Let’s start with the normal stuff. We returned to one of my usual bait spots in about 50 ft. and targeted cigar minnows with a Sabiki and sandperch with my homemade double hook rigs baited with squid. A Sabiki can put a lot of bait in the baitwell quickly, but I’ve learned to have at least two with me. Sabiki turn into a tangled mess in no time. It’s also wise to have some band-aids because someone always ends up with a Sabiki hook in a hand (or in a hat, shirt, glove, etc.).
I like using my double hook squid rigs because they bring up hardy baits like sandperch, pinfish, and pigfish. A cigar minnow can get pulled off a hook with just one bite, but the other baits tend to stay on the hook longer. I also like having a variety of live baits.
After catching bait, we headed south and passed many mats of sargassum seaweed. None appeared to hold any mahi-mahi. After passing 80 ft., we made our first real stop for red grouper. A lot of small 18-19 inch ones came onboard and were quickly released. A few were a hair longer than the minimum size of 20” but I prefer to keep them only if they are at least a half-inch longer than that. We also released a triggerfish that was just longer than 15 inches. I always worry that the fish will shrink in the cooler ice before the FWC man measures them. A small mangrove snapper made it into the cooler here.
Underwater videos from the first stop showed murky water due to plankton, but the videos also showed many mangrove snapper and triggerfish and a few red snapper.
Going deeper a few miles farther south, we continued to catch undersized red grouper, but I managed to catch a 26-inch keeper on a sandperch. I was too busy fishing to drop the camera here.
We made a long run back to the north and made one more stop. Again, we caught and released lots of undersized red grouper along with another one or two that were barely longer than 20 inches. However, two more red grouper made it into the cooler along with a 20-inch mangrove snapper. The mangrove snapper hit a piece of freezer-burned LY that was leftover from my last fishing trip.
Although the last spot had the shallowest water, the water was clearer than at our first spot. The videos showed lots of red snapper that were larger than 10 lbs., lots of mangrove snapper, and a few red grouper and triggerfish.
I almost forgot to mention the sharks. At first, they hide in a dense fog of cigar minnows. Then they burst out—at my camera. I should probably start saving for a new one now.
Here’s the fillet table with our catch for the day:
One other thing, I towed my boat to the ramp with my new F-150 that I purchased from Bill Gute at Riverbend Ford in Bainbridge, Georgia. Riverbend Ford provided me with an out-the-door price on a vehicle without useless or overpriced dealer add-ons. Four other dealerships insisted on add-ons ranging in price from $1,000 to $5,000. No other half-ton truck has more payload and towing capacity than an F-150. If you need a new truck or car, consider contacting Bill at Riverbend Ford.
