# Another good day!



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Didnt have a charter today, would probably have cancelled if I did though. It was pretty rough this morning.

I actually took three waves to the chest while launching. NOT fun! The closest I ever came to dumping the yak. Really a pucker moment!

Anyhow, my goal was to weigh in some quality snapper for the Pensacola Beach Marina Red Snapper tournament.

After punching through the breakers I planned to get some nice livies for those big snapper. Unfortunately after a few drops the hardtails broke off all the hooks off my one and only sabiki! Bad move on my part! 

I had thrice frozen cigs as back up.

I bounced around from spot to spot dodging charter boats and even a party boat! I released several solid keepers including a 27" fish. My goal was to not put the first fish in the box unless it was 29" and not put the second fish in the box unless it was 30"+. 

As time went on the fish seemed to be getting smaller, even a few undersized fish thrown in to really throw me off! :thumbdown:

However my luck changed when moving from one spot to another, I came across a mark that I didnt have and it was marking good with fish! :thumbup: My third new spot since Memorial Weekend, second in a week!! Weird how that happens because until I found the spot Memorial Weekend, I had gone over 255 miles since finding my last spot!

Anyhow, back to fishing...

With no livies I free lined a mushy nasty cig and it was fish on! Up popped a solid 29" ARS. Yay first fish in the box! Second drop, BOOM another nice fish! Remember I wanted the second fish to be over 30"? Well unfortunately this guy swallowed my hook pretty good, and not wanting to waste a quality fish I throw it in the box at 29.5".

With two quality fish in the box I headed on in. The bigger fish put me in second in the kayak division so far. 

Anyone that wants to get out there and get on some snapper let me know Im open until Thursday! :thumbsup:


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## The Pitt (Apr 7, 2012)

Good work. Where were you fishing at? We went out of Navarre today and got a couple. I wish boaters would not fish on the same spots were already on. It's a hell of a lot easier for a boat to move along to the next spot then a kayak. You put in work though.


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## dthomas142 (Jul 18, 2011)

Good looking snaps JD, congrats on the new spot! Maybe ill see u out there soon, gotta start from scratch my damn self and only have a few spots in Navarre so far, wish me luck, lol!


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## danieljames84 (May 28, 2009)

Those are some studs from the yak! Congrats


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

Great work! Your dedication paid off greatly.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

That's awesome man! I fished Navarre the other day and didn't see the first other boat out there. What party boat was over there?


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Good job JD - :thumbsup:

It's tough to find new spots and the monkey boats are thick in the middle right now.

Cheers,
Stressless


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

sniperpeeps said:


> That's awesome man! I fished Navarre the other day and didn't see the first other boat out there. What party boat was over there?


Adam, Im thinking the charter fleet hits up that area on the weekends to avoid all of the weekend warriors. Ive seen two party boats, but the one that came up to me yesterday was The Destiny.

Oh, and in the morning before there was anyone else out there, Full Pull (if not them I apologize but Im fairly certain it was) made a beeline for us, at about 2-300 yards away the Capt cranked the engines even harder (we heard them roar) and then peeled away less than 150 yards from us sending us a nice wake. :thumbdown: Again, at the time, there wasnt any one else out there!

Bob, I dont remember seeing this many boats out there compared to last year. Its mostly charter boats, probably a 3-1 ratio of charter to private.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

JD7.62 said:


> Adam, Im thinking the charter fleet hits up that area on the weekends to avoid all of the weekend warriors.



Don't know of anyone who would do that:whistling::yes:


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## Night Wing (May 16, 2011)

Very nice red snapper. Congrats on a fine catch.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

Nice fish. Yeah the destiny was fishing some spots near me too. I found a new coop yesterday and had a charter boat cime up on me and fish a spot a couple hundred feet away. So after they left I marked it so I got 2 lol


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Nice! Im horrible at eye balling, but Ive never had one sit that close to me either. Ive tried to go find a spot after a boat was sitting about a quarter mile and left but no luck lol.

The new "spot" I found yesterday, I never found ANY structure but it was loaded with snapper. I hope it wasnt a school randomly moving through! lol


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## need2fish (Oct 2, 2007)

Nice job JD - Yeah there were several out around Navarre Saturday - lots of sharks too....ughh but plenty of snapper.


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## ARslinger (Nov 7, 2010)

nice snappers, them things are huge!!


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## Jsullivansnapper (Apr 19, 2012)

Awesome catch


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## Ivarie (Mar 2, 2010)

That's a nice snapper haul.


