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Grouper
 
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James has been doing his thing again in '08 being a great Dude and calling new friends and old to "put meat in the boat". A number of us signed up to head out Sat and the plan was to run to the rigs and troll for Tuna and 'hoos. As everyone know no plan lasts past the first 5 seconds of execution and Sat morning was no exception.
We met at the designated parking lot at 0400 - left the house at 0300 and got there at 0355 alarm at 0230 makes for a STRONG cuppa joe to get the eyelids pealed apart. Anyway for a trip with James on the Reel Feisty I would have stayed up all night - That's called foreshadowing. While we were standing there in the 78F humid wind (we were on the lee side of WalMart) wind the wind whipping around we all were thinking this just might be a looonnngggg day - but no-one bitching or turned around and went home.
I met Chris (1923) and Spencer (Southernangler) in the lot and then Jon pulled up, he's a buddy of Scott (brnbser) that has a deployment coming up and then Scott and James pulled up. Greeting were passed around and a few glances at the cloud deck scooting to the North. Never heard what happened to ironman but would have liked to meet to you.
Tasks to get moving were passed around and we all met a the boat that had been splashed the previous night. Got loaded and everyone put on their foul wx gear - bean bags were placed around and the Reel Feisty roared through the pass. The waves in the early AM we stacked and choppy. Not really that big 1-2' chop on 2-3 swells the Reel Feisty handled it fine and we could scoot when either 1-2 Chop or 2-3 Swells were intermingled but once or twice we "launched" off the Top of a Chop and Top of a Swell combo and nobody really wanted to run 70+ miles and not be able to stand-up when we got there. We fought it for a little over 2 hours heading into the waves, turning off starboard and really could get the speed we needed to get there.
The crew was perfectly fine to do what James wanted to do and around 30 miles with a couple squalls behind us and gray, mostly cloudy skies we pulled up on some rocks that James had stolen for NOAA.
Now remember we were after tuna/'hoos and rigs so most of the tackle and rods in the boat were Tiagra and med-heavy Spinning rods. Both Scott and I are pretty hard core jiggers so we broke out the jigs and and hooked up the spinners (I brought my TN40 jigging outfit) and so that's the standard outfit. A couple of the guys had never jigged before so at the first rock I got down first and BAM nice bend in the pole and up comes a nice Scamp on a long Willimson jig. Well that got the guys to believe that this jigging thing might have some truth to it. The first spot was on fire with Almaco Jacks and we we're exactly sure of size of creel limit so we kept 6 big ones. Here's spenser with a nice one before he started bitchin' about catching too many!
John's bowed up in the background...
We all started jigging and the clouds started to break up - we stripped off the foul wx gear and the plan changed to catch what you can as the sea state really didn't give us a break to hit the rigs. So we started rock hopping to the SW and picking up a Really great fish box. The Scamp seemed to like the jigs as well.
Stressless's best Scamp
Scott had a nice one on that "Got Away" but when the jig came it was noted that "That's gonna leave a mark..
While we were hitting the first rock SW Spencer caught his first AJ on a jig - on a spinning outfit and what a great set of verbiage he used! When he got it up it 'might' have streched to 28" and we all said toss him back as we knew there would be bigger ones out here. Well we all ribbed everyone in the boat - young jokes/ old jokes and generally we forgot that we weren't hitting the rigs only that a group of guys were out fishing with James and having a great time. Part of that was Spencer as a competitive young man and not to be outdone by my Scamp - he started keeping a running tally of my catch and his and trying to say he was in the lead.
While we were rock hopping we passed a couple items and tossed to them - nothing under the turtle -
The standard Alien eggcase - which chicken dolphin were all over. Dropped for bigger ones underneath but no joy...
About 1100 the seas laid down some and we ran out further to the SW and hit a cut off rig. Now we knew the AJ's would be here so we all got game faces on and.. well - look.
Chris's first keeper AJ
After a couple drifts and 4 AJ's and another nice Scamp we went to go for another species - The Mongo Mingo. Capt James and Scott were having a blast watching us have a blast and so it goes on James's boat. Chris and I switched over to chicken rigs with squid and started putting Mogo Mingo's in the boat!
Scott has these deadly little jigs so he breaks out a bluegill pole and he's trying to get a mingo, well not that's not what slammed his rig...
