05-30-2004, 05:14 PM
[
][font "Arial"][size 2]I fished Monday with Seth Freedman and friend, Ken. We fished shrimp boat wrecks about 33 miles offshore in 75 feet. We caught ten keeper mangrove snapper and several keeper lane snapper. We also caught and released amberjack to 8 pounds, along with short gags and red grouper. Several goliath grouper were around, and they ate several of our catches. The one that followed one of our snapper was huge: estimated at about 500 pounds.
Tuesday, I ventured back out to the wrecks and ledges off Naples with Jim Burnley and Steve Able. We caught mangrove snapper to 14 inches, a 17 inch hogfish, Spanish mackerel to 27 inches, and released gag grouper to 21 ½ inches and red grouper to 19 ¾ inches. The goliath grouper were again a nuisance. They are so predominant at these areas that they eat every big fish hooked before we can reel them in. We lost big gags and red grouper that way, and lost a total of about thirty fish to the goliaths. In my opinion, the limited harvest in effect for goliaths should be revisited: It is obvious to anyone who fishes often that the goliaths are no longer scarce.
Wednesday, Jim & Steve returned, with plans to go after tarpon and goliaths. We fished in 16 feet off Ft. Myers beach, and hooked up on a tarpon over 100 pounds. He ran and jumped a few times before breaking our 50 lb. braid. We hooked and fought a couple of big sharks—Not sure what kind, but from the way they circled the boat, my guess would be hammerheads. We also caught and released three lemon shark to 4 feet. We left the beach area then, caught some bait, and went after goliaths. We hooked one over 250 pounds, and fought it until it finally broke us off. All in all, it was a great day of sport fishing.
I fished Thursday in 35 feet off New Pass, with Ernie Moffett and son, Tim. We caught and released a 34 inch cobia, and caught Spanish mackerel to 27 inches, along with keeper mangrove snapper, triggerfish, and porkfish.
Friday, John Carmack and Bill Moslow fished with me about 25 miles out, 17 miles SW of Sanibel. We fished at Doc Kline Reef first, where we got into a whole bunch of big mangrove snapper to 21 inches, then went to another ledge, where we caught several banded rudder fish (lesser amberjack) to 10 pounds, huge triggerfish to six pounds, and Spanish mackerel to 28 inches. We hooked a 47 inch kingfish, but it wrapped around the anchor line, and broke us off. We also released a 4 ½ foot lemon shark, which we caught on a piece of mackerel. We caught everything else on live shrimp. We released gag and scamp grouper shorts, along with a variety of other bottom fish.
Saturday, the Steven Kissenger party fished with me in 35 feet off Naples. We caught Spanish to 26 inches, large triggerfish, porgies, grunts and porkfish, and released grouper shorts.
I headed out to the reefs off Bonita Beach with Pete Murphy on Sunday, where we found some long-awaited permit, in about 35 feet. We caught three, all in the 10-12 pound range, and released two of those because Pete wasn’t able to eat that many during his stay. We also caught a 23 inch keeper gag grouper, keeper mangrove snapper, large porkfish, and Spanish mackerel to 26 inches, all on live shrimp.
The photo attached shows the 250 pound goliath from wednesday's trip.[/size][/font]
For full info and fish photo-album, please visit [url "http://www.fishbustercharters.com/"][#0000ff]www.fishbustercharters.com[/#0000ff][/url]
[signature]
][font "Arial"][size 2]I fished Monday with Seth Freedman and friend, Ken. We fished shrimp boat wrecks about 33 miles offshore in 75 feet. We caught ten keeper mangrove snapper and several keeper lane snapper. We also caught and released amberjack to 8 pounds, along with short gags and red grouper. Several goliath grouper were around, and they ate several of our catches. The one that followed one of our snapper was huge: estimated at about 500 pounds. Tuesday, I ventured back out to the wrecks and ledges off Naples with Jim Burnley and Steve Able. We caught mangrove snapper to 14 inches, a 17 inch hogfish, Spanish mackerel to 27 inches, and released gag grouper to 21 ½ inches and red grouper to 19 ¾ inches. The goliath grouper were again a nuisance. They are so predominant at these areas that they eat every big fish hooked before we can reel them in. We lost big gags and red grouper that way, and lost a total of about thirty fish to the goliaths. In my opinion, the limited harvest in effect for goliaths should be revisited: It is obvious to anyone who fishes often that the goliaths are no longer scarce.
Wednesday, Jim & Steve returned, with plans to go after tarpon and goliaths. We fished in 16 feet off Ft. Myers beach, and hooked up on a tarpon over 100 pounds. He ran and jumped a few times before breaking our 50 lb. braid. We hooked and fought a couple of big sharks—Not sure what kind, but from the way they circled the boat, my guess would be hammerheads. We also caught and released three lemon shark to 4 feet. We left the beach area then, caught some bait, and went after goliaths. We hooked one over 250 pounds, and fought it until it finally broke us off. All in all, it was a great day of sport fishing.
I fished Thursday in 35 feet off New Pass, with Ernie Moffett and son, Tim. We caught and released a 34 inch cobia, and caught Spanish mackerel to 27 inches, along with keeper mangrove snapper, triggerfish, and porkfish.
Friday, John Carmack and Bill Moslow fished with me about 25 miles out, 17 miles SW of Sanibel. We fished at Doc Kline Reef first, where we got into a whole bunch of big mangrove snapper to 21 inches, then went to another ledge, where we caught several banded rudder fish (lesser amberjack) to 10 pounds, huge triggerfish to six pounds, and Spanish mackerel to 28 inches. We hooked a 47 inch kingfish, but it wrapped around the anchor line, and broke us off. We also released a 4 ½ foot lemon shark, which we caught on a piece of mackerel. We caught everything else on live shrimp. We released gag and scamp grouper shorts, along with a variety of other bottom fish.
Saturday, the Steven Kissenger party fished with me in 35 feet off Naples. We caught Spanish to 26 inches, large triggerfish, porgies, grunts and porkfish, and released grouper shorts.
I headed out to the reefs off Bonita Beach with Pete Murphy on Sunday, where we found some long-awaited permit, in about 35 feet. We caught three, all in the 10-12 pound range, and released two of those because Pete wasn’t able to eat that many during his stay. We also caught a 23 inch keeper gag grouper, keeper mangrove snapper, large porkfish, and Spanish mackerel to 26 inches, all on live shrimp.
The photo attached shows the 250 pound goliath from wednesday's trip.[/size][/font]
For full info and fish photo-album, please visit [url "http://www.fishbustercharters.com/"][#0000ff]www.fishbustercharters.com[/#0000ff][/url]
[signature]