# Florida Fisherman ll Fishes Friday the thirteenth



## Harbison (Apr 18, 2012)

Florida Fisherman ll Fishes Friday the Thirteenth
6 A.M. Sunday morning, 4/6/18, the FF ll comes home with a mountain of fish:

Next up:

Will it be lucky Friday the thirteenth? Let's take a look.
The night bite produces a variety:



Saturday morning: Mr. John Martin, Florida Fisherman ll fishing coach, not only tells, but shows us how it's done:



The elusive, hard to fool, hard to catch, mangrove snapper:

Joe, well done sir:

The ever so fun to catch, the hard fighting, extremely fast, blackfin tuna. The blackfin, found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod to Brazil, as well as in our own Gulf of Mexico, is a short-lived, fast-growing species; a five year old would be considered old. They reach sexual maturity at the age of two years, and spawn in the open sea during the Summer:

The very aggressive American red snapper are now so abundant that they are dominating many offshore reefs.

Triggerfish are so much fun to catch, and even more fun to eat:



Ed, and his partner, Dan, are two of the best of the best. If it can be caught, they can catch it. Ed catches most of his tuna, as well as huge kings & wahoo, while trolling in between stops. The Florida has mastered the art of trolling. Trolling has become so productive that the FF ll even has outriggers:


Ed and Dan form a well oiled team. Many on the Florida have been fishing together for years. This is serious fishing for serious fishermen/women:


'Will it be lucky Friday the thirteenth?' Well!


Next up, Thursday, April 19, deep drop trip. In all, four deep drop trips are planned for 2018: 4/19, 5/17, 8/16, 11/1. Once you pass the 100 fathom mark the fish tend to be a 'little' different. Ever hear of Snowy Grouper, Barrel Fish, or Long Tail Bass? You will. Even 'Jersey Girl' Tammy gets excited:

Think Ed & Dan have only mastered shallow water fishing? Think again:







I have been fishing with Hubbard's ever since the middle seventies. I see as many fish caught today as I did then. Only difference is we now have, out of necessity, much stricter rules. The problem is our fishery is being 'over-managed' to the extent that fish such as the very aggressive American red snapper are completely taking over the reefs at the expense of other species. As an example, many very productive mangrove snapper & gag grouper areas are home now to only red snapper. For our, or what was once our, fishery to survive, control through realistic management must be realized. Virtually NO red snapper season, with a possession limit of two fish, was, is, and will continue to, nothing short of a disaster for fish & fishermen alike.
Bob Harbison
Florida Outdoor Writers Association


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