# Gone Fishin' (by myself) Too 1/31/09



## Gone Fishin' Too (Oct 3, 2007)

Well I got off to a late start by myself Saturday morning, long story short nobody could go with me on a 1 hr notice Saturday at 8:00am!!! I wish I had gotten out to an earlier start but I just wasn't up for the cold. I put in the water at 9:30am at Navy Point, and went east to the Palafox pier to look for pinfish and grunts - no love. So I went to 3 mile bridge in search of anything alive to put in the baitwell. I knew I could get white trout so I fished for an hour and put about 15 in the livewell. It was now about 11:15am and I said what the hell!!! I plugged in coordinates for the Avocet and off I went. Going out wasn't too bad. The forecast predicted 1 to 2 footers all day so I figured I'd go long in search for the last groupers. About 8 miles offshore, the 1 to 2 seas were more like 3 to 4 feet. So I hesitated and decided to pull up short at about 15 miles offshore. I ran over a good marking and dropped down butterfly jig and doubled up with a 28.5 inch AJ :banghead. So then I drifted it a few more times and got nailed a few more times and then a good slam and a breakoff. Decided to anchor up and sent down a large live white trout. Immediately it was game on with something bigger that I ever felt on the end of the line. I had my full fighting belt on and harness to lock in the 6/0 senator with 100lb braid and 125lb fluro leader. My stout rod was bent so far over I was scared it would shatter. I couldn't get the fish to give up any ground. It didn't seem rocked up, it felt like a volkswagen. I could get one crank in and it would get two back every turn. This battle went on for 20 minutes or so until my line finally broke when I tightened up the drag. I was afraid to lock it completly down because I was alone and didn't feel like taking a swim. I was almost relieved when the line broke because I'm sure that battle could have lasted much longer. So I rerigged and sent down another white trout and BAM!!!! up comes a 30in Red Snapper!!! - with the whole large white trout in its mouth. I caught snapper after snapper after snapper all in the 22 - 30 inch range. Flipper was there everytime I threw them back, even with them getting vented I'm sure very few actually make it to the bottom. The sad thing is these 15lb and 20lb Red Snapper are a nuisance fish since you can't keep them. I thought an 18" live white trout would get me some AJ's and Groupers.:banghead:banghead I caught a few small gags and then 1 legal 18" scamp on a chicken rig with a little piece of squid looking for triggers or mingos. I never could get past all the monster snappers to get a good grouper bite. At 4:40 I decided to head back in before dark and the winds were picking up and the 2-4 foot seas were coming out of the NW. Needless to say I was getting wet!!. Here's some pictures, had a great day catching, just would have liked to get that heafty gag grouper before the season closed. One more note -the FWC was out in force on Saturday. I was checked at the 3 mile bridge and they were alsowaiting at the dock in the FWC pickup truck at Navy Pointwhere they met you as you pulled up in your boat and I got in about 5:20 pm!!!! All I could keep was a small 18" Scamp after a $100 dollar day and throwing back 300 lbs of Red Snapper to the dolphins!!!:hoppingmad:banghead:hoppingmad:banghead:hoppingmad:banghead


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## BlueWaterMafiaPro (Jan 23, 2009)

nice snapper! i know flipper ate well that day.


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## pogypumper (Mar 24, 2008)

Thanks for the pics and well written report. Those snapper would make me cry as I threw them back.:reallycrying


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## pogypumper (Mar 24, 2008)

Oh, and speaking of snapper. Now I'm one of them on here!:clap:clap:clap

I know, BFD.


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## Lil' Scout (Oct 1, 2007)

I was watching you bowed up and figured you must have locked horns with a big jewfsh. We were in the Sailfish off your stearn.


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## Gone Fishin' Too (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Lil' Scout (2/3/2009)*I was watching you bowed up and figured you must have locked horns with a big jewfsh. We were in the Sailfish off your stearn.


I was glad you were downstream in case I went into the big drink!!! Whatever it was, it didn't want to be messed with. It was a tug of war and it won!!! Looks like you guys had several bowed rods also. How did you do?


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## Misn 1 (Jul 14, 2008)

Awesome! Great pictures of those "Endangered Red Snappers".


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## A-Wading-Fool (Dec 9, 2008)

Great report, and very nice catch! I am sorry to hear you had to go out alone. Well on short notice I am around: poke


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## NaClH2O (Feb 14, 2008)

Great report. The snapper really have become a pain in the rear end. They make it hard to catch grouper by taking most of the good live baits. We have caught some huge red snapper the past few months.


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## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

Good report Chris. Just give me a little heads up next time and ill be out there with you. Really good size to those snapper. Are they the endangered ones ??:clap:clap

Scott


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## reelhappy (Oct 31, 2007)

nice catch. next time give me a shout. i will help you pull some off the bottom!


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## reefdonkey (Sep 30, 2007)

> *NaClH2O (2/3/2009)*Great report. The snapper really have become a pain in the rear end. They make it hard to catch grouper by taking most of the good live baits. We have caught some huge red snapper the past few months.




I agree 100%. Snapper stocks down my ass::doh


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## Buche (Jan 19, 2009)

Nice report, makes me feel like I'm right there.


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## dailysaw (Jan 22, 2008)

thanks for the great report and pics. despite being solo it sounds like a good trip. i love to hereabout the bigones that get away. :banghead next time!


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## Hydro Therapy 2 (Sep 11, 2008)

with fishing like that give out a hollar I'll come running...nice job.


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## Marine Scout (Nov 18, 2007)

Hey there, great report and pictures to prove the point. I do most of my fishing alone so don't sweat it. Man, $100 dollars in gas and 1 18 in. scamp to show. Those are some strange odds. If you need someone in the future just send me a line I will be happy to split the cost. Thats why I bought my 5.5 miles per gallon Scout. Better odds than my 240 SeaRay that get about 1.5 to 2.0 miles per gallon. Any way, great report!! YOU DONE GOOD!!

:clap:clap


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