We had a load of fish in the boxes and when Scott and I went to get them re iced we realized the fish /water had burnt most of the ice so we made a decision to quit early with a great box of fish and get them on ice. We zipped home with a following sea on the Reel Feisty and got everything cleaned up and fish divvied up.
Chris's first Keeper AJ
John's first AJ
Spenser's first jigging experience
A great time had by all!!
Lastly there are ARS in the GOM contrary what "they" want you to believe Chris spent a good portion of the day taking a census of each spot... one example...
Tally Board
Lots of ARS
4 AJs
7 Scamp
12 or so Mingo's
4 or so chicken 'pins
6 Almaco jacks
And two of these guys - didn't keep them as we did't know what they were = any ideas?
Also guys in the http://www.gulfcouncil.org/Beta/GMFMCWeb/downloads/recbrochure2008web.pdf Almaco are included in the 20 Reef Fish limit and there is no Min or Slot length that I could find.
A look at the Mongo Mingo's
Stressless
===================================
22.5 Key West "Boston Sea Party" 225 Yamaha
14 Wilderness System Tarpon Mango
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Grouper
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| Never heard what happened to ironman but would have to meet to you........? Great report!!!! would be better with pic's though.......Did I miss a trip? for free.....darn....just kidding.... I am on this sat. trip....praying for gooooood weather and sea's....
_________________________________________________________________Bill
http://www.forumpictureprocessor.com/gallery.asp?gallery=1560
And a special thanks to all the forum members for sharing so much info.Hope to meet all of you one day 
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Grouper
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| NOW THATS A GREAT REPORT!!!!!!awesome pic's thanks for sharing!!!!! The smiles say it all!!! just GREAT did I miss a free trip?
_________________________________________________________________Bill
http://www.forumpictureprocessor.com/gallery.asp?gallery=1560
And a special thanks to all the forum members for sharing so much info.Hope to meet all of you one day
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Sailfish
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Trigger
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those two fish look like cusk eels.. excellent eatin
Reel Worthless 64ft EB VikingLittle Reel Worthless 32ft regulator Spear Chunker 15ft Boston Whaler
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Sailfish
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Snapper
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Those two are NOT cusk eels. I think they are "slippery dicks",not formal name, just the local lingo. I really don't know the formal name.
www.theredfishclub.com 
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Grouper
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tell spencer to quit i highsticking that rod it might break lol 
the great.
sam robertsteam alum maverick
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PFF Moderator
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| as always, I had a blast being out on the REEL FEISTY. I had some last minute news and asked James to add an angler for me and him being the way he is my coworker (John Robinson) was on for the trip. John is an active duty Controller here with me and recieved suprise orders Wednesday morning leave the first of July for Iraq. I wanted to get him offshore as he's never been off more than a few miles. Thanks James, he had an absolute blast. He had his first real offshore trip and his first AJ. He boated a 33" AJ after much grunting and groaning and asking for a wuss belt. His eyes got kinda big when I dehooked it and informed him it was just a few inches above legal and that we had ambitions of making it to the 255 where the bigger boys live. Still got the grin fo rthe pic....... 
here was a double from Bob and Spencer, I think he got you on this one Bob......... 
the two that Bob caught on a chicken rig had me stumped at first but I'm pretty sure they are called slippery dicks, I believe they are a member of the wrasse family...... We where kinda concerned on the Almaco's, I couldn't remember the creel so we decided on a one per even thought we caught alot. I couldn't be certain on the size either and remember it was either no size requirement on Almaco or 14-22 on Lessers so all six we kept where right at the 19-20" range. They where a blast on the light spinner! We did have another odd one.......Bob had a queen snapper, a first for him I believe also. That should give ya'll an idea of how deep we where jigging and bottom bumping. I think I got Spencer and John hooked on jigging. It's definately my 2nd favorite thing to do next to trolling. Again James, thank you! I had a blast. 
**********************************************************
Scott
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Snapper
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| I believe that the mystery fish are Grey or Golden Tile fish the coloration is not good enough to tell. If there was a bit of yellow in the pattern they were golden tile. Good eating!! If grey tile edible but not as good as Golden Tile. 
The spin stops here
"I'm Sealark and I approve this message""From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to Earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free."
