I Got Spanked

[gottaflylee]

Kind of anyway, all because greed got in my way...

Today was one of those special "winds light and variable" days that started at 7 am with a no rush to get to the inshore grouper grounds, at least on my part, although Alex (unoyankeefan on the board) was like a little kid at Christmas, wanting to unwrap his presents earlier that his parents wanted to get up. For me its always nice to see someone chomping at the bit to get going.

As I was making the trip back from taking the wheelbarrow, I spy a large school of Mullet coming down the edge and I call Alex to bring my 10' net. Got it ready in the nick of time and let it fly into the school of 6 to 8" Finger Mullet. There must have been over a 1,000 in the net with 2 in the 3 pound class. I dumped the net into the bucket and preceded to toss back Mullets for the next couple of minutes and then it was off the Motts Channel Seafood to get ice and pick up some more live bait.

While Alex was chopping ice I made a single through of the net and up popped 3 dozen of the prettiest Pinfish you could ask for. Looking at the time, it is now 0755 and time to head to the Grouper grounds and we settle in for the long 12 mile ride to the first spot. It was a ruff trip out and we could only make 32 kts...well sourta. I have discovered that the older I get the slower I like to go and Alex at one point said to me, "Lee, you know that this boat rides better at a little higher speed"...I then turned to Alex and told him, "Alex, I think we are going fast enough for me"...

As we near the first spot I slow the boat down and start the arduous task deciphering the minuscule marks trying to decide if we were looking at Groupers, trash or bait. Not liking what I was looking at, I moved out to the next spot about 1/2 mile from there and on the way marked a nice scratch. Turned the boat around to look and mark that spot, when it lit up for a second and flipped the boat around, we made the first drop of the day.

Now at this point I must tell you that today we are fishing my hard bottoms spots, not ledges. Some of these spots are as big as your kitchen table, so you are either on them or not. First drop, we were not on it so I looked around and moved to the next area. As we got there, I start marking Groupers, stacks of them. I finely get us on one of the spots and tell Alex to make a drop and grabbed my Jigging rod. On the second jig of the rod I feel a Grouper breathe on my Maria jig and on the next jig, I set the hook and watch the road bend over and bounce with that unmistakable pull of Grouper and soon a nice 26" Gag joined us on the boat for a day of fishing ...

Alex gets ready and again and I move he boat back to the area for drift #2. I tell him to make a drop and before I can get my jig to the bottom, Alex is on with a nice on a live Pinfish and this one was a 28"er that wanted to join us and into the ice he goes spitting up some stuff along the way. Looked like some sort of shell and what was inside it and the other thing looked like a Sand-dollar...got me???





Over the next hour, it was singles and doubles for us as hard as we could get on a spot but all were shorts from 24" down to 12" but we kept working that area as I felt that all we needed to do is get on the right spot and we would get some more big ones. Alex hooks a nice Mullet in the tail and drops on a great looking spot and before I get my line in, I see his rod double over and watch as he is in for his best battle of the day. The game of "give and take" is on as he get him off the bottom and the Grouper heads back down and I get the gaff ready and sat on the gunnel chuckling as I watch the battle play out. Soon I stick the 30+" Grouper and we have the 3rd nice keeper fish of the day hiting the deck so he can get his picture taken...



By now it is 10:30 and we have to decide how big of Grouper we are going to keep for the next fish. Next drop I get a 24" grouper on the jig and Alex gets a nice 24 & 1/2", both fish go over the side of the boat. My greed has now set in as I am looking for bigger fish, that "one more big fish".

Alex and I both catch a bunch more shorts that go back and I start catching a couple of Grunts on the jig. The ones that wanted to float went into the box and I was nice enough to sent the others back to fight another day, and then it changed as Alex caught the first Shark of the day and 20 minuets later another one...time to make a move so I head back to the mark inshore of us.
As we move to another spot, on the first drop I get bit on the jig but it is no Grouper and a nice 3 pound Spanish joins and the other fish in the box. Back on the spot again and Alex has a light bite and soon a 22" flounder joins our group. By now it is about 1330 and we decide to move toward shore as Alex needs to be back to the dock around 1500. We throw out some plugs and head toward shore hoping for some Kings or maybe a late Dolphin bite.

About 30 minuets later, I mark a small scratch and we turn to take another look. I mark servile spots that look good and we settle in for the first drop and as soon as my jig hits the bottom and I jig, my rod has that unmistakable thump of a big Grouper and I manage to get him about 5' off the bottom when he heads back to the bottom and I try my best to stop him on the 20 pound but he is having no part of it and I have the drag a little to tight for the bend I have in the rod and the line gives way at the roller guide of the reel. For the next few seconds I stand there trying to figure out what I did wrong when I realized that I had high stuck him... Well we call it fishing and there is the story for ya about the one that got away...

For the next 30 minutes, Alex and I were doubled up with shorts, some almost there but no cigar, giggling and laughing like school couple of kids playing hookie and now its time to go to the hill...

Finial tally for the day, way over 50 Gags hooked and released...3 Gags kept, 1 flounder, 1 Spanish and 2 grunts. Great day on the with you on the water Alex, all is good, me I'm just happy to be a part of it. You are a good Grouper fisherman and you spanked my butt today...looking forward to the rematch...

[Nauti Natured]

Nothin wrong with that day Lee. Way to get em as usual.

[Jer]

Nice report and pictures, Capt. Lee!

[Honey Hole]

Sounds like a great day. As always, great report/pics. Man, that's one STUD Mullet!

[shoefish]

Great day Captain Lee! I always enjoy reading your reports, thanks for taking the time to post them up.

[Miss Squid]

Nice report Lee! Always fun to read

[Dave Sikorski]

Pretty work Capt. Lee.

Any day w/ that much pullage is one for the books.

Happy eating, nothing is finer then gags and flounder.

-D

[Finesse]

As always Capt Lee great report, although you did have me going with the title
and oh how we would love some of that meat up here !!
And once again ...The pictures ... Top notch quality
Thanks for sharing the report !!

[Anders]

Anybody know what that stuff is that got spit up?

[Captain Michael Buffington]

nice fish Lee, congrats on a good day of fishing my friend

Mike