Here is the third time splash adventure (long) so enjoy.
After picking up the boat and trailer from Coastal Trailer we stopped in Panacea for some lunch on the bay at Hook Wreck Henry’s got a good look at the Panacea ramp revamp and only thing I can see wrong is that it doesn’t go into the water far enough for a long trailer like mine!
Had a good meal overlooking a salt bay, with the sun shining, a slight breeze on the water, a cold beer in hand , the pooch at my feet and a beautiful woman sitting next to me while listening to some nice music performed by a guy named H.J Kuntry. Could hardly remember the hectic week prior or why it is we come to the coast
hahaHit the road for Lanark and C-belle with a full stomach and relaxed feeling about life and the trailer situation. Looked at the bay riding along 98 and decided to give it a shot even thought it was almost 3 by the time we launched in the River and headed south. Chose to give the boat a good sea trial since it was just Celeste and me and didn’t have to worry about the kids. We cruised out East Pass into the stirred up Gulf sea that a front with east and then NE winds had made interesting. We had a few good rollers to test the great softness of the boats abilities in real seas; not just the wicked bay chop last two time out. Made for numbers in @ 45 ft to try and troll stretch 30’s got some time in that’s all I say for a fishing report
! Cruised back inside the bay to try an inshore number only to find another couple positioning to fish it; they had no problem sharing and we chatted while we both took turns drifting the little structure. Celeste did manage a short Gag and the other female angler did the same, before we left it to them, thanking them for their kindness in sharing the spot! Why can’t all anglers be like this??
Headed back to the City ramp to find friends of ours cruising around C-belle that hadn’t seen the boat so they met us at the ramp to get a look see. Funny aside while we were chatting it up a couple from Seminole County stopped to ask where they could find somewhere to eat! They were staying in the motel across from where Julia Mae’s had been and couldn’t find any place to go! Sad state of affairs what the fishing regulations have caused in C-belle I truly believe that if feds allowed the harvest of some of the snapper we throw back constantly the amount of people visiting the area would be able to sustain places like Pirates and other establishments. Just my .02
Sunday we got up fairly early and headed out of the river to a cool NE wind with only one other boat at the ramp a VERY nice skinny water boat we found out from the owner was a Beaver Tail. Sweet looking little boat! Can’t remember his name think he’s a forum lurker though!
Proceeded out around the East end of Dog Island with the stiff NE wind I wanted the seas to my back and the Island to act as a wind break that way I could check out some stuff just south of Dog and wait to see what the wind and wave did later in the day. NOAA promising things would calm as the day wore on I wanted to make sure that happened before I ventured too far. We didn’t do very well trolling or on the dead bait we had so after checking a number we had never been to I we started a little live bait catching with some very nice sand perch (squirrel fish) getting placed in the bucket (still can’t get the live well working! (More fun projects) NOAA actually got it right and the seas started calming and we headed to a spot further south with very little to show for our efforts we headed to a go-to number in @ 60ft hoping we could at least see a short or something!
Well first Drop and Celeste pulls up a short Gag so games on! We sent dead baits and live down to the depths only to receive the tell tale taps of Grunts and triggers finally Celeste gets rocked and then taken to her knees as she had the drag on the big reel a little too tight! After gathering her composure she promptly whips up on a AJ which didn’t even make the new 30 in size and went back! Could have kept it in the old days and because we were never in Federal waters & I would have put it in the box because I don’t see anywhere that the Friday night AJ closure mentions state waters! We had a visitor stop and take about a 30 minute rest in Celeste’s hands got a few drops of fresh water and flew on!
While Celeste RN was caring for our passenger, I finally get a big squirrel fish down I am ready to get me a GROUPA what I get is a little one of those endangered red things…
I managed another @ 21 inches shortly thereafter and after finally putting some grunts in the box to eat we decided to hit the hill as we were already running past our allotted time!
Celestial Crab running like a dream!