-Jacques Yves Cousteau,
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Sailfish
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 What a GREAT trip!! Cool report & pics!! I enjoyed reading it!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida-Offshore.com - Home of Florida's ONLY Bluewater Supermap, SeaView Fishing Satellite Service, & our very own Reefcast Forecast!
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Grouper
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They look like small tilefish to me. Great report
Carpe Thunnus
I support commercial snapper fishing.
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Sailfish
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Snapper
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It was a great trip under the weather conditions even though we had to go to plan B. Had a great time with everyone and looking forward to this coming weekend and do it all over again.
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White Marlin
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Trigger
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nice mess of fish:
"here's to swimmin' with bowlegged women"
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Snapper
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As usual.....the combination of James and Stressless makes for a good story. Scott....Please wish your friend good luck from me. Nice mess of fish guys......With Stressless' queen snapper...I guess that makes him QUEEN for the day?????
SWEET OKOLE'91 23FT TROPHY 200 YAMAHA
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Trigger
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| One thing is for sure , there was no lack of enthusiasm, once again James pulls out all the stops and "has at it" as only he can. I would thank all who participated in making this, a trip to tell about for years to come. Bob and Scott for their cheerful exchange of knowledge, Spencer and John for their youthful energy, and James , for the sharing person that he is. With that combination , how could it have been anything but great. "Get on , Hold on " is good advice for anyone lucky enough to go out on REEL FEISTY. Don't let the name fool you , it isn't just a name , its a way of life. Thanks : Chris
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Snapper
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It was a really fun trip and alot of fish were caught. Thanks James for taking me. Sam and Chicken I wasnt high stickin i was lifting and dropping my rod to get more line out faster. Plus I dont fish flueger(sp?) reels.
_____________________________________________________________I only fish on days that end in "Y" GO NOLES! If guns kill people then pens misspell words.
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Sailfish
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PFF Moderator
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sorry Spencer, every spinner on the boat was a Penn, it's the only thing I own and all but one on board was mine. and no he wasn't high sticking guys, he was as he said playing out the braid on a small jig when we where playing with the chicken dolphin.
**********************************************************
Scott
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White Marlin
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Trigger
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| That is a nice catch of fish!I believe the to mystery fish are sand tilefish.I do know that they don't get as big as a golden tilefish or the blue line tilefish. Just a guess?
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Trigger
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| I've caught plenty of those little slime balls but I forget what they are called. I assume the cut off rig was the Marathon. How was the water color out there?
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PFF Moderator
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water was clean green with about a one degree temp jump out around the steps, 76.5 most of the way out and 77.5 there, nothing but scattered grass, I'm guessing all this wind the past couple of days blew everything apar. we where hoping to find blue water but already had both fish boxes full and were running out of ice so we didn't make it that far
**********************************************************
Scott
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Snapper
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I'm glad you could tell him what color the water was, because I could not. I hit a wave about a mile out the pass and had my sun glasses on the dash. You guessed it, they took two bounces and over the side they went. I was squinting the rest of the day!
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PFF Moderator
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| now that I think about it Bob, that may not have been a queen. any guesses fellas? it had the shape of a vermillion, the dorsal of a of a vermillion but is was yellow at the base of it, smooth skin like a scamp instead of scaley like a vermillion, whips at the end of the tail like a scamp. the eyes where bulging like the eyes of a black or red grouper, but had a smaller diameter not larger and flat like a queen.
**********************************************************
Scott
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Snapper
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Queen Snapper
Family Lutjanidae, SNAPPERS
Etelis oculatus
Illustrations and Copyright by Diane Rome Peebles
Illustrations are for viewing purposes only. |
Description: color of back and upper sides red; silvery body long and slender; dorsal fin distinctly notched; large eyes; caudal fin deeply forked; no dark lateral spot. Similar Fish: other snappers. Where found: OFFSHORE over rocky reefs of the continental shelf to 450 feet; young suspend at mid-depths. Size: small species, usually less than 20 inches. *Florida Record: n/a Remarks: little is known, but it is reported that adults live at depths greater than 400 feet. * The Florida records quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's printed publication, Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark. |
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Trigger
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Looks like a great day on the water. I might stowaway the next time I see you at sherman, although a 0230 wakeup is damn early.
Cape Horn 19 "The Finster"
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Snapper
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So we can call Bob Queenie now?
SWEET OKOLE'91 23FT TROPHY 200 YAMAHA
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