Keaton Beach Offshore 18 Feb 03

chugbug · Post by **chugbug** » February 21st, 2003, 10:11 am

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I should have posted this earlier, but here it goes. Report from Fossils Guy and my trip.

Neither Chug or I could sleep. He arrived at about 2 AM and I got there at 4:30. We waited until 6:45 and headed out with the 15 knot winds at our backs. The seas were pretty rough (up to 5 footers) and I had to work at not spewing the contents of my stomach into the Gulf.
Chug navigated to some numbers that he had converted from Loran and we started trolling. Within 2 minutes, I was puilling in a nice 24 incher that hit Chug's 30 Loud. We got a couple good strikes and a fat little red then went bottom fishing.

Chug decided to move the anchor up a few feet while I was soaking an LY head. I joked about my new trolling technique and got hit hard. After a few drag screams and getting him off the bottom a couple dozen feet, I lost him. Turns out the hook that either BigE or I had tied had come united!

We decided to stay put. Chug was pulling the anchor up a little when he got whacked. he dropped the line and wrestled in a nice 10# Gag. There was a brief panic when the fish came up because he was barely hooked and my gaffing skills suck. We got him though. Chug then used another of MY squirrel fish and caught another 9.5#er. We moved again and I landed another nice gag.

Totals were 4 keepers, 9 shorts, a binch of nice grunts and black fish, a big Pogie and ONE INCORRECTLY TIED HOOK!

We fished in 55 feet most of the day. The most striking thing about the fish is that 3 of the keepers hooked hit moving baits.

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Nyangh!

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Post by **Cranfield** » February 21st, 2003, 3:19 pm

Nice report, chugbug.

The "untying hook", has happened to all of us.
The strange thing is, that its never a small fish that gets lost.

Were you using livebaits when you anchored, or cut fish?

What did you do with the "large Pogie"?
If that was a menhaden, I thought they were not edible.

Excuse the questions, but I know nothing.

chugbug · Post by **chugbug** » February 21st, 2003, 5:53 pm

Cran,
I can't remeber what that fish was, I said Pogie but it wasn't. I caught my fish on live squirrel fish. One of the better baits for Grouper, I my opinion. They're harty and stay alive for awhile. We also caught fish on cut LY's. I had a good laugh when he pulled his line up and it was all curly from being tied

Post by **Cranfield** » February 22nd, 2003, 8:39 am

So, this is the top grouper bait ?

Good old Google.

Post by **Blue Dolphin** » February 22nd, 2003, 9:11 am

I don't know about grouper but I bass love them red fish.....