CaptJoeVerdino
Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2009
- Messages
- 8
CaptJoeVerdino, Gulf of Mexico, Fort Myers,FL, Tuna, Amberjack, Snapper, 03/06/09 7 03/08/09
On the 6th the day started out with a 2-3 ft chop as we made our way out to the first stop in 130ft. The wreck we would be fishing has held pretty good populations of snapper in the past but recently they have been hard to find. With a very mild current and a light tide change I figured toady would be a good opportunity to see if we could turn them on with some chum.
As soon as we were on location the chum went out and we first tried for some amberjack. It didn’t take very long before we had our limit of fish in the 25 pound range. All took live pinfish that were dropped about 60-70feet deep. With those fish on ice we turned out attention to the yellowtail snapper that was our main reasn for this trip.
With the chum slick keeping a steady stream of tidbits floating behind the boat we first started fishing on the bottom. A few fish were taken but the size was from just under to just over keeper. Then after about a good hour since we pulled up we tried using some jigs and live shrimp. With recent changes in fisheries laws we weren’t able to use jigs because a circle hook had to be used with any natural baits. Luckily one of our local shops is now producing circle hook jigs and we were using them for the first time. As it turns out they work just as good as a regular jig and they are easier to get out after landing a fish.
With a 3 man limit of yellowtail snapper from 12-20 inches we decided to go hit a ledge in 65 ft to try for a limit of mangrove snapper. Once at the ledge we used our last box of chum to get the snapper biting. We decided since we were getting short on time we would fish the entire water column. One person flat lined, one used a jig, and the other fished bottom. Within minutes we were getting double and triple hook ups and the fish were from 14-22 inches. We even released a few gag grouper,
some pretty close to keeper size.
One of the bigger snapper even qualified as a womens IGFA record in the 20 pound line class.
With the fish boxes stuffed full of 60 snapper it was now time to head home. The ride in was terrific since the seas calmed to almost glass smooth.
Then at the docks we got the chance to show off our catch and record all the stats for the record fish. A crowd gathered as we took photos and my crew was getting the star treatment.
African Pompano
The 8th I decided to try for a repeat of the previous day and we re-ran the exact same course as the last time. Hoping that the bite would still be there we fished the wreck for AJ’s as soon as we stopped and 3 out of 4 fish were landed. Then we got quite a nice surprise as we started fishing for yellowtail something huge hit one of the baits.
This was much bigger and much faster than the yellowtail we expected and after about a 20 minute fight we got a chance to see what it was, Black Fin Tuna!!!!
That’s the kind of surprise everyone likes to get.
With all the big fish on ice it was time to get back to yellowtail fishing. The chum was working, the seas were a light chop, and the anglers were quite competent. On this day though, except for just a few, the fish just didn’t want to bite. After about an hour of fishing more than catching it was time to get ourselves to the ledge in 65ft.
Once over the site we got the chum going, the hooks baited, and hopes raised. Just like a couple days ago the fish were on fire as soon as bits hit the water. We had a steady stream of bet rods and the count was going really high really fast. We had to take a break just so I could get an accurate count of what we had, just to be sure we didn’t go over the limit. Then after the count we added a few more fish to get our limit, released a nice keeper sized gag, and we headed for the docks.
Just like the other day we cruised in on calm seas and as we reached the dock the crowed gathered to ask questions. As we offloaded our catch, the crew was given praises for doing such a great job and catching so many beautiful fish. Once again the fillet table was at maximum capacity and everyone had big smiles as they posed for pictures.
On the 6th the day started out with a 2-3 ft chop as we made our way out to the first stop in 130ft. The wreck we would be fishing has held pretty good populations of snapper in the past but recently they have been hard to find. With a very mild current and a light tide change I figured toady would be a good opportunity to see if we could turn them on with some chum.
As soon as we were on location the chum went out and we first tried for some amberjack. It didn’t take very long before we had our limit of fish in the 25 pound range. All took live pinfish that were dropped about 60-70feet deep. With those fish on ice we turned out attention to the yellowtail snapper that was our main reasn for this trip.
With the chum slick keeping a steady stream of tidbits floating behind the boat we first started fishing on the bottom. A few fish were taken but the size was from just under to just over keeper. Then after about a good hour since we pulled up we tried using some jigs and live shrimp. With recent changes in fisheries laws we weren’t able to use jigs because a circle hook had to be used with any natural baits. Luckily one of our local shops is now producing circle hook jigs and we were using them for the first time. As it turns out they work just as good as a regular jig and they are easier to get out after landing a fish.
With a 3 man limit of yellowtail snapper from 12-20 inches we decided to go hit a ledge in 65 ft to try for a limit of mangrove snapper. Once at the ledge we used our last box of chum to get the snapper biting. We decided since we were getting short on time we would fish the entire water column. One person flat lined, one used a jig, and the other fished bottom. Within minutes we were getting double and triple hook ups and the fish were from 14-22 inches. We even released a few gag grouper,
some pretty close to keeper size.
One of the bigger snapper even qualified as a womens IGFA record in the 20 pound line class.
With the fish boxes stuffed full of 60 snapper it was now time to head home. The ride in was terrific since the seas calmed to almost glass smooth.
Then at the docks we got the chance to show off our catch and record all the stats for the record fish. A crowd gathered as we took photos and my crew was getting the star treatment.
African Pompano
The 8th I decided to try for a repeat of the previous day and we re-ran the exact same course as the last time. Hoping that the bite would still be there we fished the wreck for AJ’s as soon as we stopped and 3 out of 4 fish were landed. Then we got quite a nice surprise as we started fishing for yellowtail something huge hit one of the baits.
This was much bigger and much faster than the yellowtail we expected and after about a 20 minute fight we got a chance to see what it was, Black Fin Tuna!!!!
That’s the kind of surprise everyone likes to get.
With all the big fish on ice it was time to get back to yellowtail fishing. The chum was working, the seas were a light chop, and the anglers were quite competent. On this day though, except for just a few, the fish just didn’t want to bite. After about an hour of fishing more than catching it was time to get ourselves to the ledge in 65ft.
Once over the site we got the chum going, the hooks baited, and hopes raised. Just like a couple days ago the fish were on fire as soon as bits hit the water. We had a steady stream of bet rods and the count was going really high really fast. We had to take a break just so I could get an accurate count of what we had, just to be sure we didn’t go over the limit. Then after the count we added a few more fish to get our limit, released a nice keeper sized gag, and we headed for the docks.
Just like the other day we cruised in on calm seas and as we reached the dock the crowed gathered to ask questions. As we offloaded our catch, the crew was given praises for doing such a great job and catching so many beautiful fish. Once again the fillet table was at maximum capacity and everyone had big smiles as they posed for pictures.
