December 6, 2011:

MASSIVE BOAT PROJECT:

Oh my gosh, the time does fly. Just finished 5+ weeks of work on the 23′ Sea Craft. The last day of the summer season the fuel tank started to leak due to pitting. It took me one week just to get the tank out of the boat. First I had to remove t-top, console, and hatches just to get at the tank. The console was tricky. I did it in a way not to remove whole wire harness, so it had to be propped to one side and with enough room for the tank to be pulled out. By not removing whole wire harness saved me 2 or 3 days overall, but that took the better part of one day to figure out. It barely gave me enough room to slide the tank out after cutting the foam down the sides and popping it free with a jack and chains to the fuel gauge port with a 4×4 above with jack on it. I literally had to jack it up and jack it out sideways (aft) due to the great resistance by the foam down the sides. This was very tricky.    

It took three weeks to get the tank in, shimmed and screwed down, console down, t-top down (and weld repairs), and all the rigging back. There were a number of other repairs or work I accomplished while the tank and console were up which added a lot of extra time to the project. It was not just replacing the tank. I’m glad I did it but it was a definite bitch of a job, especially at 49 years old. The last 3 weeks were 12 to 18 hours a day, just to get the boat in the water for my charter on 11/28. I finished the night before at 9:30 pm, washing the boat. Three nights I worked as late as 2 am, 1 am, and 12:30 am. And that was all starting at around 6:30 am – 7:30 am. I’d like to figure how many months of work I have on both the boats I fish. Initially the 23’er took 5 1/2 months, 7 days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, and numerous days working after 12 am to get it in the water 11 years ago This is the glamorous life of a charter captain, every year we have maintenance during the off-season. Some years are worse than others. It was really miserable not being able to go out fun fishing for 2.5 months, which is the only time I get to go with my wife and friends.

BACK COUNTRY FISHING:

I still had some charters back in the Everglades and the fishing was pretty darn good. Scott Long and his 10 year old son caught some great fish in 3 days. Last day Scott caught a 130 pound tarpon. We also caught numerous snook 8 – 10 lbs., and large slot sized redfish. The boy wanted to catch a shark, so after catching snook and redfish during the day, right before we left I sliced up a ladyfish and within 5 min we hooked up and caught a 100 lb. bull shark.

I had another group of guys that came down for 3 days of back county fishing. They too caught 8 – 10 lb. snook, large slot size redfish, and nice sea trout back in the Everglades National Park. We also fished the bridges one day when the wind was too strong for the long run back to the Everglades. They hooked a few nice small tarpon, and caught a few nice mangrove snapper up to 3 lb. These guys ate their fresh fish every night, which they said was a great added bonus to their trip. I cannot remember their names right now, but when I upload the photos I will put in their names.

There were other trips this fall where we caught small tarpon in the creeks, redfish in the channels, and some snook. Of course we catch plenty of sea trout, ladyfish and jacks too when you really want to bend a rod. Sharks are always plentiful too. It’s all in the typical day of back country fishing during the fall in the Everglades National Park.Gruesome shark attack on 135 lb. tarpon

August 14th, 2011:

Damn it, I wish I had the time to do these reports with photos every month. If you could only understand the work it requires just to keep the boats and equipment running 5 to 6 days a week. Or how about 8 full day trips in a 6 day period. That’s right, two of the days I fished from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, then second trip from 4 pm  to 12 am. That means I got up at 5:30 am and to bed around 3 am, twice in one week, and fishing full days all the other days. You got to love it, but it’s not getting any easier at 49 years old. I still haven’t figured it out, if it’s keeping me young or making me older.

TARPON FISHING: 

Tarpon fishing was great once again this year. Had some great nights out there. This was the first year we did not catch a tarpon in the 180 pound class. We caught a few around 150 lbs., but if they are very tired or a shark is in the area I do not measure them to confirm my estimates. We get pictures though of all the tarpon if the clients want to, and that is more important than the measurement unless the measurement is more important to the client.

