1. They're wrong and you end up starring on another episode of "Amazing Rescues at Sea"
2. They are right
3. They're wrong and it's a beautiful day on the water with very little competition for good fishing spots.
Yesterday was Door Number 3! One-half foot seas, 5 kph wind and six boats sighted on the water all day. The tide was moving quickly and the fog was only dense near shore.
Roland and I trolled aroung Number 24 for several hours with only one short to show for it. Bottom fishing was also a Zero, even over great structure. I did get a wonderful dentation pattern of some creature that can cleanly bite right through Saltwater Fishbites. Heck, I have a hard time cutting the stuff with a filet knife
.We then moved to some numbers about 6 miles SE of 24. Water clarity was OK (about 3.5 out of 5), water temperature was a steady 68 degrees, and water depth was 37 to 45 feet. Got an immediate, thunderous hit on a Stretch 35. Turned out to be a foul-hooked short. Darn.
Continued to troll and at 1700 the bite started. We caught a total of 9 gags and kept 4. The largest was 31 inches. The only colors working were white with a red head and fluorescent holographic green. Nothing else worked.
I also witnessed a grouped hitting my lure on the surface. Talk about spectacular! It surprised me so much that I almost dropped my rod. He, however, went into the box.
At 1900 the bite stopped like a switch was turned off. Limped on home with my port engine acting like it had a hangover. Altogether a satisfactory way to start grouper season.
Sorry, no pictures yet. My camera uses film and I have a few shots left before it gets developed.