
tied into something that definitely did not want to be our number one guest
at tonight's dinner party. This bad boy was fast, strong, and determined to
spend the evening at his home, not ours. After a winner-take-all battle royal,
Gary landed a beautiful black fin tuna. What a fish, what a boat, what a first time ever. Bob H.
Mister Gary Schmidt and a real prize:
Three 275 HP monsters:
