# 5-6-2012 chickens



## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

Well, with the forecast looking good I decided to find out if the 18ft renken could make it to the edge and back. I know all the boats that saw me out there yesterday were saying wtf in their heads. Hit the mass on the way out and it was bubbling with a nice variety of bait. Got our fill and headed to Antares. Get there and theres one boat on it. Okay I don't mind sharing. But we get within 100 yards and the guy starts yelling that he's got divers in the water. I'm thinking, hey maybe a dive flag would help other boaters know what your doing. So decide to just keep our distance and wait til their done. Good thing we did cuz 25 schoolies showed up and were ready to eat. They were taking chunks of sardines and squid but very cautiously. Decided to try a gotcha plug and was rewarded. Didn't even have to work it they were nailing it as soon as it hit water. Picked up 14 and the rest of em figured it out and left. Found out we had drifted 1.5 miles in this time and headed back to where we started. A new dive boat had arrived, with a dive flag this time, but were way off it looking around. So I pulled up and set the anchor. Nice lil cobe comes up right to the motor and I'm scrambling to find a rod rigged. By the time I'm ready he's gone and I'm pissed. Oh well, 2 minutes later about 15 ajs came right up to the boat and I get a hard tail on and in he goes. Unfortunately a cuda cut it in half right in front of the ajs at 90 miles an hour. My buddy gets hooked up and shortly we get an aj in the box. He then drops a hard tail to the bottom and is struggling to bring up the next fish. Up comes a 34 inch gag. So sad to watch swim back down instead of into the ice bath after some quick pics. Trolled to tenneco and picked up a king and some bobos. Kept going to the edge and had a few more knockdowns that came undone. Fished some rocks and didn't get anything good enough so called it a day. Get inside 10 miles and the wind is blowing cold wind and I thought we were gonna get rained on but made it to Sherman safe and sound.


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## feelin' wright (Oct 7, 2007)

Great job. My first edge trip was in a 18 ft CC. As long as you pick your days and stay up on the maintenence then you will be fine. It is funny fishing next to all of these big boats when you pull up in a 18'er.


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## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

Yes it was funny. Saw some really nice boats out there including a yellowfin and a contender.


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## Capt.Kyle (May 7, 2012)

how far is the edge out never fished it before


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## grey ghost (Jul 24, 2011)

nice pic, good report!!


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## straycat (Jul 26, 2008)

good job, congrats!

straycat


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## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

I'm thinking the edge starts anywhere from 20 to 25 miles out of Pensacola pass. This was my first trip hunting for new spots and I found one. Excited to get back out there and find some more.


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## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

Here's a picture of the same boat as mine for those of you that have pm'd me. I'm not trying to convince anyone to take their small boat out that far. I've just been offshore fishing for a longtime and it was flat as tits on a boar and I knew I could get away with saving gas by taking the small boat. I'd never go that far if it was 2-3ft or higher.


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

Thanks for pic and detailed report.


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

BigSlick said:


> Here's a picture of the same boat as mine for those of you that have pm'd me. I'm not trying to convince anyone to take their small boat out that far. I've just been offshore fishing for a longtime and it was flat as tits on a boar and I knew I could get away with saving gas by taking the small boat. I'd never go that far if it was 2-3ft or higher.
> 
> View attachment 48281


You've just had a "longtime" lucky streak. Eventually you'll get caught out there by a weather change. The Gulf loves to swamp little boats like that.


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## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

You must have misread my posts. This was the first time taking this boat out there. Would only do it on a calm day. The "longtime" offshore has been in my 22ft. Like I said, it was flat so I went.


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## PCfisher66 (Oct 13, 2010)

Nice report, at least you got some fish on ice.


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## Gamefish27 (Nov 13, 2009)

I miss my 17.... way to go


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## BILL_MONEY (Feb 17, 2009)

we fish a 18 foot all the way to ram powell and have landed a best wahoo at 70#s and best tuna of 150#s.... you cant do this all the time but if you watch the weather and have a work schedule that allows you to fish in 1 days notice you can do this safely....


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## BILL_MONEY (Feb 17, 2009)

pic of a 18 mckee ... same hull and t top.. but ice blu hull.... with out riggers:thumbup:


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## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

Nice billmoney. You can definitely do it safely just gotta monitor the weather very closely. How big is your tank in the 18


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## BILL_MONEY (Feb 17, 2009)

holds 65 gals... on a overnight we carry 30 on top.... when we get back we usually have around a 1/4 tank in reserve.... you defenately have to watch the weather... and i don't mean what you can see... you have to have a stationary high on the gulf or we dont go.... the boat is not mine it is one of my good friends... and one of the guys that fish with us on the 18 has a 60' charter boat, 52' Ocean and a 32' Century .... So if the tuna are bitting we take the apropiate TOOL for the job...LOL


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## BigSlick (Jun 13, 2010)

Makes complete sense. Id love to get a weather window to run to the rigs in my 22. Hopefully soon.


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