This is kind of a late post…but I didn’t get a chance to post it yesterday. I’m not even sure if I’m posting this in the right section…But after all we were floundering. I’m actually making the post for my friend’s Fish Xpress. They are Rodeoing this weekend so here it goes. We both took our boats floundering Thursday night. I was alone and Fish Xpress had his brother and his friend Josh with him. It was windy and a bit choppy to say the least. They decided to head for a little calmer water and I stayed at my spot battling the wind. I called them about an hour or so after they left me to find out if they found calmer water and how they were doing? All I could here in the background is best described as a party. Fish Xpress then told me that Josh had killed a huge black drum with the bow. It was his first time shooting a fish with a bow and I guess that was why it sounded like a party (I guessed wrong…kind of).  He asked me where I was at because he said the fish wouldn’t fit in his cooler. I told him I was a couple of miles from him and I would put it in mine. After getting there I could see the rope over the side of the boat tide off. I asked them how big it was and they started lifting him up. As his nose broke the surface I knew right then there was NO way it was going to fit in my 96 qt cooler. We tried and he hung over both sides. That wasn't a problem though…we were about a mile or so from the boat ramp and I had a 160 in the back of the truck we put him in. The fish was in about a foot of water when he shot him and he made the shot about 2 inches below the back fin. Not bad considering it was his first time shooting a fish in water. Needless to say the fish spooled the Zebco 808 on the bow and if it wasn’t for Fish Xpress chasing him with the trolling motor the out come may have been different. I guess it is safe to say that Josh is ready to go back. All in all I think it was a good effort made by all three on the boat. The next day we looked up the Bowfishing Association record for Black Drum and found out it was 51.2 lbs. We weighted it on Josh’s deer scales and it was 56-57 lbs. So I called Tim at Outcast to see if we could weigh him on their certified scales. By their scales it weighed 49.95 lbs. It kind of sucks on the record because after loosing fluid and being on ice I think it would have probably been there. O well...the over all experience was worth more than a record anyway. As for the flounder it was a decent night but they aren’t nearly worth bragging about than the drum. If any one reading this lives in the area they were at…they are sorry if they woke you up with the hooping and hollering. Seriously!

"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." 

2006 25' Hydra Sports Vector Twin 150 Yamaha's
16" Carolina Skiff 40 hp Yamaha

Mark W 

I think they have the meat soaking in milk right now. Same way you can soak out big fresh water cats. If all else fails...fish patty city

"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." 

2006 25' Hydra Sports Vector Twin 150 Yamaha's
16" Carolina Skiff 40 hp Yamaha

And Why would you make such  an ass comment on a legal fish? If you don't like what you see or read on legal fish don't come back into fish reports. Just stay away from fish reports if it upsets you that much.

Help Save Your Fishing Rights Become A Member FRA  http://www.thefra.org/

x2, there will be one in evey thread about someone keeping a fish. That's what they're out there for. Why is he no good? (personal opinion is why) but just like it always is when somebody gets their panties all wadded up over a personal decision to kill  fish it should be your opinion too, and if not, you're the bad guy.

Geez there's tons of fish out there, have fun and live a little. You don't know this guys circumstances. He may need to feed his family for a week or two on this fish. Then again maybe he just wanted to kill it. Good for him either way.

Helluva fish, I wish it would've broke the record. Better luck next time, although it can't get much better than a 50lb fish on the first go.

?

I am. That's why people shouldn't whine when someone keeps a fish. Some like to release ad some like to keep. Works out just fine if you ask me. We're not all vegans.

?

ALWAYS PRACTICING CATCH-N-RELEASE!!!!!!

"Fish Like You're Hungry!"

"Eat More Fish!"

Good job guys, love to see people excited about harvesting God's great creatures that he gave us dominion over.

Since I posted this for them, I’ve got to chime back in with my two cents worth. We fish RELIGOUSLY, mostly off shore and have harvested plenty of fish. With that said, we have also released plenty of fish. It should solely be at the angler’s discretion to kill or not to kill a LEAGAL fish. I think everyone of us who consider ourselves “sportsman” realize that not only fisheries but wildlife in general rest in the hands of us…not the state or government with their “so called” studies. Sure things aren’t the way they were 50 or even 20 years ago. But more and more people are taking up a sport that most of us on here have been hooked on for years. I personally know the person who shot this fish and he’s mostly a bass fisherman and just a good guy in general. So I guess you can say this may have been his once in a life time fish. The way I see it now is…he’s hooked for life. Can you think of a better sport?  It just seems that almost every time some one post something he/she gets a tong lashing in etiquette by those who are “holy than thou”. The cold hard truth and over all reality is… if some one is in his right, can go to sleep at night with a clear conscious and is not hurting you or me…why not?  I personally see no harm in it and was just as happy for him as if I shot it myself.

"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." 

2006 25' Hydra Sports Vector Twin 150 Yamaha's
16" Carolina Skiff 40 hp Yamaha

ALWAYS PRACTICING CATCH-N-RELEASE!!!!!!

I'm just wondering because alot of you are always quick to criticize someone else's catch.

Like was said earlier if you dont like it dont look at our fishing reports!!

  

Galveston Bay, Tx. Appex Predator

Never heard them called that around here...but it does suit them...LOL

"Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn." 

2006 25' Hydra Sports Vector Twin 150 Yamaha's
16" Carolina Skiff 40 hp Yamaha

I call them that from time to time since I visited a few Texas friends....Name fits well too.

MEMBER P.R.F.A.