A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Use this area to post offshore fishing reports from the area. Please try to include relevant information such as:
Location, date, time, water conditions, weather conditions, baits, techniques, species caught, etc.
All right, the Lawfish family finally got a boat. Took the family to Turkey Point Saturday, but it was blowing and awful. Nothing.
Sunday was another story. Weather was gorgeous, no wind, flat as a mill pond. Headed to 38 feet of water SE of Dog Island. I have no GPS and bottom machine is basically useful only for determining depth. So we figured that spot was as good as any and anchored up. Fished about 3 hours and caught 6 grouper, 3 short (1 red, 2 gags), 2 just barelies and 1 25" gag caught on a 20 lb. spinner. That was a heckuva fight, let me tell you. Everything caught on dead bait. We also put about a dozen black bass and a dozen KW grunts in the box. All in all a great day of fishing for the lawfish family.
Congrats lawfish, you should have spun a yarn about lining the sun up, with the left palm tree on the beach.
We would have believed that, but catching fish without a GPS, no way.
Wow... great job. Actually that's a pretty disgusting story I mean... no GPS #'s and you just drove around until somebody said.." Hey, this looks like a good spot! .... put down your anchor.... put down some ole stink'n dead bait... started catch'n grouper.. If your trying to rub it in to all us who roll around in electronic stuff and still can't catch anything you've managed to humble us Keep it up... we need it
(ps.. the trouble will come when one of the family says..hey lets go back to the spot where we caugth them fish the last time )
SR, I agree with you. I've spent thousands of $$$ and many days trying to find a fish. Maybe we should label this The Lawfish Method. Just going out there and dropping a bait has never worked for me, but if the method has a name............Who knows?
Lawfish, Congrats to you and your family on the boat purchase. Now, details. What make and model boat? Distinguishing characteristics? Boat name? Color? (wee need all this information so we can follow you around).
Yea Lawfish, I don't got no stinking GPS either. We should get together, we could just ride around blind together. What do they say at pool halls, "blind Sh--thouse luck" That's what I depend on.
I've been in a "white-out" more than one time. I've been in rain so hard you can't see ten feet in front of you. I've been out there in bright sunshine, and look towards shore and see nothing but a fog bank, and it's moving offshore.
Soon as I get rich, or my kids do, I'll have a GPS. For mostly peace of mind.
Tin can: it's a 1986 17' Aquasport with a 90 horse Evinrude (rebuilt powerhead w/ about 50 hours on it). No real distinguishing characteristics, other than a grey bimini top (and no GPS ). I've been waiting on this boat for years and years.
Other distinguishing characteristic: it's towed behind a water-tower green 1978 Ford F100 that's a real peach in itself.
I also have a 1986 Aquasport 170, and it has been very good to me. I repowered with a Yammie and bought a new trailer, but the boat lives on. I do believe it is worth at least a handheld GPS, though, and safety would suggest it is a good idea.
By the way, I have LORAN, a fixed mount GPS with differential, a hand held GPS, a fixed mount radio, and a handheld radio on that boat. It makes a decent all-around boat, with limitations. Rocks don't do it any good, and offshore needs a good day, but you can do it, as you saw. Get a second anchor with extra rode, though, in case someday that motor quits working and you have to call for help.
Lawfish, how far offshore would you estimate you were for 38 foot? Out of site of land? At Keaton you have to go a long way for 38. I have an 18 foot Custom Craft with a 90 Johnson. The boat sets low in the water, and it only has an 18 gal. fuel tank, so I'm limited on distance.
CS: I was well within sight of land. You could see the houses on Dog Island clearly. I was maybe 6-8 miles from the tripod. About 2-3 miles south of the reef.
EJ: I have a quality VHF with tall antenna and lots of anchor rope. 30 gallon tank, so lots of range. I too was thinking of one day repowering with a Yammie, but I was thinking 4 stroke. That's a long way off, though. For now, gotta make do with the Rude. It's a very dependable motor. I just put a new starter on it and battery, and it has dual batteries.
At Keaton you lose site of land around 19-20 foot in most places. I need to move over to ya'lls area more. It's closer for me to drive. It's just that I got a piece of dirt with a camper on it to stay in at Keaton. My cousins used to manage the Alligator Point Lounge (1986-1987). That was the main reason I went over that way. FREE drinks.
Glad you are enjoying your Aquasport. Even though it is a long way off, buying a new motor will be interesting. I looked hard at the four strokes, but with our boat they are too heavy in the stern. Even my 115 SWS two stroke is a tad heavy, but the 90 Yam could not be had in the SWS (with more stainless, etc) and the 90 was only a three cylinder, so I went with the 115. Its a fine motor.
So far, every four stroke in the 80-100 hp range is way too heavy, as the boat's design was for a lighter engine, so you will have to see some day. Good luck with the Johnson, mine just rusted away, slowly, until I was afraid of it, even tho it never stranded me.
Seeya on the water. Look for your boat's double, with a lot of antennas, and no bimini!
CS,this is in around 40' of water Thats Dog Island in the background
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
CS, You can be in 40 ft of water within sight of Dog Island or St. George. I have been out to a couple of the public number reefs off of DI in 40-45 ft and still see the island. I haven't fished this water much but its there. I most often fish inside the islands for trout. I like to put in at Carrabelle because I can fish DI or SG from there. This area also allows me to fish some deeper water if I want to.
.... put down your anchor.... put down some ole stink'n dead bait... started catch'n grouper.. 
If your trying to rub it in to all us who roll around in electronic stuff and still can't catch anything you've managed to humble us 
We should get together, we could just ride around blind together. What do they say at pool halls, "blind Sh--thouse luck" That's what I depend on. 
