# Venice Trip recap



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Started a new thread with the results of our trip. First, the drive sucks. Construction or radar zones made it longer than anticipated.

The "houses" we stayed were better than expected. AC was ice cold. Much needed. Pillows and blankets are sparse, so if you sleep with 3 pillows take a couple.

The Crawgators bar and grill is OK. Night 1 I had fried fish. It was a bit greasy. Night 2 was hook-and-cook cobia and it was outstanding.

Met the boat (wrapped with a Tito's theme - looked cool) and Capt. Chad basically said we can catch tuna maybe or meat most likely. We opted for meat.

The boat is a 39 Yellowfin with quad 350 Mercs. Solid ride. Bean bags made the trip comfy. Went to a rig where the tore up the scamp the day before. Scamp didn't play for us but snapper and cobia did. A quick snapper limit and 5 cobia! All solid fish.

The weather and good sense told us to call it early. Head in - real sloppy. Heard the props bite a couple of times, but the boat and captain handled it well.

The pics tell the tale. So the good: Caught a bunch of fish and plan to go back to target tuna. The bad: I didn't like the way they capt and mate wanted to drop the lines, hook the fish, then hand off to one of us. I know they get a ton of inexperienced anglers but all of us know our shit. Next time I intend to have a talk with the capt before we head out. If we mess something up we will cover the cost. Or bring our own gear. 

On the gear note, they use quality stuff.

Going again in Nov if weather allows. 

__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

Nice trip.

pro tip - crawgators is really good but you got to enter with a BAC of .12. Everything is better and better.


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## OldMan-theSea (May 14, 2018)

So, on a fishing forum I have to confirm I’m over 18 to see the day’s catch hanging?

I was expecting some skin…. female


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

OldMan-theSea said:


> So, on a fishing forum I have to confirm I’m over 18 to see the day’s catch hanging?
> 
> I was expecting some skin…. female


Whatchu talkin bout, Willis?


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Apparently showing dead fish on a FRICKIN FISHING FORUM now is "sensitive". Lord help us.


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## daylate (Feb 22, 2012)

Wow, glad you guys had success but you should be fishing, not being handed a rod with a fish on it. That is not normal over there.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

I'll be honest, if someone dropped the bait, hooked the fish and tried to hand me the rod, I'd tell them to take me to the dock. The bite is the best part. 

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

John B. said:


> I'll be honest, if someone dropped the bait, hooked the fish and tried to hand me the rod, I'd tell them to take me to the dock. The bite is the best part.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk


What John said that would piss ME off you hook it its your fish unless you need help. But I do understand why they would do it with a lot of people that charter. Defiantly something a Capt. should discuss with his charter. And I understand you on those LA roads they suck bad Cops every where looking to write tickets for out of towners and they will beat your boat and trailer to hell. Every leaf spring I ever broke was down there! And replaced them every year.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Been a while since we’ve been down but we tell the Capt we don’t need a deck hand and we will bait, clean boat and fish ourselves.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

We was there Saturday, (disnt fish, just riding around) Youd think there would be a better place to eat there. I thought the food sucked.


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## daylate (Feb 22, 2012)

The key to good food there is to have them cook YOUR fish that you just caught.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

so the hook and hand to me was one of things i didn't like, either. one of the reasons i don't want to go back. but, if you can tell the capt. you don't need a deck hand, that may work for me and i;d like to go back. but, like all of you said, feel the bite and set the hook is all part of catching fish. the meat is just an added bonus.
jack


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Agreed. I won’t fish a charter that hooks fish for me.


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

hjorgan said:


> Started a new thread with the results of our trip. First, the drive sucks. Construction or radar zones made it longer than anticipated.
> 
> The "houses" we stayed were better than expected. AC was ice cold. Much needed. Pillows and blankets are sparse, so if you sleep with 3 pillows take a couple.
> 
> ...


Throw those baby ling back next time !!


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Bama Sonny said:


> Throw those baby ling back next time !!


If they're legal and he paid the money, then cook em up.


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## cody&ryand (Oct 3, 2007)

Bama Sonny said:


> Throw those baby ling back next time !!


Always one in every crowd


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Bama Sonny said:


> Throw those baby ling back next time !!


Hey Mr. 4-poster. Go spawn yourself.


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

MrFish said:


> If they're legal and he paid the money, then cook em up.


Well maybe they s


hjorgan said:


> Hey Mr. 4-poster. Go spawn yourself.


Yes Sir !


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Makes me wanna go cook up some 10 inch snapper boat side now.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

MrFish said:


> Makes me wanna go cook up some 10 inch snapper boat side now.


Shit just dropem back and keep the 23 and under Black G's they taste better


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

MrFish said:


> Makes me wanna go cook up some 10 inch snapper boat side now.





MrFish said:


> If they're legal and he paid the money, then cook em up.


so mr fish do you think the cobia population is in good shape ? With a name mr fish you should know ?


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Bama Sonny said:


> so mr fish do you think the cobia population is in good shape ? With a name mr fish you should know ?


They've started limiting them. The cobia tourneys aren't going on like they used to. What do you want? Make it where you can't keep any at all?


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

welcome to the new poster. looks like he knows how to stir shit like the rest of y'all do.
jack


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

MrFish said:


> They've started limiting them. The cobia tourneys aren't going on like they used to. What do you want? Make it where you can't keep any at all?