The tarpon are still around, all the way through the fall. Catching a big one just is not as likely, until the fall mullet run happens in late Sept to early Oct. By a big one I mean a tarpon of 70 to 150 lbs. The smaller ones are 20 to 40 lbs. which are a lot of fun on lighter tackle. Just a week and half ago Gale Porter (Jr., Jr.) caught a 65 pound tarpon on #20 test around the bridge pilings, that was fun.

On the hook-up it jumped wildly running down the bridge a hundred feet or so before turning to go through the bridge. Normal this is not a problem, but we were fishing 3 lines for 3 teenagers to keep all interested. One line got on top of the line of the tarpon, so I had to clear it instead of starting the motor and throwing the anchor line float into the water first. So there was a nerve racking delay, and I had to punch the boat to chase the tarpon before that light #20 test would hit the pilings. Thank God we made it through after this tarpon. Once we got through, he did all the great classic tarpon moves: powerful runs, jumps in the sunset, and dogging it under the boat.

We usually use #30 test just to give us that extra chaff protection if the line gets into the pilings, so this was a significant tarpon to catch around the bridge.

If I ever get the chance, I love shark wrestling. Just tie a big bait on the end of a boat line and hang on. These big 500 – 700 lb. hammerhead sharks come right up to the boat. They thrash it, soaking everyone. Like my long time client John Wiedemann says: “It’s better than the Chicago Aquarium!”

OFFSHORE FISHING:

The dolphin fishing has been consistent like always, but this year the big 20 to 30 lb. “slammer” dolphin did not show up in any consistent numbers. But you could always fill the box with fish. There were lots of “gaffer” and “heavy lifter” size dolphin, and the larger blackfin tuna were consistent along with triple tail and wahoo.

Chris and Hope Dorsey came back, but this time instead of trying to best their 10 tarpon released one July 14th they wanted to go offshore to fill the cooler. As we ran out we found a floating pallet, and we caught a couple nice gaffers on it. There were a couple nice triple tail, but we could not keep our baits from the jacks and trigger fish. We gave it a good try, but I knew Chris wanted to catch bigger fish too not just good eating fish so we started trolling again. We caught enough dolphin for the box, but it was slow for the fleet on the radio – lots of undersized fish – same for us. I started my way back in after getting over 20 miles offshore

Trolling a weed line the left rigger gets knocked down, I turn expecting a dolphin and a billfish comes out of water shaking and jumping all over. I could not see it’s dorsal, just it’s belly as it charged the boat. I punched the boat to keep the line tight. Then it made a nice run. Chris had the rod, and I got him up to the bow so we could follow it. It was not more than 50 pounds. It could be a white marlin or even a small blue this time of year, the suspense was gnawing at me. Then it jumped up again, tail-walking right at the boat 150 yards out. I had to floor it in reverse to help keep the line tight. What was it I couldn’t see clearly, a white marlin? Then it jumped again now just 50 yards out and I see the sail, sailfish, a great fish to catch while dolphin fishing.

I decide to run in to hit a wreck for snapper or amberjacks, because the dolphin fishing was spotty for keepers. That was a good decision. First drop Chris hooks and catches a nice mutton snapper around 14 pounds. Then we dropped a second time for Hope, and she catches another mutton snapper around 12 lbs. In two drops we catch two big mutton snapper at the end of the day. Now a day that started out tough for dolphin just became a GREAT DAY: one sailfish released, two big mutton snappers, and a good box of dolphin. Photos will be up this week.

It could not happen to a better couple. Chris serves on the front lines in the “War on Terror” in the “Special Forces” for around the last 10 years. Thank you so much Chris and Hope for your all’s sacrifice for “our safety and freedom” keeping our enemies at bay a long way away from our country. I am so happy you all had another great day fishing down here with me. You all really deserve it, and you all are a pleasure to fish with.

