Panacea not, Lanark not so hot, Carrabelle River 11/7/09
Posted: November 10th, 2009, 10:28 am
We made the trip down to Lanark Friday night for a possible trolling trip Saturday and to drag the Celestial Crab back home Sunday. I have a new guy at the office that just move up from the Hobe Sound area is an avid angler, had a free weekend before moving all the family up, and looked like he needed some salt in his lungs, so we invited him down to fish with Celeste and me Saturday. After studying many web sites we chose to try and get out of Panacea seeing that Apalachee Bay looked the best for seas on Sat and after hearing a buddy’s report of trolling up a few grouper recently that sounded like the best plan! Todd met us in Panacea at Hook Wrecks and was waiting with bait when we got there, I was hoping we wouldn’t need any and could just troll all day; shortly after leaving the dock it looked like we may have a chance at it.
However, after passing Pine island pictured wind started whipping threw the cabin and we found how protected Dickerson Bay really was because by the time we reached the end of the channel markers we were awful glad we were in the big boat! After the 2nd wave crashed over the TOP of the boat we decided that another option might be best the 25 knot wind and 4-5 ft waves coming out from the east would make for a rough go of it in the direction we wanted to head so we chose to turn around and go back to where I had just left which was Lanark! Here’s another morning shot that shows at least a ripple starting! This changed big time in another two miles!
Well, after re-launching and riding out to the east end of Dog we were greeted with more of the same nasty wind and seas so opted for a day of bay fishing! We hit the ballast behind Dog Island & the wind was still whipping up the bay pretty good and drift fishing was not going to happen so we anchored up at a spot and started the short grouper regime associated with the bay however one of Celeste’s short fish had this weird red color to it! YESSS it was the endangered, elusive, uncatchable, American RED Snapper in 17 ft of water!!! We couldn’t get a picture because the batteries on the camera had died! So another big foot mystery will go unsolved and unconfirmed and a federal government will be tightening the restrictions even more!
We decided that with the east wind the shrimp boat in the pass may be protected and decided to give it a shot! Great idea because the island protected us and I was able to just sit and idle over the wreck while Celeste and Todd caught more of the same short grouper and seabass then Todd has a little better pull and winds up with a nice keeper flounder.
We piddled around for a few more minutes and then headed up river with one stop to pick up a few shrimp we wound up catching a ton of short spotted sea trout managed two white trout and on my first or second cast the ole captain lands a nice drag pulling black drum! Ended up being an absolutely beautiful day on the river and we sure were glad we weren’t getting pounded by the wind and waves offshore!
Seafood report! Celeste and I stopped at Millenders (sp) in C-belle to pick up a little seafood to go with the venison back strap on the grill at the house and ended up grabbing two VERY good crab cakes from them!!
Celeste left Lanark at 0430 to grab an extra shift at the hospital so I had a leisure day Sunday and spent the morning cleaning up things at the trailer in Lanark and then headed home. Found a hidden leftover $20 in my wallet and stopped at My Way Seafood in Panacea on the way home to add a few oysters to the cooler, have to say they are the best I’ve had in a LONG time wonderfully salty big & plump! Hope the storm doesn’t’ change things because a full bushel is on the menu next trip!!
However, after passing Pine island pictured wind started whipping threw the cabin and we found how protected Dickerson Bay really was because by the time we reached the end of the channel markers we were awful glad we were in the big boat! After the 2nd wave crashed over the TOP of the boat we decided that another option might be best the 25 knot wind and 4-5 ft waves coming out from the east would make for a rough go of it in the direction we wanted to head so we chose to turn around and go back to where I had just left which was Lanark! Here’s another morning shot that shows at least a ripple starting! This changed big time in another two miles!
Well, after re-launching and riding out to the east end of Dog we were greeted with more of the same nasty wind and seas so opted for a day of bay fishing! We hit the ballast behind Dog Island & the wind was still whipping up the bay pretty good and drift fishing was not going to happen so we anchored up at a spot and started the short grouper regime associated with the bay however one of Celeste’s short fish had this weird red color to it! YESSS it was the endangered, elusive, uncatchable, American RED Snapper in 17 ft of water!!! We couldn’t get a picture because the batteries on the camera had died! So another big foot mystery will go unsolved and unconfirmed and a federal government will be tightening the restrictions even more!
We decided that with the east wind the shrimp boat in the pass may be protected and decided to give it a shot! Great idea because the island protected us and I was able to just sit and idle over the wreck while Celeste and Todd caught more of the same short grouper and seabass then Todd has a little better pull and winds up with a nice keeper flounder.
We piddled around for a few more minutes and then headed up river with one stop to pick up a few shrimp we wound up catching a ton of short spotted sea trout managed two white trout and on my first or second cast the ole captain lands a nice drag pulling black drum! Ended up being an absolutely beautiful day on the river and we sure were glad we weren’t getting pounded by the wind and waves offshore!
Seafood report! Celeste and I stopped at Millenders (sp) in C-belle to pick up a little seafood to go with the venison back strap on the grill at the house and ended up grabbing two VERY good crab cakes from them!!
Celeste left Lanark at 0430 to grab an extra shift at the hospital so I had a leisure day Sunday and spent the morning cleaning up things at the trailer in Lanark and then headed home. Found a hidden leftover $20 in my wallet and stopped at My Way Seafood in Panacea on the way home to add a few oysters to the cooler, have to say they are the best I’ve had in a LONG time wonderfully salty big & plump! Hope the storm doesn’t’ change things because a full bushel is on the menu next trip!!
and welcome aboard!! 
