# A Day of 'Firsts' - Offshore - Tuesday 12/30



## Misn 1 (Jul 14, 2008)

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Being relatively new to offshore fishing on my own, there have been several ?firsts? for me. On this day, Tuesday 12/30, I had several ?firsts? all in one trip. I live in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:State> and fish out of <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Orange</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Beach</st1laceType></st1lace>, so I have to plan my trips a little in advance. My wife and I had planned to go out on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday since the seas were calming down. At 11:00pm Monday evening, she decided that she really didn?t want to get up early (4am) and make the 3.5 hour drive to <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Orange</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Beach</st1laceType></st1lace>. I said ?OK? and went to check the forecast one more time before bed. When I came back to the bedroom she asked me what I was gonna do. I told her that I was going fishing even if I had to go alone. She was worried about me going alone, and worried about me launching and recovering the boat. I have a 23? <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cobia</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">WA</st1:State></st1lace> and haven?t put in or taken out by myself. After arriving at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Orange</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">Beach</st1laceType></st1lace>, I visited several tackle shops, took advantage of several sales and went and picked up the boat. Here?s where the ?firsts? started;<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o><UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=disc><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I launched the boat by myself.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I headed out to the GOM by myself.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I decided to go to several ?new? spots to fish them for the ?first? time.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">About 14 miles out, I saw a pod of dolphins, so I went over to them to take some pictures (to make the wife jealous of course)?must?ve been over 50 of the I arrived at the fishing spot about 20 miles out, there was another boat about 400 feet away.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I set the anchor by myself.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">I had some frozen bait, but decided I would do some jigging ?first?.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">Dropped down a speed jig, and hooked into something on the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> retrieve up?my ?first? AJ. Only 22 inches, but still my ?first? AJ and the ?first? time I tried this jigging thing.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">I loaded up another rod with frozen bait and dropped it down while I continued jigging. I caught several more AJs in the 22 to 24 inch range?man, was I stoked!!!</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">Tied on a Bucktail jig and dropped it down. Bam, the fight was on?my first Bonito. Man, these fish can fight.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">Dropped the Bucktail back down. Bam! Oh-oh! Line was peeling from my reel. Could this be my first legal AJ? After a couple minutes of tug-a-war, the line went slack. Oh well?that?s fishing.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">I tied on another speed jig and caught a couple of those endangered Red Snapper on the jigs.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">While all of this was going on, I caught several Red Snapper on frozen bait. I was hoping for a couple of stupid Grouper (wish I?d had some live bait).</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">The other boat left, so I decided to drift a little. Did I mention how flat the seas were getting? Dropped down the jig again and let it lay on the bottom for a few seconds. Bam?this felt pretty good too. Pulled in my ?first? Red fish?27 ½ inches. Released him and dropped the jig down again. Same thing, except this Red was 27 inches even. Release him also.</LI>[/list]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Man, I was so stoked I could?ve beat up King Kong with a hickory switch! But it?s 4:45pm and I gotta go. The GOM was almost completely flat now, so I knew I could make it back pretty quick. I didn?t mention that Flipper was cruising from boat to boat in search of a free meal. All in all, I didn?t have a single fish to clean, but I wasn?t mad. I had memories of several more ?firsts?!<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Total catch; 5 Amberjacks, 1 Bonito, 7 Endangered Red Snappers, 2 Reds, 3 unknown break-offs.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">







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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

Congrats on the firsts! It was a really calm day out there tuesday.


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## reelhappy (Oct 31, 2007)

welcome to offshore fishing now you are hook! awesome ! glad you had a great time! it's even more fun with company. keep posting pics look great. thanks for sharing.

scot


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## hebegb (Oct 6, 2007)

Nice!



reminds me of the first (and only) time I tried dragging 3 lines up the beach ALONE....hit a large school of jacks and reds and total chaos ensued!



Landed 1 outta 3 and lost a lot of line....fun times!


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## Matt Mcleod (Oct 3, 2007)

Very nice report, sounds like you had a blast. As you knowhaving a great trip has nothing to do with how many fish you clean.


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## pacsman (Oct 12, 2007)

Nice report and great pictures.


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## still flippen (Oct 6, 2007)

Nice trip and report. Like anything else the more you do it the better you get. Glad you where rewarded for your efforts:usaflag


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## karma (Oct 26, 2007)

I would say your on the road to big keeper fish! Already learning the art of successfully jigging! A nice big live bait about hand size or bigger will get your first BIG legal! Congrats again on your trip.


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## jjam (Dec 9, 2007)

Sounds like you have come a long way in just over a year of tackling the GOM...I agree with the other poster you're well on your way to landing the big ones..

Good Luck Jeff, give me a shout next time last minute or not and I'll try to meet you for a fun day on the water...

Jimmy


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

It is always great to be out on the water, but it is also better if you have someone to share the adventure with. Maybe your wife will go next time.


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## canoe2 (Feb 28, 2008)

Those pictures makes me want to get out in the garage and start working on that 200 Johnson that needs rebuilding. Been four months since my last trip and now I'm heading for the toolbox.


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## ted-hurst (Oct 4, 2007)

What an awesome day, it's to bad you didn't get any keepers but that doesn't matter. We're hopefully going out on Friday and I hope it turns out like that. Again, good job and awesome report.

Ted


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## captain wahoo (Dec 14, 2008)

Nothin like being out there alone! Wonderful quiet time. If you ever need a partner holler! I'm always game, and I am SURE you won't have any trouble finding a buddy to go around all these guys. Congrats on an awesome day.


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## dailysaw (Jan 22, 2008)

great report man and fantastic pics.


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## Hellcat171 (Jul 19, 2008)

Really sweet pics of your ride back in. 

Good for you. I don't know how many times I have wussed out on what could be the best fishing ever cause I didn't have someone to go with me. I bet just knowing that you did it all by yourself was as good of a feeling as actually catching the fish huh. Rock on.


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## Misn 1 (Jul 14, 2008)

> *Hellcat171 (1/7/2009)*Really sweet pics of your ride back in.
> 
> Good for you. I don't know how many times I have wussed out on what could be the best fishing ever cause I didn't have someone to go with me. I bet just knowing that you did it all by yourself was as good of a feeling as actually catching the fish huh. Rock on.


I am very much a 'family man' and really enjoy it when my wife and/or boys go with me. Most of the time I spend a good bit of the time helping them with landing a fish or re-rigging their pole...and I really enjoy it because we're spending time together. But I think it is good to have some 'alone' time now and then and this was one of them. After I got home and showed them the pictures, I got the feeling that they won't let me go out alone again. And you are almost right...the feeling of accomplishment was almost as good as the "tug-a-wars" me and them fish had.


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## Atwood (Feb 12, 2008)

Not bad for an ole Meridian boy!!! Congrats...I am amazed that you have only been doing this for a year. I gotta get a boat!!


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## FishingAddict (Jan 20, 2008)

Sounds like you had a great time. Too bad you didnt get any legal ajs, maybe next time. Congrats on your first arguably successful fishing trip alone.


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## jacksoncounty (Sep 13, 2008)

Congrats man! I grew up playing in the fresh water so I had no idea what I was missing. luckily I hooked up with a great bunch of guys (Team Recess)and all I've thought about is learning the game since. Keep it up and keep posting!


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## DKFREE (Sep 1, 2008)

Thanks for the great report. Have been out alone before and understand a lot of the "firsts" that occur with that. My wife usually like to fish with me too, but sometimes is not available. I fish out of Perdido Key and have a Ranger 2300 with Yamaha 225 4 stroke. If you ever want to go out in the GOM and need a buddy boat send me a note.


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