By the way Chris bragged about Hope’s oven fried fish, which she told me how to do. It’s great! I’m back to enjoying fried fish because it uses so much less oil. And the clean up is so much easier too.

Gino Alessio, Mike, and another friend got out for a day of dolphin fishing. We found the dolphin and filled the box with enough of them, then decided to go out to try for black fin tuna. The black fin were not biting that week which I told him, but you never know when they can show back upon the local humps. It was blowing around 20 knots that day but there was very little current so it was not rough in 500′ but as we ran offshore we got into the current. The 409 hump looked like a miniature “Most Deadly Catch” scene, the waves were steep 6 – 8 foot with the crests blowing over and crashing down the face of the waves. I slowed the trolling speed down, and searched with the depth sounder for any tuna under the surface. On one of the passes we had a rigger get hit and as I turned around I saw another strike but it was long and skinny not a tuna. Then we another crash on the marlin lure, and I saw a 25 pound wahoo thrashing wildly on the #50. I backed the drag off, and let the wahoo run. Mike was closest, so I handed him the rod. It was not easy for Mike, that heavy rod and tossing seas. But he got it up to the side of the boat and I gaffed it.

The big blackfin tunas have been biting quite well all year too. Blackfin tunas in the 20 to 25 pound range too. When you chum them up with pilchards, and get them exploding and jumping out of the water all around the boat – talk about exciting! Catch a few of these on # 20 or #30 test and they will test your metal.

We catch nice sharks offshore while fishing for amberjacks and tuna on the wrecks and humps. That sandbar shark is about 300 lbs. Permit over the wrecks can almost always be consistent action.

SPEAR FISHING TRIPS:

We’ve had some good trips this year. Tony Morrelo came down with his girl friend and had a good couple dives. They shot hogfish, muttons and a nice yellow jack. I caught a couple cero mackerel to add to their fish cooler while I followed their buoy while they made the drift dives. That is the best way to spear fish and very few people do it because not many people will follow the spear fishermen in the water with the boat.

We catch a few fish on hook and line too while we are spear fishing. Like between dives I’ll anchor up and put out a chum bag for ballyhoo or other bait. Then we’ll use that for cero mackerel, yellowtail or mutton snapper, grouper, dolphin, and nice kingfish like the one I caught while we were eating lunch when a friend and I went out diving one day.

Getting ready for stone crab season. Talk about the best, cooking your own. I got my own simple boil that is awesome, better than any fish house – period!

April 19th, 2011:

Oh my gosh, I got to keep on these reports. The fishing has been great! I wish I had the time to write about it all every day or every week.

I have not even had time to keep up on everything else to run this business: I have 4 cast nets to repair (today I’ll do 2), drags to smooth up (2 FinNor Lights and 1 Penn 50 TW), finish re-greasing last new Penn Slammer, change oils in 250 four stroke today, fix bait pens, catch more bait, make 3 more bait pens, fix freezer tops, rebuild spare rods, research and buy couple jigging rods and reels and rig with braid, rig up 50 Tiagra for day time swordfishing with electric drill and handle chuck with 110 converter to retrieve bait and lead from 2000′ deep if no bite, fishing rigs… – that’s it, I cannot list anymore or I’ll get frustrated. Like friend says, “Quit Yer Bitchin’,” or I got to keep living up to my boat’s name, “Crank It Up!”

TARPON FISHING:

Tarpon are here, and have been here. Last week we caught 12 tarpon in three days of fishing, out of having 20 hooked up and on. Joe Conroy and his friend caught 10 out of 14 on in two of the days – that is good catching, above the average. On half day trips we’ve been catching a couple tarpon for a few or more on. The tarpon have been that average size of 70 – 130 pounds. No monsters yet, which is unusual for March and early April.

From today on, I’m looking at almost 100% tarpon fishing booked, along with a few offshore days mixed in. I still have a few days and half days open, so do not hesitate to call.

For the past month and a half, I’ve been doing a variety of fishing due to what the client wants to do from offshore fishing to flats fishing.

