# Flora-Bama Tournament



## Docs Holiday (Mar 11, 2012)

I know it's a little late but here is the report. The rules stated we could leave after the captains meeting at 6 sharp, per normal, from the yacht club. After buying into the Calcutta and reading over some rules we waited and waited for the meeting to begin. Around 7:15 no meeting had taken place and very few officials could be seen. After asking around they told us if we had bought in already we were cleared to leave. Wrong, a meeting was held with no sign out. 

Moments before cranking diesels, all the way back in Fort Morgan, we realize the tournament designator wasn't in our goody bag. Great... Roughly 2 1/2 hours later we were finally able to leave after collecting our t designator shirt. We battled the heavy storms late Thursday night and all Friday morning. Sometime early morning we reached our intended rip, well south of the double nipple, and went to work! 

Almost immediately the starboard rigger pops and it's on! The fish made 2 hard runs and came unbuttoned. It sucked to lose it but very uplifting after getting our asses tossed around for the past 6 hours. About 45 mins later one more hit and miss and the girl friend yells "big fish"! I look back to see a bill swatting the flat line and disappearing just that fast. 
The seas slowly began to calm and we continued to troll weed lines for the rest of the day working hard to keep the chickens off. There were several huge grass beds we decided to stop and work individually after trolling them. 

I always keeps gallon bags full of frozen minnows on the boat to keep chickens around while watching for something big. Sure enough, while we were working chickens I flipped a live bait out and immediately it gets hammered by a nice mahi. Quick fight and we have a fish for the scale. 

The day ended with one more small bull and flat seas. No sword bite all night but plenty of bait was in the area. We trolled all morning with nothing to show for the effort. We worked several more grass mats and picked up 2 decent hoo's. The mats were loaded with bait!! Reaffirming we were in a good spot a big sail decided to tail walk and jump about 8 times right off the port side! Shortly after leaving one mat and getting ready to drop the lines in a 100# ish yf skyed out of the propwash and was gone just that fast!! After working the prettiest grass line I've seen in quite some time we decided to kick it north. 

We knew we were going to cut it close but made it to the pass right on time to call in, so I thought. We hit the pass at 6:58, scales close at 7 and I began frantically trying to reach someone via VHF to check in. No one responded so I turned to the cell phone. I reached an official at the yacht club and he proceeded to tell me the scales closed at 7 sharp. I explained to him I'm in the offshore division and ran 105 miles to get inside the pass before 7 and he told me once again, "sorry scales close at 7 if you can make it in 2 minutes you are good".  We continued on to OB marina (weigh in location for large boats) to find a ghost town. Not one official could be located...anywhere. Granted it was 7:12 when I pulled to the fuel dock but no official in sight... So.. We called and were told "too bad". 

It's our fault ultimately but I'm blown away they wouldn't honor a check in from inside the pass. Furthermore, when the results were posted late Saturday night we had 1st and 2nd wahoo and 1st and 3rd mahi..sitting in the box. lol In the end it was a good trip with a good team and most importantly safe!!


----------



## Docs Holiday (Mar 11, 2012)

...


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

It's great post, but I get lost in one huge paragraph with these old eyes.

So I edited it, hope you are not offended.


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

I know it's a little late but here is the report. 

The rules stated we could leave after the captains meeting at 6 sharp, per normal, from the yacht club. After buying into the Calcutta and reading over some rules we waited and waited for the meeting to begin. 

Around 7:15 no meeting had taken place and very few officials could be seen. After asking around they told us if we had bought in already we were cleared to leave. 

Wrong, a meeting was held with no sign out. Moments before cranking diesels, all the way back in Fort Morgan, we realize the tournament designator wasn't in our goody bag. Great... Roughly 2 1/2 hours later we were finally able to leave after collecting our t designator shirt. 

We battled the heavy storms late Thursday night and all Friday morning. 

Sometime early morning we reached our intended rip, well south of the double nipple, and went to work! 

Almost immediately the starboard rigger pops and it's on! The fish made 2 hard runs and came unbuttoned. It sucked to lose it but very uplifting after getting our asses tossed around for the past 6 hours. 

