# Near perfect day on the water



## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

I was stuck at home with a sick boy this weekend just looking at the weather forecast and reading the reports. By about 11 this morning my sick one was feeling a lot better and tomorrow's forecast was getting worse (my wife is off tomorrow so I was going to go sans kids). I just couldn't stand it any more so I loaded the boat and headed out. I got out to my first spot but some a-hole thought he owned it so we moved a few hundred yards away (after exchanging "pleasantries") and he came up behind me and said the whole area there was his. I had some choice words for the man and then moved to another nearby spot. The action was hot. Since I had three boys with me I didn't worry about catching monsters, just getting our limits so we could head back in. They don't care so much for the fishing, they just like to go "super speedy" but the action was fast enough to keep them from getting bored. I was only able to fish with one rod, there just wasn't time to get a second rod out before getting hooked up or getting the bait stolen. I made each of the boys reel in their own fish, but they needed a little help. We caught a couple AJ's and even had a bonus. I was reeling in to check my bait and a little dolphin was following it. I stopped reeling and she grabbed it. She was all alone so I brought her in.

On the way back in we stopped at a friend's dock and traded a couple fish for a beer while the kids did a little swimming before heading back to the launch. I didn't have to get up early, and the boat in fish were cleaned before the sun went down. Today was a good day.


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## redfish maniac (Jul 19, 2008)

Nice haul for an unplanned / unexpected trip.
Too bad about the A-hole experience and with kids on board.
Looks like an excellent day on the water.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

I think everyday on the water when snapper fishing can be a late start and early getting back. Thats what happens when you can limit out in a few minutes.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Good job getting the kids out there and enjoying the day except fer the idiot giving you crap!!!!


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

redfish maniac said:


> Nice haul for an unplanned / unexpected trip.
> Too bad about the A-hole experience and with kids on board.
> Looks like an excellent day on the water.


That's ok, my kids have seen a whole lot more great people than a-holes.


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

MillerTime said:


> I think everyday on the water when snapper fishing can be a late start and early getting back. Thats what happens when you can limit out in a few minutes.


I think we could have limited in half the time with another adult onboard. I actually spent very little time with a bait in the water. If I could have just kept the boat over the spot and kept a second pole baited and ready it would have been a hell of a lot more efficient. We need to mother ship your yak out again before I move away.


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## Bean Counter (Nov 15, 2010)

Post the numbers for his spot and lets all go.


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Nice haul! Good day for the boys!!


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

Bean Counter said:


> Post the numbers for his spot and lets all go.


It's basically a public pile of concrete. The exact spot I wanted to fish over was something I marked on a previous fishing trip about 100 yards from the actual published numbers, which is something I've found to be pretty common. Sometimes the numbers are off a little and other times there is just a little more that the main rock pile or wreck. I don't remember Which category this spot falls into. He didn't say it was a private reef, he was just claiming it was his spot. If it was his private spot that I had stumble upon I would put the numbers up in the general forum so everyone could enjoy it. 

Even though I gave him plenty of courtesy room, I could have understood his frustration if it was the middle of the week and he was the only boat out there. In this case we're talking about nice weather on opening weekend of snapper season. There were 7 boats within a half mile or so of us so it was a safe bet that most spots in the are I have numbers for were occupied. I'm thinking that if a person wasn't willing to share a spot with another boat then this weekend would have been better spent staying on shore.

Even my 8-year-old knew this guy was out of line. He's the sweetest, least confrontational kid I know and he regularly gets pushed around by his 4-year-old brother because he doesn't stick up for himself. I was kind of proud of him when he yelled, "Hey! You have no right to tell us where we can fish!" 

If the situation had been reversed and I have been on the spot first, he could have come up next to me and I would have told him how the fish were biting, what they were biting on, given him some bait if I had enough, and shared some beer with him. If any of you guys see "Miss Behavin'" out there, by all means come up and say hi and fish next to me.


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

marmidor said:


> Nice haul! Good day for the boys!!


It was a good day for the boys. They deserve it with the long days they've put up with out there with a lot fewer fish to show for it. It's not very often that we get to stop and swim, but it sure makes them happy. My oldest also eats mahi like it's candy so he was stoked when we pulled that one in.


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## Salty Daze (Sep 25, 2011)

That's awesome with the kids. My kids are the same way. Love to fish and go fast with bumps. We have spoke about the commonality of wives between you and I. Mine had this weekend off but we didn't hit the fishing till Sunday due to the wise/unwise decision of partaking in bowlegs. We cleaned house fishing like expected as we all know you should. We stopped on the hayward on the way back in just to clean up and let a couple more people fish that were heading back home. While there two boats were just getting at it with each other. One was a dive boat and the other fishing. They were throwing finger gestures and smack talk on 16. Something about being accused of divers undoing anchors and tying lines up while down there. It seems like its always something to be confrontational about out there. I am the same as you, laid back and easy going. If I know whats working i will tell you, heck I gave one boat all my ice and a couple beers for the trip back because they landed a nice cobia and had nothing to keep it cool.

But man as for spots out there, last I checked or heard, there is nothing privately owned. I understand people pay for putting a reef out there and thats awesome. And I am sure you feel like it is owned by you when you pay for it. But sooner or later it will get stumbled upon and whoever stumbles upon it has the right to fish it. That's the risk that is taken when paying for a private reef. Why do you think everyone always says while running keep the sonar on to find new spots! Anyhow, glad you had a great day and sorry the kids had to experience a jerk out there while trying to show your kids a good time. sounds like they just brushed it off which is nice. I am sure they have a good example to follow!


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## Salty Daze (Sep 25, 2011)

what was the name of the a-hole boat? so we all know who to look for.


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## Trophyhusband (Nov 30, 2011)

tomnmendy said:


> what was the name of the a-hole boat? so we all know who to look for.


I don't know. I was never close enough to him to read hull numbers or the make of his boat, and I have pretty good eyesight.


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## ryanbr (Oct 10, 2007)

That's classic. If he had a private spot that really was 100yds from a public one he ought to know its not private anymore. Anybody w sense doesn't anchor on a private spot on the weekend and just pulls off as someone approaches. I actually had a dive charter on the Navy Barges one time and a guy in a small cc swore it was a private car body his buddy gave him. I laughed my butt off. Of course that west permitted area south of the I-10 rubble looks like a parking lot with private spots that are routinely occupied with boats 1000' apart.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

I like to just smile and let them make a scene. The more you laugh the better the situation will be. I once had a guy pull up to me when i was anchored under the destin bridge to cus me out cuase i was in his spot, had a 10 year old kid to top things off. Crazy people.


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