# Best Petronius Run?



## Cap'n Davey

Hi Guys,

We leave out of Pensacola Pass. To get to Petronius, is it worth it to haul her overland and splash in Gulf Shores to shorten the run and save fuel? Using Homeport, from my Pensacola Pass Waypoint, it is 70nm to Petronius. How far is the run from Gulf Shores, or the closets Ramp to Petronius? Do you have the Coords for any Ramp you suggest, or an address etc? To reach the closest Land from Petronius, directly North of Petronius, it is 60nm and 18 miles trailer haul from my home overland. Wondering about the trade-off. It (will) save 20 miles on the water. But I don't want to give up trolling the Elbow, 131, Nipple and Edge the morning of our return from Petronius. Suggestions?

Spoke with *Yellow Fever* about this, but wanted to throw it out there. It was his suggestion to splash her in Gulf Shores.

135gal fuel capacity. 200hp 4stroke Yamy. 4300rpm-30mph-3.4mpg


----------



## WhyMe

When you find something out let us know. Your fuel drum work out?...I take it.
WhyMe 
Mako My Dayo


----------



## Realtor

I just did a rough plot on my Garmin stuff....

distance from Pensacola Pass - 80.7 Miles
70.2NM
Distance from Perdido Pass 73.3 miles
63.6 NM
difference of 7.4 miles....



what Pass were you planning to go out?


----------



## Chris V

Petronius is 63NM from Perdido Pass in Orange Beach. You could launch at Boggy Point on Marina Rd and it's less than five minutes into the gulf


----------



## Chapman5011

Realtor said:


> I just did a rough plot on my Garmin stuff....
> 
> distance from Pensacola Pass - 80.7 Miles
> Distance from Perdido Pass 73.3 miles
> difference of 7.4 miles....
> 
> what Pass were you planning to go out?


What about going out of fort morgan.


----------



## Realtor

Chapman5011 said:


> What about going out of fort morgan.


 60.6 NM from the tip of the land there... 69.8 Stat miles


----------



## Chris V

The drive to ft Morgan won't save much time on the water but adds a lot on the road going through both OB and GS and then 20 miles to the launch.


----------



## reelthrill

We used to debate on this issue and finally decided it was much better to leave from Pcola pass. Too much time and trouble towing all the way to fort morgan and not enough distance worth the trip to perdido pass.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

reelthrill said:


> We used to debate on this issue and finally decided it was much better to leave from Pcola pass. Too much time and trouble towing all the way to fort morgan and not enough distance worth the trip to perdido pass.


That is what we figured. Just wanted to get a consensus. 

Thanks a lot guys, see you out there!


----------



## Captain Woody Woods

Youre not missing anything at those close in locations right now anyway. Bring your jigs if youre going to Petronius if youre expecting a blackin beatdown. Good hoo fishing north and west of there right now


----------



## Yellow fever 23

It is a long haul from Pensacola to Fort Morgan, but with me being in OB it's not that bad, and sure beats trying to launch and load up with all of the Robinson Island bunch in perdido bay! Boggy Point and Cotton Bayou launches can be pretty radical places in the middle of summer.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Captain Woody Woods said:


> Youre not missing anything at those close in locations right now anyway. Bring your jigs if youre going to Petronius if youre expecting a blackin beatdown. Good hoo fishing north and west of there right now



Thanks Woody! That is the idea. Jig for BFT and try for YFT. Then troll the Steps or Elbow in ...

Gonna do a Petronius only trip and see where we are at for Fuel before heading NW to Marlin, Beer Can, Ram Powell etc... but who knows, if we have the fuel while out there, we will put it to it!

Thanks again.


See ya out there Yellow Fever 23!


