# Snappers and a surprise



## scallopman (Oct 5, 2007)

Today is the scallopman man's 46th and I am feeling old. More on that later. 

Sitting at my desk this morning feeling somewhat sorry for myself because another birthday was upon me, I decided what better way to spend the day than fishing. Especially when the wind is not blowing. So about 10:30 Iput the boat in the water and set off looking for bait. 

Found them too, just up the bayou. Caught about 100 four inch elwys with one throw of the net. Man things are starting off great. 

Pointed the boat southwest and ranabout 15 miles into 100 feet of water. Circled the boat up and dropped a bait in and lo and behold the snapper were up in the water all under me. I have lived and fished out of Destin since 1971 and have not seen snapper so thick since 1974. I could literally pick out the one I wanted. Didn't take long to catch my limit of two, one of which was a nice 12 lbs. and thought I would move to target a grouper.

After running about another 7 miles, again rounded up and dropped a bait down only tocatch more snapper. I did have one rock fish and decided to try a different bait. Only had my snapper rod with a four ought reel full of 40 lb test but thought I would be o.k. with an 80 lb leader. 

Here is where the fun begins. Ran the rock fish down and after abouta minutethe bite was on. I had tightened down the drag after deciding to chance breaking a grouper off rather than let him get me in the rock and began to crank for all I was worth. Well this met with a lot of resistance but I had gotten him off the bottom.

After about ten minutes of give and take, I turned his head and gothim up within thirty feet or so of the surface. Man was that one bigbrown shadow, bigger than thetailgate of my truck.This got me excited. Well he must have seen the boat and decided that was not for him. He abruptlyran off about fifty feet of line back the wrong way. I eventually got him headed back the right way only to have him get fiesty again and turn back towards the bottom. All I could think wasI have hooked a huge warsaw. 

After about forty minutes of wrestling back and forth the line started to run parallel to the surface so I backed the boat down to him thinking he had blown up and was heading to the surface. Again the shadow appeared and again excitementset in. I was fixing to land a fiftyplus pound grouperwith my four ought.

He was coming up.All of the sudden the surface broke aboutthirty yards behind me and to my surprise anddismay, I hadcaught a loggerhead turtle that had to have weighed a couple of hundred pounds.The circle hook wasdoing what it was supposed to and was lodged in the corner ofhis mouthbut once he saw the boat he obviously was not done and tookoff again. This is where I gave us both some much needed relief and cut the line.

I havebeen fishing in the gulf for over thirty five years and have never caught orheard of anyone catching a turtle.

Quite a birthday present.


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## Midnight Run (Oct 2, 2007)

i caught one about two years ago. they fight like no other .


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## JoshH (Sep 28, 2007)

I bet that was a surprise. 

What bayou did you find the LYs in?


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## Voodoo Lounge (Sep 28, 2007)

Nice report Scallopman

Aw damn, here we go with recreational requirements for turtle devices...Capt Paul got your list handy??


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## Capt.Ernie (Mar 4, 2008)

Nice report :clap and Happy birthday. Mine is next week and I'm hoping my boat gets out of the shop soon so I can celerbrate on the WATER!!!


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## Snagged Line (Sep 30, 2007)

Great Reporting for an old man of your age:baby (J/K I'm right on your heels)

Happy B-Day also....................


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## how2fish (Jan 21, 2008)

Happy B'day we did hook a turtlefishing 100 miles offshore a few years ago but it hit a bait swimming on the surface and we were able to see it it right away and cut it off.:clap


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## wirenut (Sep 30, 2007)

Good report. Thanks for sharing.:toast


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## reelnutz (Feb 16, 2008)

Is there 100 ft. of water within 9 miles of shore ??

just wanted to know .


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## scallopman (Oct 5, 2007)

Joe's Bayou around the channel goinginto the bay.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Hell man off Navarre Beach 65' is one mile out. - Great report Happy Birthday!



:mmmbeer

Stressless


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## reelfinatical (Sep 30, 2007)

> *scallopman (4/23/2008)*Joe's Bayou around the channel goinginto the bay.


:banghead:banghead:bangheadD*MN, ya mean to tell me we could have gotten live bait there this morning?! Crap. (lol)


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## Lucky Dawg (Oct 6, 2007)

I believe he said he was 15 miles out. Hmmmm.


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## reelnutz (Feb 16, 2008)

thats what im thinking !!


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