BigBendFishing.Net

My paw-in-law and I met Tin Can in the lighthouse canal just after sunrise this morning. His intent was to follow me out to some 30 foot numbers, but after about 8 miles in the 1-2 footers, his Key West just couldn't hang with ours. He was crying about being soaking wet or something....Anyhow, we decided to troll some stuff close in hopes the land breeze would die down a bit. We picked up two shorts and got rocked up on another good fish while we had stopped to untangle a line. Apparently the fish hit it as it was floating on top and we didn't know it.

TC said he was going to hang in that area while we took off for deeper stuff. Our first 2 numbers produced only short grouper and grown rock bass. We moved around a bit hoping the bite would turn on. We decided that we would run a bit further to 42 feet.

We threw a bouy on the mark and went up current to drift over it. First drift was a 21 inch gag and a big miss. Second drift was another big strike that got off. After throwing the anchor I let out my grouper stick and set it in the holder while a put down my trusty white jig and Fishbites combo. The anchor line came tight just as I got my jig to the bottom and something grabbed my big rod. I put my jigging rod (calcutta 250/7 foot Rod) in the holder. As I'm turning this fish. my jig rod is bent double. I grabbed it and had 2 fish on at the same time. I yelled for help and Sonny lays his rod in the floor(with the line still out) and grabs the big rod, while I fight the other fish. Then I hear SPLOOSH! Sonny's rod is gone to the deep. We ended up landing both fish, 25" a piece.

We tried for another hour, but that was the end of the bite, so we ran in on flat calm seas. Nice day on the water. Glad it wasn't my rod.

Way to go Tom.

TC...

Good deal Tom, you may set some kind of record for most Grouper caught out of a 17' Key West.

Thanks for the pictures Tom, I enjoy seeing them.

Do you insure your rods and reels ?
I have never lost one in the water, that must be a sickening experience.

Looks like some nice fish Tom. Your story of a lost rod brings back a few memories of similiar experiences. One day about eight years ago I was out fishing near K tower on an old airplane wreck. A friend hooked up to a fishing line and decided to pull in the line just to see what it was attached too. After about ten minutes he pulled up a penn 30 combo in incredible condition. No barnacles at all and it still worked. He was all smiles until about an hour later a boat pulled up and asked if we were diving because several days before they had been fishing and lost a penn 30 combo overboard. We looked at each other and stared at the rod which was laying on the deck of my Mako. We handed it to them reluctantly.