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## BlueH20Fisher (Mar 20, 2008)

You can't be too mad at the charter guys...they put every spot y'all are finding out there. None of those are put out for "public". Nice fish, by the way.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I dont think any one is mad at them. Well except for that big sportfisher that ran up to us then veered off at the last second when NO ONE else was around and sent us a nice wake.

I am just surprised so many boats make the 20+ mile run to fish in 60ft water lol.

I suspect that since gags and AJs are closed maybe they are thinking these spots arent hit as hard as other spots and just head on down here.

As for whats down there, you sink it, its public. Besides Im fairly certain a few of the spots Ive found are natural bottom.


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## BlueH20Fisher (Mar 20, 2008)

Most of those boats could limit out within 5 mi of pass. Think about it though...someone pays for a 6hr, they're limited out in 2...then what? So they run down the beach to burn time and make people feel like they're getting their money's worth. They drop spots down there because of the closeness of the edge and timber holes, it's "fishy"...
As far as the boat veering off at last minute...they most likely had just seen you. It's pretty hard to see a kayak out there, and truth be told, often the captain is juggling more than he should....instead of just driving.
When I'm in my yak, I never take for granted a boat sees me, if they're on a course and I'm in it, I make sure I get clear...while its their responsibility to not run anyone over, I'd rather be inconvenienced than run over...
I'm not saying you did anything wrong, all those guys know their spots will be found, but you're not going to get special treatment, once we're in the gulf, we are responsible for our own lives, and safety to a large extent. Keep up the good work, y'all smash em down there!


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## how2fish (Jan 21, 2008)

That looks like you had a blast ! Congrats !


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

BlueH20Fisher said:


> Most of those boats could limit out within 5 mi of pass. Think about it though...someone pays for a 6hr, they're limited out in 2...then what? So they run down the beach to burn time and make people feel like they're getting their money's worth. They drop spots down there because of the closeness of the edge and timber holes, it's "fishy"...
> As far as the boat veering off at last minute...they most likely had just seen you. It's pretty hard to see a kayak out there, and truth be told, often the captain is juggling more than he should....instead of just driving.
> When I'm in my yak, I never take for granted a boat sees me, if they're on a course and I'm in it, I make sure I get clear...while its their responsibility to not run anyone over, I'd rather be inconvenienced than run over...
> I'm not saying you did anything wrong, all those guys know their spots will be found, but you're not going to get special treatment, once we're in the gulf, we are responsible for our own lives, and safety to a large extent. Keep up the good work, y'all smash em down there!


He saw us, I saw him in the bridge looking right at us. I spend 99% of my time kayak fishing the Gulf so yes Im use to having my head on a swivel!


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## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

I do wish people would quit saying kayaks are hard to see. You can spot a cobia from 50 yards, a grass mat, submerged logs and so on. Any color other than blue or green is a 12'+ long high contrast floating object that moves around. Pretty easy to see on pretty much any day a kayak would be on the water. It's a matter of not paying attention, not caring or being a jerk. I've seen all three but never someone who actually couldn't see me.



BlueH20Fisher said:


> ...truth be told, often the captain is juggling more than he should....instead of just driving.
> When I'm in my yak, I never take for granted a boat sees me, if they're on a course and I'm in it, I make sure I get clear...while its their responsibility to not run anyone over, I'd rather be inconvenienced than run over...
> I'm not saying you did anything wrong, all those guys know their spots will be found, but you're not going to get special treatment, once we're in the gulf, we are responsible for our own lives, and safety to a large extent. Keep up the good work, y'all smash em down there!


I do agree with this though and I do the same.


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## BlueH20Fisher (Mar 20, 2008)

We see cobias waayyy further than 50yds. While cobia fishing, I've personally driven by kayaks, and said "where the hell did he come from"... It's just not what we're lookin for...beside the point though. Nobody pays the same amount of attention while traveling as while fishing. Captains are watching bottom machine, talking on radio, cell phones, lookin back at the deck, fixing stuff, all while running. Not saying its right, just that its what goes on. Looking for kayaks is not a thing most are used to, white is the color all captains are used to looking for. A white cup glows from a mile away, a green, blue, or yellow kayak don't...I'm not making it up, it's a fact, ask anyone that runs boat often.


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## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

:thumbup:nice:thumbup:


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## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

That defense wouldn't stand up if someone hit a kid with a car. I was driving a car, wasn't looking for kids in the road, I was looking for other cars. They are small so I ignore them.

I agree it's mostly being busy and not looking and that's what I'm saying. People are always saying you can't see a kayak. But you can. From about a mile.


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## nathan70 (Jul 12, 2011)

How far offshore did you catch these?


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## cnote (Jun 6, 2011)

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