Alligator Point 10/11/09 Cuda"B"

[fish finder]

I have been out a couple of times since my last post, but have not had much luck, with Snapper season closed and the grouper action being "short"! Decided to try our luck again this past Sunday, with a crew of 4. We left the dock around 7:30 and stopped at D.I. Reef to load the livewell and had trouble getting pinfish at my usual spots?? We were catching plenty of grunts/porgies and a few pins and lost several bait rigs to the bluefish that were everywhere. Even managed to get a keeper blue in the box on one of the rigs. Made the decision to go to deeper water again thinking with the water temp still at 84-85 on the surface that it would provide our best shot at keepers.

First stop in 92ft due South of the Point. Plenty of action, grouper and snapper, but all had to go back; short grouper and red snapper! After hooking the second shark, time to move! Next stop, same result!! with the exception of one good grouper, we were catching and releasing again.

Fred Neal with a nice 14lb Red Grouper!

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We repeated the above steps all day long with the same result. Around 1pm, we took a break for lunch and had 1 grouper in the box with a few Lane Snappers, triggerfish and KW grunts. Thinking maybe the bigger grouper were on the move, we decided to hit some wrecks for some other action. Stopped off at V-Tower to have a look and began drifting live bait to see if any AJ's were home. Second drift, an old friend who has been fishing with me for 20 years hooked up with I initially thought was an AJ! Until I saw it surface after a couple of minutes 50 feet off the stern, Cobia!! Twenty minutes later after smartly playing the monster, wearing him down, he had him boatside and I had him on the gaff, up and over on the deck. Of course, the Cobia then began to show that he wasn't quite done with us began his final act! We were ready and had the deck clear and waited him out. The Boga only went to 30lbs, not nearly enough, so we snapped a few pics and iced him down.

Steve Canfield with his new friend:)

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We made a couple more passes and then decided to hit some numbers a little closer in to see if we could some keeper grouper in the box. Stopped at two spots in 62-60 ft with the same result, short grouper! We were all tired from literally catching all day, even though we didn't have a box full, we decide to head home on what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. Back at the dock the big Cobia went 50lbs!

Steve and I with the catch of the day!

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Although I couldn't convince the big grouper to bite, we all had a great time on a great day! Cuda"B" ran awesome and nobody got hurt!

Light winds and low seas,

Capt. Jay

[WaltDawg]

Very nice. Jealous of the Cobia

[wevans]

Y'all got two nice uns outta the trip I'm sure hoping that the temps get down soon, so that them Grouper will get back within my range

[qoutrage]

Super pics and write up, FF. 'Makes me want the clean the cobwebs out of the corners of the old Pursuit and go fish chasin', my own self.