----------



## jordars

I fish from Dauphin Island. It is 61nm to Petronius, 63 to beer can and 67 to Ram Powell. I've made a day trip on 60 gallons of gas (23 regulator classic avg 2nmpg) and I've done an overnight trip got caught in a stormfront and burned 155 gallons. Fishing from ft Morgan allows you to have the choice of fishing the steps/elbow or the rigs to the west


----------



## Cap'n Davey

jordars said:


> I fish from Dauphin Island. It is 61nm to Petronius, 63 to beer can and 67 to Ram Powell. I've made a day trip on 60 gallons of gas (23 regulator classic avg 2nmpg) and I've done an overnight trip got caught in a stormfront and burned 155 gallons. Fishing from ft Morgan allows you to have the choice of fishing the steps/elbow or the rigs to the west


I show Marlin 10nm from Petronius and Beer Can 3nm from Marlin. That's not far at all, unless you are running low on fuel LOL. Yellow Fever does this trip and beyond overnight with not much more fuel and he says he comes back with fule to spare, so we feel confident. We will take it easy on the first trip and go from there. 

You bring up an interesting point. Do most smaller vessels day trip? Seems spending the night gets you that evening and morning bite (if it's on), providing you have enough fuel. 

Gotta get the first run done, then we'll know where we are at.


----------



## Kim

Just a thought for you as an idea to gauge fuel consumption vs distance. The two big things that will make a difference is sea state and your load (including how it is distributed) so before you make the rig run do a trial on one of your regular fishing trips. Who is going (body weight) what equipment and stores (ice, food, drink, bait etc) and your fuel load. If your electronics will monitor fuel consumption then you will have an easier time determining what your optimum speed will be ( with twin outboards you will find it somewhere between 2800 and 3500 RPM) If you can find where you are 1.7 + MPG then you will be able to calculate your comfortable distance/reserve for those conditions. If you don't have modern electronics and have to do it the old fashioned way it will take you several trips with you monitoring times at X RPM for the trip duration, fill the tank and calculate average MPG. Or install a Flowscan type system they are not expensive.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Kim said:


> Just a thought for you as an idea to gauge fuel consumption vs distance. The two big things that will make a difference is sea state and your load (including how it is distributed) so before you make the rig run do a trial on one of your regular fishing trips. Who is going (body weight) what equipment and stores (ice, food, drink, bait etc) and your fuel load. If your electronics will monitor fuel consumption then you will have an easier time determining what your optimum speed will be ( with twin outboards you will find it somewhere between 2800 and 3500 RPM) If you can find where you are 1.7 + MPG then you will be able to calculate your comfortable distance/reserve for those conditions. If you don't have modern electronics and have to do it the old fashioned way it will take you several trips with you monitoring times at X RPM for the trip duration, fill the tank and calculate average MPG. Or install a Flowscan type system they are not expensive.


Thanks Kim. The Garmin 840XS does just that, and if we have the fuel once we arrive at Petronius, we will put it towords the other Rigs. I get my best speed and mileage at 4300rpm. See OP (4300rpm - 30mph - 3.4mpg). Wide Open she does 45mph at 2.3 mpg (seas excluded).

Probably leave Shoreline at 2pm and return 2pm the next day, fuel permitting. 

Hey Sea Tow, be ready to run some fuel to the Nipple LOL!!!!!!!


----------



## jordars

Capn Davey said:


> I show Marlin 10nm from Petronius and Beer Can 3nm from Marlin. That's not far at all, unless you are running low on fuel LOL. Yellow Fever does this trip and beyond overnight with not much more fuel and he says he comes back with fule to spare, so we feel confident. We will take it easy on the first trip and go from there.
> 
> You bring up an interesting point. Do most smaller vessels day trip? Seems spending the night gets you that evening and morning bite (if it's on), providing you have enough fuel.
> 
> Gotta get the first run done, then we'll know where we are at.


I would say most overnight just to fish the lights at night and the dawn/dusk bite, but day trips are doable. The guides in Venice don't fish the dawn/dusk bite and they do just fine.


----------



## Chapman5011

Yellow fever 23 said:


> It is a long haul from Pensacola to Fort Morgan, but with me being in OB it's not that bad, and sure beats trying to launch and load up with all of the Robinson Island bunch in perdido bay! Boggy Point and Cotton Bayou launches can be pretty radical places in the middle of summer.


Snapper season it's a disaster at both of those launches in OB.
A few more miles is nothing more than a couple more tunes on the radio.