OFFSHORE FISHING:

The offshore fishing has been pretty good. The big black fin tuna fishing has been very good. We have caught tuna up to 25 lbs. which is a great fight on #20 test. Some of my friends have caught tunas up to 30 lbs. These tunas are on the local humps, so you can always drop down for a big amberjack. While tuna fishing, you should always be ready for a big dolphin or a sailfish to come up in your live bait chum. The dolphin are showing up too. Mostly small ones, but within the last two weeks the 20 to 30 lbs. slammers are coming in.

The vermillion snapper and lane snapper have been biting, and are a blast on light tackle. They make for great table fair, and all the local restaurants will cook your catch. The mutton snappers have been biting on the wrecks, and before that up on the reefs too. We caught a nice 5 pound mutton inshore on a patch reef one day while we were fishing for barracudas to go shark fishing. The cero mackerel have been biting well too, while we have been fishing for sailfish. Unfortunately the sailfish fishing has been very slow for our area, and that is why most of the guys have been fishing for black fin tuna, dolphin, and amberjacks offshore.

FLATS FISHING:

The permit fishing has been excellent. One day we saw over 1000 permit, and we finally caught one. Mostly because it was flat calm which is the toughest conditions to cast crabs at them. I also took a few casts with the fly rod, and I actually got a nip from one. I stripped too soon, not allowing it enough time to get the fly in its mouth. Damn, I have not cast a fly at a permit in maybe 5 years, so I was rusty.

We have found some tailing bonefish, close to home, but have not connected. The tarpon are now migrating into the Keys. One afternoon after permit fishing in the morning, we probably cast at 300 – 400 tarpon and had one make a swing and miss at our crab we were casting. Sight casting is what the clients wanted to do.

The snook have been good around the bridges and the back country. While tarpon fishing one day with Paul English’s son had wanted to catch a snook, so we went to one of my spots close by and caught a nice 30″ snook. They missed a few other. Then we went shark fishing. Paul’s son once again had wanted to catch a big shark. We had a couple big spinner sharks on up to +100 lbs. which made blistering runs and spinning jumps only to break the leader. They caught a 85 lbs. spinner shark, and a couple smaller ones. Then we saw a big, black, bull shark lurking in the back of the chum line. We sent out a bait, had to pull it away from a couple big nurse sharks then finally the bull shark eat it. We were off to the races. What a great shark. It took about a 200 yard run by the time I got off the anchor. By the time we got up to it, it was 500 yards from where we hooked it. A 40 minute fight ensued until it was subdued next to the boat for nice pictures. I think it was around a 250 pound bull shark. I got to call Paul to get the photos.

Feb. 22nd, 2011:

Wow, it’s been 3 months from my last report and it’s good to be back and fishing. Once again I return from an epic surf trip in Costa Rica of 2 months, the only break we get a year. A lot of my friends steam with envy I take 2 months off, but I dream of weekends off, national three day weekend holidays, and two or three paid vacations a year during the 10 month blitz we trudge through working 7 days a week. That’s right, we work 7 days a week the rest of the year. I’ll try to write a little about my surf trip at a later date.

TARPON FISHING:

Tarpon fishing is just starting. They have already arrived according to one of my dear friends who guts it out every winter, instead of going down to visit me in CR to surf, spear fish, and drink while camping out on the beach with “old Capt. Killgore” (we had a great trip a few year ago, and he almost made it down this year but couldn’t – so I called him a few time to twist his arm!). He told me the first few tarpon arrived the week before I returned on the first good warm spell of the winter. That is what usually happens in mid – Feb. So as the water gets over 70* F the tarpon will start biting.

OFFSHORE FISHING:

Oh my God, I thought the amberjack we caught on Fri. was “big” which it was, until 2 days later – sorry Pat. I did not realize the significance of this amberjack, until my good friend who used to commercially fish amberjacks told me. He had caught 25,000 lbs. a season for 15 years (do the math). He was impressed with the amberjack we just caught, because he had only caught 6 amberjacks over 100 lbs. My friend said I should have killed it because so few over 100 pounds are caught.

