# Trigger Happy offshore 7/14



## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Eager to run my boat again (been down about a month with a lower unit out) and eager to try out a new to me electric reel and some prospective virgin deep drop areas a crew of myself, Ed (submariner), Mike (Mikvi), Gene (Purple Haze) and my friend Mandy who has never been in a boat headed out. We met at 0600 at SC, put the boat in the water, made introductions, and were on our way. 

The ride out met us to some rolling building seas out of the NW. While respecting the break in period of the new lower unit, I kept it at 3600 rpm, which was good. No one got beat too bad, and we we still made good time to our first stop about 30 miles out. We anchored up, and immediately starting pulling up nice red snapper. A good sized trigger followed, and mixed in were some quality mingos. Gene was the snapper master here, I couldn't get one to bite to save my life. The bite slowed for a while. Mandy found some change, payed the troll, said a pagan prayer to king neptune and the bite was back on! Everyone was putting fish in the box, Mandy catching her first of any species and before long we had our snapper and were eager to press outwards to the deep water. 

Seas had laid down at this point, and we moved out about 20 more miles to the first spot, a hump that came up to 330 ft, with 350 ft deep water all around. Gene was very disappointed in my spot selection, as we weren't in the GROUPER area (it was only 5 miles away) but I was eager to fish. First drop witht he electric produces a surprise, mongo mingo! I didn't know they hung out that deep. Gene pulls up two at a time by hand, we add a few more and move on tp even deeper water. 

Next spot 780 ft, first drop for me produces bearded brotula (they fried up great!!) Next thing I know, I hear Ed grunting and I know he is on a good fish. It fights him all the way up, and up pops a nice 12 to 15 lb golden tile. Great fish! After a celebration, we reset, and up comes a huge longtail bass. It turns out it must have been close to the record size, too late, we ate him 

More drops produce more brotula, giant white snapper. We are looking for the golden tile colony that produced Ed's fish when God decided to turn on the wind machine. It went from no wind at all to 15 knots out of the west almost in an instant. Undeterred I press on to what i hope are the grouper rocks. The seas are getting nasty 3 ft, and I can't hold the boat to make a drop anymore. Oh well, great day. We left them biting for another day, for sure. Head in, 60 miles from the pass and we make good time, 28 mph in 3 ft side seas. No slamming (i love my boat!) but I do not exagerate when I say we probably put 1,000 gallons of saltwater in the boat. It was a wet but pretty comfy ride in, I'll take a wet ride over a spine shattering one any day though. Great crew, great day, and good eats! Found some productive new areas, I can't complain. Can't wait to hit it again! Thanks to the crew who helped make it happen.

Gene with a nice double









Ed and Mandy reeling something up









A nice sized mingo










Ed with a tile











Mandy with bearded brotula










Nice jollyrancher!











Colorful cooler












The pesky green eyed shark


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

Congrats on a good box.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Looks like fun times. Good deal.


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## Matt09 (Jun 6, 2008)

Nice haul.


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