# Destin Offshore Monday August 24



## destincabo (Nov 4, 2007)

Left Destin at 0500 Monday morning to light breezes and calm seas on our first offshore trolling trip of the summer after doing our best all summer to eradicate the endangered Red Snapper population. Lines in at 0700, at the Nipple, water the same green color that other posters on the site have reported. Immediately see a free jumping sailfish (cool so we a at least know there is on billfish in the area). Troll for 2 hours, with a mixed spread of small lures, strips, ballyhoo/lure combos, naked select ballyhoos and a dink ballyhoo. Double Dredge, squid and flying fish teasers. Don't see the first sign of life anywhere as we work our way towards the elbow. 10 am, the short left get nailed, rod loads up, line coming off the spool for a few seconds and then nothing. Seconds later, billfish shows up under the long left medium lure and follows it for 15-20 seconds trying to eat the lure, fish finally gets fed up, and piles on and we are hooked up to Mr. ******. Melanie (71 yrs young and the current womens world record holder for wahoo on 4lb test) takes over and bring the white in for a clean release in 10 minutes. Hooks out, fish in great shape, medium sized around 45 lbs. High fives for all, 10 am and a release on board. Continue trolling, very little bait, but feeling good about the area. around 11:45 am, spread is attacked by a ****** that was intent on trying to knock everything in the spread out of the clips without getting hooked. He gets 2 lines knocked down, and starts tracking the squid daisy chain. I drop the dink ballyhoo on 30 lb, 130 lb leader and 6/0 short shank right to him, and he totally ignores it, fixated on the squid chain. This goes on for about 15 seconds, fish is just below the surface, intent on the daisy chain. I finally reel up several feet in front of him and free spool the smally bally and let is sink right in his face. Bingo, white inhales it and off to the races on a 30. This is a big white, real long, get some great jumps, stays within 150 yds of the boat, get a clean release on this fish in about 15 mins. 2 for 2 before noon. Life is good.



Things have gone from cold to hot and then as usual goes cold again. Troll another 2 hours with no signs of life, until we see a school of tuna's off in the distance. Troll that way and get to the spot and as normal, school goes down, but Captain Mark is saying that he is seeing them on the depth finder 150 ft below. No sooner do the words get out of his mouth, than multiples explosion in the trolling spread, 3 lines go down, 2 hooks ups. Fish on. Fish both take a good bit of drag, hoping for YFT but they end up being Black Fins in the 20 lb class. Catch both, fish in the box. They sure tasted good tonight seared with black pepper and garlic salt.



30 mins or so, small fish track the short right, only get a slight glimpes of a dorsal/Tail (looked like a small sailfish), fish fades off, and take a shot at the center rigger on the way out of the spread. Knocked it out, nada.



Seas started out 1-2 ft in the morning and have now dropped to nothing. Glass flat. I always knew the wind didn't blow on a week day. We start tracking back towards Destin, and the small swimming ballyhoo, that we run off the rod tip down the middle between the 2 short baits goes off. I free spool, set up, nothing. Get the bait back up, ****** comes back and grabs it, spits it. Comes back a 3rd time, hooked up on the 30 again. Fishing is taking line, backing off the drag to not pull him off, and then he spins and starts toward the boat and comes unbuttoned. Dammit, could have been our 2nd time of catching 3 whiteys in a day out of Destin. Oh well... like they say - Never Trust ******. All in all a wonderful day with family, (mom, dad, brother, good friend Ed and our Capt Mark). And its always a plus when your 70 yr old parents (and mother catch a billfish).



Final Tally 2-4 (2 Whites, Jumped 1 White and a mystery (sail or white). Also saw several more free jumping sails. So the fish are still out there.



Will try to post pics if I can figure it out. Thanks for all who have posted, glad I can finally add ours to the group. Tight Lines.



Crew of the Anonymous (54 Hatteras) Blue Heaven (45 Cabo)


----------



## bluffman2 (Nov 22, 2007)

thanks for the report.....

sounds like the lady knows what she is doing......good job...looking fwd to the next report


----------



## whome (Oct 2, 2007)

Great Report and great job on the pitch bait!:letsdrink


----------



## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Thanks for the report.


----------



## Daydreamin (Jun 20, 2008)

Great report! I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for confirming what I have always suspected..."the wind doesn't blow during the week"!!! Nice pictures too :clap


----------



## TURTLE (May 22, 2008)

You guys rule:bowdown and make me :sick with envy. Good job.


----------



## destincabo (Nov 4, 2007)

Funny that you use that quote about the wind never blowing on week days. I have often thought the same thing and used that same line LOL. This is the first work day I've taken off in forever to fish. And damn if it didn't confirm what we thought, It really doesn't blow on a week day.

Best day out of the office I've had in 20 yrs.


----------



## DISANTO (Oct 1, 2007)

Great job! Outstanding trip. I was wondering when you guys would get out there again.


----------



## destincabo (Nov 4, 2007)

I was beginning to wonder that myself. It was nice to rig trolling baits for a change instead of slip leads and bottom tackle. Actually had a lot of fun fishing for snappers this summer, but I'm a blue water guy at heart. Nice to get back out into the deep water.


----------



## Capt. Delynn (Oct 4, 2007)

You guys and (Mrs. Mitchell) of course had a great trip. I've been trying to get Rick away from those bottom dwellers as well.Talk to him and see if you can get him to hang up his 6/0 for awhile. Great job, wish I could have been on that crew. See you around the dock.


----------