There not like other fish , they migrate to Louisiana to spawn and up the East coast, not sure what Louisiana regulations are now but when they were plenty of fish in the 90’s to around 2012 Louisiana could catch 6 per person and when you could make 3 trips and limit out plus the fact we were catching all we could here in Tommy’s tournaments and Destin, 
I doubt they will ever recover


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

jack2 said:


> welcome to the new poster. looks like he knows how to stir shit like the rest of y'all do.
> jack


* fu*kit. Not worth giving the newby any recognition


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

H2OMARK said:


> * fu*kit. Not worth giving the newby any recognition


Just because I don’t post and spend my life on here doesn’t mean much ! Nice language


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

If you want to change the regs, then contact NMFS and state management. Don't shit on dude's thread, because he kept some legal fish after paying for a charter. Start your own thread and tell us how you'll save the world.


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

MrFish said:


> If you want to change the regs, then contact NMFS and state management. Don't shit on dude's thread, because he kept some legal fish after paying for a charter. Start your own thread and tell us how you'll save the world.


Yes sir !


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

H2OMARK said:


> * fu*kit. Not worth giving the newby any recognition


glad to see you're back at it. we been waiting for ya.
jack


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks Jack. Had to take some time away from most social media because of the Karen's out there trying to ruin everyone's lives to push their own agenda. I see things haven't changed much LOL. Hope you're doing well.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

yea, mark, i understand. sometimes our tough skin that we need to put up with some of the bullshit on here does wear a little thin. taking a break from the madness helps you grow that think layer back. keep on posting, buddy.
jack


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Imagine being offended cause someone kept legal fish to eat. Bet you didn’t play in mud puddles as a kid.


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## daylate (Feb 22, 2012)

Bama Sonny said:


> There not like other fish , they migrate to Louisiana to spawn and up the East coast, not sure what Louisiana regulations are now but when they were plenty of fish in the 90’s to around 2012 Louisiana could catch 6 per person and when you could make 3 trips and limit out plus the fact we were catching all we could here in Tommy’s tournaments and Destin,
> I doubt they will ever recover


I am with you on the bleak cobia situation here but the La guys are not to blame IMO. The fish over there are a totally different aggregate than what we used to see here in April. They have cobia year round over there and they don't see the huge spawning females like we had here. The reason for the collapse of our spring fishery can be debated but nobody knows what happened conclusively. I personally think the spring kill tourneys took a terrible toll but I can't prove it and I don't think they caused the collapse. The fishing here overall has dramatically changed since I was a teenager fishing from the pier. Maybe the collapse of the cobia run is just another part of the changes. I hope they return someday as I have lost most of my interest in fishing without them.


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

Bama Sonny said:


> Yes sir !
> [/QUOTE





H2OMARK said:


> Thanks Jack. Had to take some time away from most social media because of the Karen's out there trying to ruin everyone's lives to push their own agenda. I see things haven't changed much LOL. Hope you're doing well.


I just voiced my opinion I’ll apologize to that guy if it will make y’all feel better, even when there were an abundance of ling I would tag those and turn back, I get he paid for a trip also


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## Bama Sonny (Mar 23, 2014)

hjorgan said:


> Started a new thread with the results of our trip. First, the drive sucks. Construction or radar zones made it longer than anticipated.
> 
> The "houses" we stayed were better than expected. AC was ice cold. Much needed. Pillows and blankets are sparse, so if you sleep with 3 pillows take a couple.
> 
> ...


I apologize for the comments I made on the cobia ! I bet they tasted great!


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## YELLOWCAT (Oct 25, 2017)

Bama Sonny said:


> I apologize for the comments I made on the cobia ! I bet they tasted great!


I bet they tasted bad!!


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

Yummmm on the cobia!!!!


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

Bama Sonny said:


> I apologize for the comments I made on the cobia ! I bet they tasted great!


F'ing troll. Don't feed them, they just keep coming back. Thought it might be [edit: one of our illustrious members who haven't posted in a while] but maybe not quite stupid enough. But then that's debatable as well since this one makes a pretty good case.


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## dvnelson72 (May 28, 2017)

On the reeling not catching thing….

I took a Voodoo charter a few years ago. The capt was annoyed that we wanted to run out for tuna, instead of staying close and getting red snapper.

when we did get out there, he was setting up that we would need to come in early the entire time. So we hook a few fish…. Black fin, rainbow runner, sharks, barracuda, etc. The sister boat next to us hooked a yellowfin. As soon as they hooked up capt says “time to run back in for snapper. Weather sucks.” No waves. No rain on horizon. Barely anything on radar. Half our trip canceled due to phantom weather. We were at the rig for less than an hour.

when we were catching, they tried the reel don’t catch thing and we all balked. So as we reel in these huge red snapper, he heckled us. “Stop pumping, tighten the drag all the way and reel it you p-ssies.”

I didn’t pay that much money to combat fish, and have another man set my hook.

it didn’t sit well with me.

the other thing that bothered me was you had to pay in advance for everything but gas. Our original trip got cancelled due to a hurricane. 

You have one year to rebook. Every time I tried, no availability. I finally got testy with the young lady, and her response was “sir we aren’t even making money on this trip, so you are at the bottom of our priority list.” I said “you already have my money, so you did make money. Refund, book, or I’ll charge back on Amex.”


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