OH but NO! Celeste says the Celestial Crab’s going south AGAIN!
I had fixed all the issues I had brought her home for and seeing she was good to go and still had gas in her we went. Since I wanted to fish early Saturday due to the expected high temps I packed and loaded everything Friday after work! A quick call to the potentate of the Lanark hacienda and we’re off ; finally departing Valdosta after 9:30 PM!
Kids and adults were all tired upon arrival and quickly fell into beds as I declared a 5:30 wake; up it nearing 1:00 AM by now!
Some coffee, sandwich making and quick breakfast’s later we headed out the river an hour later than I wanted and the steam bath of a day already beginning to reveal itself. Some poorly spent time in the bay looking for pin fish was quickly forgotten when we arrived at our stop for offshore baits; Squirrelfish, by hooking of a nice kingfish trolling through a school of Bonito. Joshua landed it and we quickly iced the first keeper of the day. Being that we were sitting right on the bait hole we proceeded to pick up some baits. Some black sea bass then invaded our squirrels and wreaked havoc on some sabiki rigs.
Well enough of that, I said and we headed south WAY south to what I thought was one of those glorious honey holes no one knew about, well there was a good reason no fish!! After driving some 6 miles further south to get to a spot we have not even the slightest nibble and had to come back to some good numbers in the 90 ft range.
Lines in is called again this time every kid and the Celestial one herself is hooked up, small red grouper, short snapper, sea bass all start hitting the floor. My kids are able to unhook fish, but with me there they all tend to look for my help, so I’m unhooking and venting the shorts, boxing the big sea bass and all this time Celeste is still battling a fish! Well, we soon find out why!
Some moving around and Sterling finally gets into a big fish and manages a 26 in red snapper for the box, Joshua does his own thing up at the front of the boat and is soon pulling in a 20 in snapper. Poor Emily was catching the ever-present sea bass and grunts. And Mom had already pretty much cinched big fish awards. The tide was at high the wind nonexistent and the bite slow so I headed in a little.
Sterling’s Red Snapper
I finally got into the action jigging when we hit a spot near O tower on the way home and got into some little AJ’s for fun, Emily and Josh got to take turns battling the little guys for fun then Celeste pops up a 22 in snapper on her jig and I’m just smiling, happy she caught a good red snapper with a bare jig!
Josh’s AJ
Gas was low water/Gatorade about gone and the temps near a 100 so I pointed the boat in and handed the drive-in captain the reigns (Josh likes to drive in) so I just hung behind him for the long drive in and we hit the ramp @ 3:15 satisfied with our fish on such a hot day.
We ate at The Pit in Carrabelle the kids devouring the great hamburgers and I super satisfied with a perfectly cooked rib eye, some salty oysters and a little piece of Ms Mary’s key lime to celebrate my birthday! Two thumbs up! Then we went and hung out with our Tarpon guide buddy that evening told tales & swapped stories.
On the way home Sunday after a long lazy day cleaning fish and the boat, we hit the Wharf Express at Summer Camp Beach and have to say it was VERY good and reasonable as well, great crab cakes!
Couple more pics
Reds
King
