another blast from the past fishing trip

[John Jones]

This was just a "let's kill a day on the water with friends" trip in January a few years ago.  My friend Ron from Ft. Myers Beach called late one evening and asked if I was free the next day.  I had to get up way too early but I made the two hour drive and still got there before daylight.  By the time there was just a little pink in the eastern sky Ron had the radar spinning, the Yamahas growling and the 31' Contender on plane going out Big Carlos Pass.  It was slick enough that Gary and I finished up our beauty sleep on the way out.   We made a couple of quick stops to sabiki up a couple of dozen bait fish then moved on.  Next stop was at a cluster of shrimp boats anchored up about 30 miles out.  They had already finished culling and things looked pretty dead.  We were hoping to pick up a couple of blackfin tuna around the shrimpers but nothing but little tunny and barracuda were interested.  Big ones and lot's of fun for a little while but not food grade fish IMO.  We hopped around between the half dozen shrimpers in the area but no joy.

Please note that I am NOT the one with the scarf or the fly rod.  Don't own either one.  ;)













Next stop was our target destination, the Fantastico wreck about 50 miles offshore and 110 ft of water if I remember correctly.  We anchored up hoping for some edible bottom fish.  Before the boat had pulled tight on the anchor line the surface was swarming with greater amberjacks, big ones.  We never got a bite from target species like grouper or snapper.  I guess the big AJ's hanging around kept everyone else in their hidey holes.  Between the three of us we boated 11 cookie cutter AJ's.  All weighed between 43 and 47 lbs. on the Boga Grip.  All but one was released.  Gary caught one on his 11 wt. fly rod and I caught one on a 20# inshore spinning rod.  It was actually an easier (on me) fight with the light spinner than the ones we caught on 80# conventional rigs.  If one has never caught a "reef donkey" as they are called around here, you can't imagine the strength and stamina of these fish.  They don't give up!







Fly rod AJ


While we were breaking for lunch we had a 6' spinner shark free jumping less than 100 ft from the boat.  We had kept a few little tunny for cut bait so I sliced a fillet off of one and dropped it down on a 50# rig.  I hung the rest of the carcass off the transom for chum.  I got one more bite of sandwich before the reel started clicking.  That was a fun battle as well but the AJ's had already done in my lower back for the day so I horsed him in best I could and cut the line at the hook.  He was still green and thrashing so I was not about to get any closer to those teeth than I had to.




Even though we only had Amberjack for the freezer it's hard to beat a fun trip with friends on the water with beautiful sea conditions.

[Marcq]

Nice pictures, looks like you guys had a good time  
Marc..

[RickK]

Nice JJ - is "Gary" a mod on FS for my area?  Looks familiar.

[John Jones]

used to be a mod  ;)

[RickK]

I think he was running dual logins and was trying to stir it up sometimes - Lincoln or something like that - haven't been on FS in a long time.  I have about all the time I want to spend on a PC (after spending all day in front of one) right here, with screening about 100 spammers and 1-2 real member apps a day plus reading all the posts (I read slow   ).  You'll have to fill me in on him some time.  Looks like he got a bigger boat than I remember seeing.

[gran398]

JJ,

Good pics, thanks. We call them reef donkeys around here too, aka "brown marlin"

So which one of the guys in the pictures is JJ?

(PS..wanna buy a boat?)....

[Circle Hooked]

Great post looks like you had a good time,keep the fish pics coming and I'll do the same.

[John Jones]

I'll try CH.  We were going out tomorrow but the weather is not looking so hot.  Still meeting up here in the AM and will make a call then.  Maybe we will stay in the bay and find something to kill ;)

or else the son and I will head across Terra Ceia Bay and look for some reds and trout.


gran,
I'm the one with no hair.

That's sad about your boat.  I'm still a volunteer for a posse ;)



Rick, Gary has a Grady-White Tournament 20.  We were on the other guy's 31 Contender.  It's the only time I have been on a Contender.

[gran398]

JJ,

Gotcha! At least you ain't "Fugly"

That would be my pic.

I'm all about the posse...I have been looking at his waterfront mansion on Google Earth. You won't believe the ideas my alter-ego "Skippy" has been coming up with....

[John Jones]

Captain Long Rod has some ideas as well...