Gulf Harbors Florida Spring Break 4-7-2007

[DHaun]

I found a sweet deal on a Florida rental cottage a while back so we went down to sunny FL for my son's Spring break and stayed on a canal with a 16ft skiff just north of Clearwater, FL for 5 days. My daughter would have gone with us as well but she has a different week off.

I fished when I could get everyone to go out on the boat - mostly with a spoon jig that's been tied on for months. Nothing major to report other than a wonderful time, fishing was a lot slower compared to last time I was there and caught a bunch of trout.

Highlight of the trip was heading out 4 miles into the Gulf to a spot called Anclote Key in the small flats skiff. We got soaked from the waves with the strong West winds and it was a rough ride out, but it sure looked like the Bahamas when we finally got there - I even caught a few Spanish Mackerel. emoSmile

The locals commented that it was very slow fishing this week with minimal bait in the area, but the place was really beautiful with awesome sunsets, fresh grapefruits and jasmine growing in the yard. We had a great time just relaxing! We left when the cold front hit Friday...the traffic on I-75 was brutal. I'm happy to be back home ready to fish the fertile TN River!

Pics are here:
http://www.maxxcode.com/picview/Default.aspx?PicDir=album\Gulf Harbors April 2007

A few favorites below:

 

[2jigs]

Looks like it was nice & warm. Somthing we haven't seen around here for a while. You have a lovely family & it looks like you guys had a great time. Happy for ya pal.

 

[Fishin Fool]

Looks like a nice trip David. Don't be in any hurry to get back. It's as cold as heck up here! We actually had snow last night for a little while.

 

[rsimms]

Great pictures! Looks like a great time and a great locale! That one pic is a BIG Ladyfish isn't it???

 

[Buoy-Master]

Now thats a vacation! Great pics David. From the looks of all those smiles, you did good!</p>

Welcome home and thanks for sharing!</p>

 

[Fat Albert]

<font color="#ff0066">enjoyed the pictures....but those are funny lookin fish....LOL  glad you had a good vacation ...FA</font>

 

[Liveliner]

YOU COULD HAVE KEPT ALL THAT TO YOURSELF. NOW YOU HAVE GOT ME REALLY HURTING IN THIS COLD WEATHER. "THANKS" (Just Kidding)

AncloteKey... Did you go to the north end inshore side? Around those grass flats is the very best spot on the Island. Great pics.

Did that Ladyfish give you a fight?

 

[jon the fisherman]

Awesome pics!!! It has got me itching to go back down there.

 

[foodsaver]

great pics looks like you had a great time.

 

[MrWiskers]

What is that long skinny fish?

 

[Fat Albert]

MrWiskers - 4/8/2007 12:34 PM What is that long skinny fish?

</p>



<font color="#ff0033" size="5">DRUM.......<font size="3">hee, hee</font></font></p>

 

[Chasin'bait]

Looks like a nice trip David.

Was that a baby goliath grouper? It looks just like one. Where'd you catch it? Most live their juvenile lives in the mangroves and then venture out to the wrecks. I've been reading a lot about how their population has exploded. In fact almost every guide in Florida wants the moratorium on "Catch and Release" lifted, due to the fact that every reef and wreck is eat up with 'em.

I think most people just want a 1 fish limit in some kind of "to and from" inch slot. They say they'll actually decimate whole populations of fish in certain places.

I hooked into one off the Atlantic side of Stock Island FL, just before Key West, that was enormous. I was fishing a wreck in 250 ft of water and on the first drop I caught a black grouper that easily went 50 lbs. I snatched him out of the wreck before he could get back into it. Then two more big fish broke me off inside the wreck. Then I caught what felt like a real nice fish and I had him up out of the wreck about 20 feet from the surface and could see that it was another nice grouper. Then we saw this shape. I swear was as big as the whole front end of our boat. It just came straight for the grouper, so I snatched the rod up as high and hard as I could, bringing my fish maybe 10 ft from the surface. What I thought was a shark quickly rushed up and engulfed my grouper that would go a solid 30 plus lbs. We saw that it was a giant jewfish more than 500 lbs, probably a lot heavier. Man I'm tellin' you, once that fish had my grouper it acted like it wasn't even hooked. It made a short run and then just proceeded to take me right back down into the wreck, swimming slow and away.

Needless to say, it broke me off on something but not before I tried everything in my power to turn him. I never even made him act like he was on a rod. Pretty crazy stuff, but when you're fishin' in the ocean, you're fishing in a real big food chain and everything in it is "eat or be eaten".

 

[DHaun]

The fish pics are a Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, a juvenile gag grouper (looks close to a goliath grouper but I think its a gag), and a ladyfish. I fished the sandbar ledge at Anclote key for the mackerel and then briefly threw a DOA shrimp at the North end of the key near on the flats. All other fish were caught on an outgoing tide near the mouth of the canal we stayed on.

I have heard about Goliath groupers going from being a protected near extinct species to an almost nuisance fish in certain areas. I saw a show on them in FL that stated anglers cannot even bring them on board a boat for a picture. My nephew told me last week he is going on a trip targeting goliaths. Hope he gets a good one!

 

[Liveliner]

Gag - concave to straight leading tail edge
Goliath - convex (rounded) tail edge

 

[Triton4Bass]

Looks like you guys had a blast. Must have been nice enjoying some warm weather. Nice photography job!

 

[Jack]

Great pics Dhaun!!!

One word of advice here if you fish more than three days is a row in sunny weather......

And I know this from experience, after having co-workers laugh at me!!emoLaugh

Take them "shades" off a few hours each day, or they will start calling you "Coon Eyes" at work!!emoLaugh

Coon Eyes = Sunburned face with white rings around your eyes!!

Again great pics!!! emoThumbsup