Elrod74,
From Belding and counting the days...every day. I found out that a good friend of someone in our party will be down there...within 15 miles...with a 42' boat. Looks like we are going to get that trip out into the big waters.
It is hard to get too excited about the bass and northerns up here...but I stilll do. Like you say, though, fish down there are like a different world.
The past couple trips down, we slayed the snapper, triggerfish, and quite a few different types of shark...all from shore, right in back of the condo. Made it easy to do that all night fishing with a couple "pops". Even picked up a nice tarpon and a couple small cuda. Almost all released...except a few snapper. Had quite a bit of yellow fin and grouper from the charter, so we ate well.
Thanks for the "have a nice trip"...sounds like you need to get back down there.