Easter Snapper on FIRE

[harbison]

   Easter Snapper on FIRE

Our Easter season is a very special time of year. The days are getting longer, much longer, the winds are getting calmer, much calmer, and the fish are getting hungrier, much hungrier...we hope! Only one way to find out how hungry the fish really are. Join us as we find out together.
Welcome onboard the Florida Fisherman ll for our 39 hour trip deep into the very heart of the gulf of Mexico:

Let's go:


Beautiful Madeira Beach, Florida, can be hard to leave:


But leave we must! We will be targeting the elusive, hard to catch, mangrove snapper. Mr. Derrick Salenski, Benzie County, Michigan, listens to every word Will says:

Before we hit our comfortable, four inch foam rubber, bunks...first things first. The most flavorful Italian sausage, grilled to perfection onions & peppers, on Tampa Bay's best Cuban bread is a meal fit for a Florida Fisherman:

Time to go to battle. Oh No!  Our fishing coach, Mr. John Martin, just lost a huge king:

This is what we are looking for:

Snapper time:


On the water data: We can help ourselves by reporting all tagged fish caught. The FWC number to call is on the tag:

Saturday morning, the Easter Snapper are still on FIRE:


Looks like the trigger fish are about as 'in-danger' as the American red snapper:

Mangrove snapper are absolutely beautiful:


It's a good thing we have 'LADY POWER' with us. Ms. Adilah Eversti-Long put her pink rod to good use:
   

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This is turning into a major, 'Easter Snapper on FIRE' catch:


Guys/Girls, we need help out here. The BIG boys are beating us up:


Let's get back to snapper time:


Major problem:  The 'near extinct,' very aggressive, American red snapper are completely taking over many of our off-shore reefs:

The one thing we in this country cherish more than life itself is our freedom. However, freedom is not free:

We owe everything we have ever had, have, or will ever have, to America's true heroes, our service men and women. We will never be able to repay men like Mr. Willie J. Jackson Sr. for his 28 years dedicated to keeping America the land of the FREE!

This career service Air Force veteran flew one of the most feared tank killing machines to ever to hit the skies, the A-10 Warthog:

As well as one of the all time best fighting machines ever known, the F-16

Mr. Willie Jackson JR., you can be very proud of that father of yours for two reasons...keeping us FREE, and raising such a great son. This trip is JR's birthday celebration:

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Mr. Derrick Salenski, Benzie County, Michigan, traveled 1,428 miles to fish on the Florida Fisherman ll:



Fishing in Benzie County is a little different from Florida fishing:

Late Saturday evening. The snapper are ready for dinner. Mr. Mark Tondi has been in snapper all night & day:


The birds are starved:

And so are we. Time to call in 'Jersey Girl!'

Only the best center cut pork chops, with Tammy's own special gravy, steamed vegetables, white rice, and Tampa Bay's own Cuban bread are good enough for our resident master chef. Mr. Salenski, enjoy that Cuban bread while you can. You will not find Tampa Bay's best in Benzie County, Michigan:

What a trip:



Willie Sr., Jr., Adilah, and Derrick can't believer their eyes:


The dock is 'full of fish!'

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Benzie County will never be the same:

Captain Bryon is proud to hand our jack pot money for the winning snapper @ 7.7 pounds, & grouper @ 8.6 pounds.

Check out the action packed video of our trip:
   
https://youtu.be/DAAkV8iYX4U

Next up, 4/21, another BIG 39 hour snapper trip; then, 4/27,
 is the first of four MONSTER DEEP-DROP trips. Ever see a 'MONSTER' snowy grouper?  You Will:

Bob Harbison  Florida outdoor Writers Association

[fluke - u]

  ... Nice job Capt Bob ....

[Hotrod]

 

[harbison]

   Thanks guys!  It took multi-hours both on the boat & at home to share such a report with you. You make every single minute time well spent.   Thank you!

[Hunter 2]

Great trip!

[harbison]

    Thanks!   Sharing with our Northern friends is a dream come true for me.