----------



## Kim

I could fall in love with 3.4 MPG on a rig trip!


----------



## Realtor

loaded heavy on the way out with ice, people and fuel, loaded heavy on the way back with tuna/fish and people. Most gas I ever burned was 105 Gallons. I have a 150 Gal tank. twin yam 150's 25 foot boat

if not there in your boat before. schedule a buddy boat to go along once or twice....


----------



## hjorgan

Fuel bladder on the first trip would be a nice cushion on the fuel issue.
Heck we hauled 10 gallons to the Edge the first time, didn't have a good feel for our fuel consumption. After a few trips I know when the gauge is at E I have only burned 40 - 45 gallons from the 120 gallon tank. Around 64 miles round-trip plus idle to fish.

Used the ******* method to figure this out. Fill up on the way out, fill up on the way back to the dock. How many gallons did we burn? How many miles did we go? Then add a 20% cushion for unknowns and you should be able to figure out any round trip fuel burn.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Realtor said:


> loaded heavy on the way out with ice, people and fuel, loaded heavy on the way back with tuna/fish and people. Most gas I ever burned was 105 Gallons. I have a 150 Gal tank. twin yam 150's 25 foot boat
> 
> if not there in your boat before. schedule a buddy boat to go along once or twice....


Thanks Jim, that is the kind of info I was looking for. Was trying to schedule a buddy run with Yellow Fever but it just isn't worth the drive to Gulf Shores. I have several boats ready to go to put it together as a buddy run first trip. Thanks.


----------



## purple haze

Dave A day trip is the way we do it. We leave early and by the time the sun comes up we can see P town. We fish the four rigs if we have to but P town and the marlin do it for us most times. Get your YF and then head back to get your deep water grouper . Oh I am sorry your don't bottom fish:whistling: so you will have more time to get your six YF's. Run to the cliffs on your way home and get your four wahoo's. By nine you are back cleaning fish. Looking forward to your post. gene


----------



## Captain Woody Woods

Capn Davey said:


> You bring up an interesting point. Do most smaller vessels day trip? Seems spending the night gets you that evening and morning bite (if it's on), providing you have enough fuel.


It's not so much the size of the vessel which dictates whether I am going to overnight. If I am running someone else's boat, and the weather is favorable, I prefer to talk them into an overnighter to minimize fuel burn and maximize fishing time. Especially if the daytime bite sucks, which isn't often. But everyone on these sites seems to be hellbent on jigging and popping which is done best at night. Get your tunas early and you can drift at night for swords, marlin fish at first light. Or tuna fish all night. Lotta options.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Gene, so you shove off around 3am?

Bottom fishing is for lazy people LOL.... that was said in jest. If you caught an earlier thread about trolling in the fog, you'd get the joke ha ha.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Rigged and ready!


----------



## Realtor

what are the barrels for? water?


----------



## Cap'n Davey

If this Fuel Drum topic interests you, see this link-

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f37/fuel-drum-329778/index4/#post2830849


They are Heavy Duty Plastic Drums from USPlastic.com made for carrying corrosive material. They are one of the thickest made, 3/16" thickness. See the link.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

HJordan,

A decent fuel bladder is $1000. Check out the link I provided a couple posts up.

This set up was $90 for two (2), 20 gallon Heavy Duty Drums, $120 for shipping, and $50 for the plumbing.


----------



## Chapman5011

Capn Davey said:


> Thanks Jim, that is the kind of info I was looking for. Was trying to schedule a buddy run with Yellow Fever but it just isn't worth the drive to Gulf Shores. I have several boats ready to go to put it together as a buddy run first trip. Thanks.


I would be in on the right day being on the right weekend. 
I have a 23 with twins


----------



## Chapman5011

Capn Davey said:


> Rigged and ready!


How do you get the fuel out. Is there a pump or do you man up and pour it


----------



## Cap'n Davey

See the link posted a few posts back from me titled Fuel Drum... lots of great info there.


----------



## Scruggspc

Don't forget that running at night is the worst. Ive been the guy at the wheel at 25 knots at night (of course it was a full moon and optimal condition in a outboard tourney) . But the best part of a overnighter is you can run during the day and not worry about what's on behind the next wave.