Yesterday, Casey McDermitt (age 15) fought this amberjack for 45 min. on # 50 test stand-up tackle. This amberjack measured 68″ to the fork and 38″ girth. Before I measured it, I estimated this amberjack to be at least 110 lbs. The “fish formula” measurement puts it at 123 pounds, but they inflate a little as they come up out of the deep. If you take off 2″ from the girth (which I think is too much to reduce it by) it comes out to 110lbs.

I think it was a 115 lbs. amberjack. That’s Casey (left-center). He is 6′ 6″ and is a 260 lb. lineman on his JV football team (I feel sorry for the kids across from him). He had great patience and persistence while fighting this amberjack, never frustrated and always impressed with each run.

Two days earlier my first day back on the ocean with my Sea Craft, we catch the largest amberjack ever on my boat, until yesterday. Pat Dowling from New Jersey wrestles up a 91 lbs. amberjack with no less than my big spinning rod with # 80 test braid. Now we typically catch 30 to 40 lb. amber jacks on this rod with a metal jig, and we catch the bigger 65 to 75 lb. amberjacks on live bait and my big # 130 test stand-up rod. That’s what makes this a hell of a catch, with 15 pounds of drag for 25 minutes at least, holding on for dear life on the brutal runs and pumping her up in between the runs with no stand-up harness to hold the rod, that’s what makes this an impressive catch. Pat is a big boy, and loved every minute of it.

It is one of the toughest fights in the ocean around here, not just because they are 75 – 115 pound jacks (if you’ve ever caught a small jack, just imagine it). But it is a sprint of a fight. You can not let up for one second and rest, because you’re trying to get the fish to the boat before a +900 pound tiger shark eats it up to its head or just swallows a 40 lb. amberjack whole and cuts the mono leader. How do I know there are some +900 pound tiger sharks out there, my commercial fishing buddy caught one one day after he could not get an amberjack into the boat.

When we go for the big boys, I strap the angler in to a kidney harness and a big stand-up fighting belt which holds the # 130 boat rod so we can get these big amberjacks up as quick as possible. But the day before Casey caught his 115 pound amberjack, my # 130 drag slipped a couple times so since we caught that 91 pound amberjack on that big spinner with 15 pounds of drag I decided to used my # 50 test stand up rod with 15 pound test maximum drag setting. We were lucky we got it up before the sharks got it. Later we lost a nice tuna to a shark.

INSHORE FISHING:

Just as I got back, and was getting ready to start installing my new autopilot on the 23′ Sea Craft, I get a call for half day flats fishing on my 17″ skiff. So I realize during the call, hey I’ve fished this boat for 10 years without an autopilot so I can fish next weeks trips without it. I take the trip, and had a great afternoon on the water three days after returning from CR. We wanted to find some bonefish, but the water was 63* on the ocean side flats coming out of the bay. I found an area that was 69* and there were some bonnet head sharks and box fish around but no bonefish. We tried some chumming for bonefish in some deep water to no avail, so I decided to do some barracuda fishing.

We headed out to a small patch reef to cast some tube lures. Dave and his wife Cathy from Connecticut had a great afternoon. Dave hooked a nice barracuda, that ripped the line through the water then did a 180 and cut the tube lure off. Cathy started whacking the fish on the bottom with a shrimp. She caught 7 keeper porgies, a just too small mutton snapper, a number of small grouper, and small mangrove snapper. Dave had another big barracuda charge the lure. He didn’t hook the fish, but it sure got him excited. Dave started fishing the bottom with his wife, and started banging away at those fish his wife was – pretty fun on #10 test.

The water is warming so all the flats fish will be coming back to the flats now. March is a great month for: tarpon, permit, bonefish, snook, big sharks, big barracudas, big jacks, mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, big sea trout, and even cobia. What else can you ask for? More than you can fish for in a day.