A box full of Red and Black gold. (this is for you Bisquit)

[Jared D]

Well, I have had to bust my butt for the last 2 months with work and rental properties, so I finally finished Weds, and decided to take the day off yesterday and head out with my buddy, Cpat Mike. With the water temps at 61-63 we knew we were going to have an uphill battle to find good bait and fish.

Capt decided to run out to a rock pile 20 miles out in 65 feet to get live baits. We were really wanting some Gags before they run back offshore. We got to the bottom and found some nice minnows on the first drift, then the captain noticed some odd marks on the sounder and sent down a rod to probe it out. Immediately a 3 pound seabass comes into the boat. We made drift after drift yanking 2-3 pound sea bass (something we dont see in that size much around here). Finally limited out and went back for more bait. Couldnt find any larger minnows, but were catching 2 inchers all day long. Caught a few nice flounder and 3 big triggers (on 6.5 pounds and one 5 pounds) and a couple throw backs. After a few hours of playing we went and checked out another rock pile.

A few bumps here and there, but mostly slow. We still needed more big minnows incase we got on some gags or snapper, so we went back to the bait rock and got covered in bass again. I started catching them on small butterfly jigs on the bait rod.... thats a BLAST. Well we still needed some big fish, and were short on bait, and shorter on time, so Capt decided to check on of his private numbers he hasnt visited in 3 months.

We rolled up there at 330pm with about 20 live minnows. First drift through we nailed 2 keeper snapper. Next drift we got covered with bigger snapper around 8 pounds a piece (26 or so inchers. Third drift we had to switch to popcicles (dead frozen minnows) as we were out of live bait. Every pass we caught another 2 or three. Finally we were about out of light and bait, but we took one more pass. As soon as I hit bottom, WHAM, it was on like donkey kong. Up comes this little jewel. Weighted 24 pounds.


Final tally:
Limit of snapper (total catch was over 20 snaps)
Limit of bass (25 over 2 pounds)
6 flounder
3 big triggers
8 short gags

[cravertosu]

That's a nice one!! Awesome work!! You'll be eating good for a while! Great post!

[Robja]

What a Haul

[Jer]

Very nice. That's a lot of good eatin'

[clt_capt]

That is certainly a haul.

[SeaBiscuit]

I am honored and very impressed Jared. What a beautiful box!
Congratulations to you and captain Mike on a world class day.

Do your gags and snappers move well offshore as the water cools? We have plenty of inshore gags throughout the winter even with water surface temps in the 50s. Not the same on your coast?

Matt (JMS-ILM) and Nick (Slip Slidin) went to the SFMC grouper-snapper public hearing in Wilmington earlier this week. They were told that the winter closure is not yet enacted into law and that there will be a 30 day public comment time window once it passes during which the law cannot take effect. We may get some fishing (not the release kind!) done in January '09 after all! No official word on the snappers yet.

Great report and please take more pictures next time!

Biscuit

[JMS-ILM]

No official word on the snappers yet.

committee met on the red snapper issue yesterday afternoon. couple of the DMF guys were there.....will let you know what they had to say when i hear.

awesome box of fish there Jared D....


edit: good to go on the snappers, at least until the next safmc meeting.....

[weekender]

purdy purdy purdy, I like seeing red

[Ravens16]

Damn guys nice pics, beautiful fish!
Came up as red X's at work

Nice work
Have a great dinner
Thanks

[Jared D]

Do your gags and snappers move well offshore as the water cools? We have plenty of inshore gags throughout the winter even with water surface temps in the 50s. Not the same on your coast?

Most of the bigger gags, and snapper move offshore in the winter here. They are following the bait which is more temp sensative. Its definately best inshore when the water is between 64-68 degrees. Once it starts cooling down, the massive congregations move out. I read some reports from others on the same day, and bigger quality fish were caught out 28 nm from shore. Its deeper and warmer out there. 75-85 foot and probably 64-65 degrees.

I was really surprised we didnt score any big gags. Both the captain and I got freight trained with in about 5 seconds of each other on the second to last drift. Both hits were like a big gag, and both were cut offs. We had switched to 50# for the snapper bite, so there is little we can do with a big gag over 20 pounds. Funny thing is, this spot has a very low bottom relief, so there shouldnt have been much for it to cut us off on, but yet it did. Maybe a limestone cave?!?

Glad to hear the closure is being postponed for snapper. I would love it if we had an extra month of grouper. With the snapper post poned, it makes it easier for us to justify the run out, but you guys up North are the ones who will really feel that pinch. Still makes me they can screw with us. Government has gotten way to big!