# Week in Mexico Beach



## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Every year we go spend a week in Mexico Beach, FL. This year we drove down Friday night and took my little 15ft skiff to do some scalloping in the bay. My friend came down Saturday with his 17ft Edgewater , so that we can go to the reefs.

Sat, while waiting for him to make it down, we took the skiff out about 4 miles and went to some of the shallow (25ft) reefs. we didn't find much there, but got to check out the saltwater handling of my new(to me) skiff. And also check out the Nav features on my new Humminbird 798 GPS/Fishfinder. WOW what a great machine!!! It turned out to be a real lifesaver later in the week. We caught nothing but pins and grunts.

Sun, My friend arrived Sat evening, so we took his boat to the mid reefs (Carbodies)We caught Ruby Red after Ruby Red, after Ruby Red. We got one Pogy, and got the [email protected] beat out of us on the way in.

Mon, We went back to the Carbodies. We caught a few blues, and alot more Ruby Reds. My wife was bottom fishing with squid and hooked several nice red snapper. But was not strong enough to get them off the reef and got cut off. She hooked one real nice one and got him just about to the boat and CRACK!! The rod broke, fish got off... I was fishing mid column with pinfish and cut ruby reds for snapper. While waiting for a bite I caught a NICE lane snapper on bottom. I ended up with one red about 7 or 8lbs. Then I got bored and tried jigging with some leftover spanish sardines from last years trips. Funny thing was, I was using a 6ft bass rod witha 30 sized spinning reel! BAM, then nothing! reeled up and rig was gone! KINGS were here! I tried again and hooked one about 34 inches! Landed him and dropped again. BAM! hooked another but a missed gaff shot knocked him off. dropped again... BAM! fought a sec and cut off! I tied up the same rig but with a 2ftsolid wire leader and got nothing. Either they were gone or didn't like the leader... Anyway, everyone else was bored, so we went to the housse...And got the [email protected] beat out of us again. Fuel sending unit quit...

Tues, went to St Joe to find a new sending unit. Bought one and spent day replacing it. Went to boat Canal to try grubs for flounder... Nothing.

Wed, went for a family day in Crooked Island. Had a great time anchored on a sandbar. Caught lots of croaker and grunts with the wives and kids. Even caught two 2ft Blacktips as well.

Thurs, got really late start, ended going out late afternoon for some goofing around inshore and into the night for sharks. We wife was killin the sand trout. We ended up with about 15 and lotsa baby sharks 40+. On the way in, we discovered that the boat canal marker lights were gone. And some IDIOT on the jetty kept shining us with his Q-beam. Completey night blinded now, I could not see either jetty or the canal opening AT ALL! So I "flew" in on instuments using the humminbird. I zoomed in on the canal entrance and followed the track line from when I left. Guided her in with no problem.

Fri, one last trip to the car bodies. The wind was out of the north and the current out of the southeast. We never could get anchored right. Every time we got set, the wind would change in intensity a little, thus letting the current take us to the west. When we had the boat right, the chum line went to the west... The whole day was a lesson in reef anchoring frustration. We caught lotsa Ruby Reds and another handfull of Sand Trout.
I tried the jigging dead baits for snapper to no avail. We got the [email protected] beat out of us again! Oh and one nice Ocean Trigger.

Sat, made the trip back to AL. We ended up with one good day on the car bodeies with a an assortment, but no limits. And another good day with a cooler full of inshore trout. 2 decent days out of 7.... Not the best year we have had, but we did finally catch a red snapper. We hadn't caught one in three years...


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## Razzorduck (Oct 22, 2007)

Sounds like a great trip. Fishing may not always shine but you spent a week in paradise.


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