Pelagic Charters-Venice Offshore- Part 1

**customcat** · 06-21-2011 10:30 AM

The ropes are on the piling and I am back at the crib after eating up the better part of two weeks down in Venice doing the “the stay and slay”. None worse for wear, I am sporting a few new scars, bruises and hands that look like I got in a fight with a lawnmower. The weather for the most part was great and the atmosphere around the marina was live and kicking with folks enjoying summer.

June 02, 2011. Perry Gang.
I have these boys for three days and spent much of the evening before going over the mental checklist. After much deliberation with my alter ego I decided, given the forecast of bumpy with a slightly bigger bump, we went for the “meat and greet” with the bottom dwellers. I figured this would be a good opportunity for everyone to get into the groove and warm up for bigger things to come in the coming days. We headed west after icing enough beer for a UFC fight and made a good pace in the head sea. I think it took the boys almost a case to get the hang of it and soon mangroves were coming over the gunnels at a scary pace. It’s so fun to watch a grown man get owned by an 8lb fish. We stumbled on acres of threadfin in the process and were free-lining them to the mangroves on 60lb Frenzy floro. Around 2 o’clock there was an uprising in the boat. It seems the beer had run out. Then there was a hush on deck that only meant one thing, Mutiny for sure if we didn’t return to the land of refreshments. 40 mangroves and twelve red snapper died in the process.

June 03, 2011 Day 2
The boys are thirty minutes late getting to the dock this morning. Oh well. Get them loaded and let’s go. Extra beer today, go figure, tuna on the menu for today. Clear the pass and head long. Good vibe and Brantley Gilbert is rocking the JL speakers. We put fifty miles behind us and I pulled the reigns back. We get set up and went straight to the chunk. I am showing the guys how to properly do it and Mr. Dolphin swims right up to the chunk before it sinks out of sight and waa-laa! I think they got the point. We made another drift and picked up a nice yellow in the 70lb range and then another on the next drift. By this time the block was getting crowded so we moved on. The next spot was promising with tons of marks. We got started and nothing but under sized yellows for the better part of an hour. We kept at it and they turned on late, picking up four nice yellow fin and two large blacks. 6 yellow fin, one bull dolphin and two large blacks took the ice nap that day and no one ran out of beer.

June 04, 2011
Boys are dragging again this morning. I think a rum squall must have hit the marina by the looks on their faces. Oh well, no rest for the wicked. I go straight to the same spot as the day before and we hook up right out the chute. Nice fish in the 60- 70lb range hits the deck. Next pass rod goes off and this one pulls. I mumbled a few words underneath my breath and re-positioned. By this time a boat shows, then another and another. The eye in the sky was watching me for sure. Not being one for crowds, I left and went further south. Next stop looked pretty bare except for one corner. We got started and boxed a huge black. Re-set and hook up again. We stayed on this fish for thirty minutes and a chew thru on the floro with color. #$%^&@#$%! Smoked a joe, drank a Dr. pepper and got set again. Doubled up. First fish, another extra giant black fin and thirty minutes later a fat 100lb yellow fin hits the deck. We headed north from there and stop short of the pass picking up twelve snapper averaging 8-10lbs. They left Venice with enough fish to feed and army and a dumpster full of aluminum cans. Good trip and good times. P.S. The black fin weighed 34 lbs.

With a little bit of down time for the next few days, I took advantage of the opportunity and good weather and fished with my old friend Capt. Mike Gray of Cajun Odysea Outfitters. Me and Mike go way back and I can’t pass up an opportunity to fish(mess) with him. First day decided to chase some mangroves in close. No problem right? Get set up and thirty minutes later it looks the caldron of doom building to the north of us and to make the situation sweeter, lighting starting popping very near and conditions got worse from there. Took a quick check on the satellite weather, and see-ya! Went south and cleared the nasty. Stating fishing and two hours later ended up with 28 mangroves and 6 red snaps. The next day with went south loaded with 80w’s on bent butts and looking for Mr. Billfish. We found a nice rip a short while later and got started. Put out a five bait spread of four Makaira’s and an Islander/ballyhoo combo. It didn’t take long before the bulls showed up. We picked up four bulls and a nice blue came up on the rip, blowing up hardtails and chickens. We switched gears and pinned on a live 4lb hardtail and waited. The rigger twitched. I just sat there watching it and looking back at the bait waiting for big daddy to molest it. Rigger pops…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……….. I let him run for awhile before I came tight on the 80w and slight drag peel then nothing. Bait comes back and the cause of death is apparent. Big daddy won the game that day. Stay tuned.

Captain William Wall
Pelagic Charters
Venice, La
1.225.454.5365
www.pelagicchartersllc.com
www.captwill1@cox.net