Opening Day For Grouper Season

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Greenbone
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Posts: 424
Joined: January 3rd, 2002, 8:00 pm
Location: Carrabelle

Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by Greenbone »

We got an early start on Sunday AM along with 100 other boats going out Carrabelle river. Arrived at our targeted spot about 7:45 and the bite was on. Using dead cut bait , we each had a keeper in box by 8:30 . Jay Smith,Josiah Austinson,father-in-law Bil and my self kept 7 gags. There were many 23 3/4, 23 7/8 released a long with short red groupers and ARS .
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Geno67
Posts: 235
Joined: July 12th, 2017, 7:57 am
Location: Tuscaloosa/Tallahassee

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by Geno67 »

Good job!

We went out of St. Mark's and it was too rough for us to go to Dog Ballard as we had hoped, ended up at Wakulla and the fog rolled in soon after we got there. Bitterly cold for a couple of hours. Boats showed up from everywhere and some moron pulled up 30' away from us and dropped a hook. That was it for me, tried to go to Dog Ballard again, still too rough, ended the day for an hour or so at St. Mark's reef and it went from freezing cold to boiling hot.

Very few bites. Live blue crab, cut bait and a few pins for bait. One short grouper, one legal grouper, both on pin fillets. Missed something good on a live crab. Got one sheepshead (mark that species off the list) on a piece of fresh dead shrimp and one spanish. Several BSB were caught and released.

I'm getting too old to get beaten up by waves trying to catch a fish. I still hurt.
Last edited by Geno67 on April 4th, 2018, 7:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Carlabear
Posts: 215
Joined: February 20th, 2004, 5:22 pm
Location: Thomasville, Georgia

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by Carlabear »

How deep were you fishing?
Greenbone
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Posts: 424
Joined: January 3rd, 2002, 8:00 pm
Location: Carrabelle

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by Greenbone »

CB, we were in 40-45 feet. We got hammered for couple hours. Never could get that last one over 24.
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Of course 2 were released being tad bit short, numourus multiple hookups.
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MudDucker
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Posts: 6664
Joined: June 22nd, 2005, 3:07 pm
Location: Valdosta, Georgia

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by MudDucker »

Suweet! :thumbup:
Its a wonderful day in the neighborhood!
StMarksAngler
Posts: 167
Joined: August 16th, 2017, 8:29 pm

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by StMarksAngler »

Geno67 wrote:Good job!

We went out of St. Mark's and it was too rough for us to go to Dog Ballard as we had hoped, ended up at Wakulla... tried to go to Dog Ballard again, still too rough, ended the day for an hour or so at St. Mark's reef...
Pardon the ignorance here, I'm still learning "offshore"... Aren't "Wakulla" (Wakulla #1 & #2 BB?) and Dog Ballard only about 3 NM apart? And Wakulla itself is already 5 NM or so past the Birdrack? Is there some distinguishing feature out that way that made it inherently less rough to get to Wakulla, but worse when trying to push the last few miles for Dog Ballard?

Thanks!
Geno67
Posts: 235
Joined: July 12th, 2017, 7:57 am
Location: Tuscaloosa/Tallahassee

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by Geno67 »

The direction of the waves from the south is what made it hard to get to on saturday. It was easier to run east or west or north. The size of my little boat limits my nearshore runs if it's past about 2'-3'.

I also think the reefs I was talking about would really be classified as nearshore.
HighOnTheFlats
Posts: 83
Joined: March 2nd, 2018, 2:34 am
Location: Fishing Hole

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by HighOnTheFlats »

good eating there
“..Grew up watching Bill Dance and Stone Cold, that’s why I’m always fishing and do nothing I’m told.”
StMarksAngler
Posts: 167
Joined: August 16th, 2017, 8:29 pm

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by StMarksAngler »

Geno67 wrote:I also think the reefs I was talking about would really be classified as nearshore.
Good point! I'm currently learning "offshore" as in anything beyond kayak range. Thanks for the details, very helpful to someone like me!
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Tide-Dancer
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Joined: April 14th, 2015, 1:03 pm
Location: Carrabelle Beach

Re: Opening Day For Grouper Season

Post by Tide-Dancer »

Great day on the pond. Looks like you did a find job.
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