Al B
04-21-2011, 07:32 AM
My rods arrived Monday morning early, and with the wind forcasted to puff up I called and got the rental boat a day early. So, around noon, we pushed off and headed out to the Eagle Reef/Wreck with a bunch of shrimp and chum. It didn't take long to have a BUNCH of fish off the stern. We caught a bunch of what I think were Bar Jacks, some Yellowfin (keeping a few), and some unidentifiables. I baited the "big" rod with a jack and sent him to the bottom on a 10/0 circle hook... then put 5 turns on the reel, bringing it up just a bit. It didn't take long for the tip to twitch a bit, then the rod doubled over. By the time I was able to pry it from the holder, the fish had me in the wreck, and broke me off. Okay.. another jack, another rig, tighten the drag to almost locked down on the TLD-15, same result. A bite, and straight into the wreck.
Tuesday 4/19 - Tossed lines around 930 with the winds puffed up a bit out of the SE 15 kts, gusting to 20. With rough conditions, we headed to the Cheeka Rocks and tied off to the anchor ball. Again, a TON of fish behind the boat immediately - Yellowfin, Jacks, Baracuda, Ballyhoo... and the usual "unknowns". Didn't catch any Yellowfin big enough to keep, and the live baits on the bottom didn't do anything in 25' of gin clear water (was watching my bait swim around). After getting the snot beat out of us for a couple hours, we headed "inside". Fished a nice pass on the last of the outgoing tide with a few smaller fish caught. Beautiful coloring on almost all the fish down here... should have bought a ID book!
Both days ended with a stop at the "Sand Bar" off Holiday Isle. Great fun watching the folks positioning their boats, anchoring, then getting left high and dry as the tide falls out.
Went to Lazy Dayz with the Yellowfin on Tuesday night... as usual, fantastic.
The breeze is puffed up pretty good again today, and is forecasted to stay the same or blow harder. So, might do a head boat trip, or a "back country" trip later today/tomorrow.
Tuesday 4/19 - Tossed lines around 930 with the winds puffed up a bit out of the SE 15 kts, gusting to 20. With rough conditions, we headed to the Cheeka Rocks and tied off to the anchor ball. Again, a TON of fish behind the boat immediately - Yellowfin, Jacks, Baracuda, Ballyhoo... and the usual "unknowns". Didn't catch any Yellowfin big enough to keep, and the live baits on the bottom didn't do anything in 25' of gin clear water (was watching my bait swim around). After getting the snot beat out of us for a couple hours, we headed "inside". Fished a nice pass on the last of the outgoing tide with a few smaller fish caught. Beautiful coloring on almost all the fish down here... should have bought a ID book!
Both days ended with a stop at the "Sand Bar" off Holiday Isle. Great fun watching the folks positioning their boats, anchoring, then getting left high and dry as the tide falls out.
Went to Lazy Dayz with the Yellowfin on Tuesday night... as usual, fantastic.
The breeze is puffed up pretty good again today, and is forecasted to stay the same or blow harder. So, might do a head boat trip, or a "back country" trip later today/tomorrow.