----------



## Realtor

Okay, I read the thread in the link. I have a question. how/what do you account for the expansion of the fumes when running and the seas are shaking the fuel around? I know it seems by the time I drive the mile from the Gas station to my house, the plastic mower can has a fair amount of pressure built up from the heat and sloshing in the back of the truck?

Very interesting idea and set up. Just the above question popped into my head. How do they breath and vent? 

awesome idea!


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Glad you liked the info Jim. 

In there, several times, it is stated that on a 20 gallon tank, you can only put in about 17 gallons. I hold 100 gallons in my vessel and 2 - 20 gallon tanks will hold 34 gallons of fuel. Of course once in a while you can open the valve slightly to release pressure.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Again in the thread Fuel Drum, you can see that the idea is offered to drill a quarter-inch hole on the opposite side of the flow valve and screw in a quarter inch screw with a rubber washer and when it comes time to dump simply put the drum up on the Lean Post, like a keg, unscrew the quarter and screw and release the Valve and it dumps in two minutes or so. Of course this is the first thing you want to do at your first opportunity to get that off the deck... but I don't want to get too deep into it on this thread it is all covered in the fuel drum thread.


----------



## purple haze

Capn Davey said:


> Gene, so you shove off around 3am?
> 
> Bottom fishing is for lazy people LOL.... that was said in jest. If you caught an earlier thread about trolling in the fog, you'd get the joke ha ha.


 Dave It's hard for the boys to get me up at 4am :no: We leave around 5am from the Cove and take it easy for the first hour and then they will pick up the speed a little. I am by no means a expert on YF around the rigs. But we normally fish away from them in the day time. After we find the YF down deep while trolling around for awhile. The boys will then go into action to find the best way to put them on the ice. Plus the few times we have been to the rigs and collecting our chum I notice that a lot of sharks live around them :yes:. We like to catch our yf in open water away from the cables of the rigs.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

Hey Jim, that 1/4 breather hole might not have benn mentioned in the thread, but over the phone with Yellow Fever 23.


----------



## Captain Woody Woods

There would be a LOT of people out of work if you couldn't catch yellows during the day...


----------



## Dorado

Looking to do my first rig trip as well, boats not gonna be ready for one for another 3 weeks, just tweeking it right now, would love to do one with a buddy boat if anyone is up for it towards the middle of May. I have a 23 Patrick cat with twin honda 90s


----------



## jspooney

I'd be interested in a buddy trip as well. I hold 72 gallons and get about 4 mpg so I'm good. Never been tuna fishing but always wanted to.


----------



## Chapman5011

There was a small boat planned trip to the rigs last year that was planned for a while, but I dont think it worked out like plan because of Mother Nature. I think a few boats ended up going to the edge, but not sure how the rig trip went. There were a bunch of boats that had intended to go. But most bailed before that weekend came around. 
It's tough to plan a small boat trip with a date in advance because of weather. It's almost a last minute thing when the situations work out just right.


----------



## hjorgan

Capn Davey said:


> HJordan,
> 
> A decent fuel bladder is $1000. Check out the link I provided a couple posts up.
> 
> This set up was $90 for two (2), 20 gallon Heavy Duty Drums, $120 for shipping, and $50 for the plumbing.


Wow, now I LOVE your setup!! I assume you have enough beef on the boat to lift that sucker onto the seat for fueling? My sorry ass crew could not, I am afraid.


----------



## Cap'n Davey

hjorgan said:


> Wow, now I LOVE your setup!! I assume you have enough beef on the boat to lift that sucker onto the seat for fueling? My sorry ass crew could not, I am afraid.


That's funny!

Ya, my First Mate can do it all by himself. I'll be there to supervise, of course LOL!

Between the two of us, not a problem :thumbsup:


----------



## Cap'n Davey

JS, we carry 100 gallons in the vessel and added 34 more with the Drums. You might want to gat a couple drums to be sure. Seems 72 will cut it very very close. That will basically get you there, a couple laps around it, and back...

Sent you a pm to exchange contact info.


----------