About 45 mins later one more hit and miss and the girl friend yells "big fish"! 

I look back to see a bill swatting the flat line and disappearing just that fast. 

The seas slowly began to calm and we continued to troll weed lines for the rest of the day working hard to keep the chickens off. There were several huge grass beds we decided to stop and work individually after trolling them. 

I always keeps gallon bags full of frozen minnows on the boat to keep chickens around while watching for something big. Sure enough, while we were working chickens I flipped a live bait out and immediately it gets hammered by a nice mahi. 

Quick fight and we have a fish for the scale. The day ended with one more small bull and flat seas. No sword bite all night but plenty of bait was in the area. 

We trolled all morning with nothing to show for the effort. We worked several more grass mats and picked up 2 decent hoo's. The mats were loaded with bait!! 

Reaffirming we were in a good spot a big sail decided to tail walk and jump about 8 times right off the port side! Shortly after leaving one mat and getting ready to drop the lines in a 100# ish yf skyed out of the propwash and was gone just that fast!! 

After working the prettiest grass line I've seen in quite some time we decided to kick it north. We knew we were going to cut it close but made it to the pass right on time to call in, so I thought. 

We hit the pass at 6:58, scales close at 7 and I began frantically trying to reach someone via VHF to check in. No one responded so I turned to the cell phone. 

I reached an official at the yacht club and he proceeded to tell me the scales closed at 7 sharp. I explained to him I'm in the offshore division and ran 105 miles to get inside the pass before 7 and he told me once again, "sorry scales close at 7 if you can make it in 2 minutes you are good".  

We continued on to OB marina (weigh in location for large boats) to find a ghost town. Not one official could be located...anywhere. 

Granted it was 7:12 when I pulled to the fuel dock but no official in sight... So.. We called and were told "too bad". 

It's our fault ultimately but I'm blown away they wouldn't honor a check in from inside the pass. 

Furthermore, when the results were posted late Saturday night we had 1st and 2nd wahoo and 1st and 3rd mahi..sitting in the box. lol 

In the end it was a good trip with a good team and most importantly safe!!


----------



## Docs Holiday (Mar 11, 2012)

Sorry, quick posting from the phone while at work.


----------



## Eastern Tackle (Jul 6, 2009)

I have never heard of the inside the inlet rule? Scales closed normally means scales closed in most tournaments. They do it a little different in the big kill tourneys in NC. It just has to be hooked before lines out, then they will come back later and open if its over 400lbs because the fights can take a while.

You will know better next time I guess. With all those good prizes they gave out, I know I would want have a full understanding of the rules.


----------



## Docs Holiday (Mar 11, 2012)

Most definitely! We left with the understanding of be inside the pass by 7 because scales close at 7. Like I said, it's our fault we'll leave earlier next time! lol It was great to finally see large amounts of bait and big fish working them!


----------



## Fish Eye (Apr 4, 2013)

Doc,

I run the FBFR and would like to apologize about any confusion at the captains meeting. We had a lot of people purchasing tickets that evening and I wanted to give everyone a chance to buy in before the meeting so we held off until 7:00. I do feel the rules clearly stated that the scales closed at 7:00 and that you needed to be in line in order to weigh any fish. Congrats on a great trip and we look forward to you fishing with us next year. Please feel free to PM me with any questions. 

Regards, Angelo


----------



## Docs Holiday (Mar 11, 2012)

Thank you Angelo. The in-line part is what we were trying to clear up by checking in from the pass via VHF/cell. We were unsure if we would be issued a weigh number etc etc considering the amount of idling required to reach the scale from the pass and because we had to go to OB marina. Once again thank you and I look forward to next year!


----------



## Fish Eye (Apr 4, 2013)

Doc thanks for your patience and we'll tweak a few things next year to make your experience better next year.


----------



## Docs Holiday (Mar 11, 2012)

Many thanks!! Congratulations to the first year. We are proud to have been able to participate!


----------



## BBreeze (Aug 26, 2009)

We fished this also and had a great time. The only thing I would do different is keep the drunks off the barge, so people can weight their fish. That was a cluster.


----------



## almo100 (Mar 1, 2013)

That's a nice hoo!


----------

