Grouper plentiful on fishing trip to Florida's Gulf Coast
Posted: December 14th, 2004, 6:04 pm
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Savannah Morning News
STEINHATCHEE, Fla.
John Burke
It was a fishing trip long to be remembered.
Billy Shearin slowed the forward speed of his charterboat Neva-Miss,
and began maneuvering it into position. Finally, after closely
watching two of four screens mounted before the wheel, he cut the
power, dropped the bow anchor, and with a reverse thrust, set the
anchor in the rock-covered bottom.
It had been a two-hour-plus run, and those on board were ready to
fish. But Billy had a list of what to do and what not to do to go over
before the fishing started.
Grouper were the main target. The season has just closed on red
snapper. But Florida snapper - better known along the Georgia coast as
hognose snapper - would be plentiful and there was no limit to the
number that could be taken.
"Don't try to adjust the drag on the reels," Shearin said. "They are
purposely set. If you hook a big one (a grouper), make sure you keep
the tip of the rod high and don't let the fish get into the rocks. If
it gets into the rocks, you're going to loose it. If you catch a
keeper, we will put it in the box. If it's a swimmer (one under the
minimum size allowed), it goes back"
The day was Dec. 5 - last Sunday to be exact. And we were about two
hours into the Gulf of Mexico southwest of Steinhatchee, a small
fishing village on Florida's Gulf Coast that still maintains the
laid-back, almost serene atmosphere that was once a calling card for
much of the state.
The group
Charlie Russo Jr., John Cavouto, Steve Ratchke and yours truly had
driven down from Savannah the afternoon before for a planned day in
the Gulf with Billy. Joining the group the next morning was Palmer
Hodges, a Savannahian who moved to the area a couple of years ago.
Weather-wise, it was not the best of days. A southeast wind had been
blowing since sunup, and by the time we reached the starting area -
about 25 miles off the coast - seas already were running between 4-6
feet.
Unlike the Georgia coast, the Gulf remains shallow for many miles out.
Billy, who started in the charter fishing business at an early age in
Chatham County and became almost the authority on bottom fishing along
the Georgia coast, moved his boat and charter fishing operation to
Steinhatchee about four years ago.
He had seen a picture of a grouper in a publication that had been
caught on an artificial trolling lure in the waters off Steinhatchee.
The photo showed the lure in the mouth of the fish.
Grouper and snapper fishing off the Georgia coast usually is in such
deep water that trying to get a trolling lure to work becomes almost
impossible.
Billy decided to find out what it was like in Florida, and trailered
his boat down to Steinhatchee. Using the same method to map the bottom
- that is, the electronic equipment including ground positioning
systems (GPS) now available, he picked up several grouper on his first
try and soon had mapped out where the best fishing could be found in
the waters offshore of Steinhatchee.
The catch
Although the action was a little slow at start - Billy quickly moves
from one location to another if the fish aren't biting - the big
cooler aboard the Neva-Miss soon filled up with grouper and Florida
snapper.
By the end of the day - we were back at the docks in Steinhatchee's
Sea Hag Marina at 3 p.m. - we had a total of 23 grouper (the daily
limit is five per person), and I lost count of the Florida snapper.
For every grouper brought on board and kept, I would guess three or
four more were released because they were too small.
Billy considers himself semiretired, and only operates the charter
business three or four days a week. Still maintaining his main
residence across the river from Savannah in South Carolina, you will
find him commuting the four-hours-plus distance about once a week.
During the winter months, when seas have a tendency to be choppy and
rough in that area of the Gulf, he does less chartering. The action
picks up in the spring, summer and early fall.
I don't see how it could get much better than it was last Sunday, even
with the rough seas.
Billy can be contacted at (342) 498-9242 in Steinhatchee or by e-mail
at http://www.nevamisscharters.com.
Outdoors Editor John Burke can be reached at 652-0299 or burkejohn437@aol.com.
Savannah Morning News
STEINHATCHEE, Fla.
John Burke
It was a fishing trip long to be remembered.
Billy Shearin slowed the forward speed of his charterboat Neva-Miss,
and began maneuvering it into position. Finally, after closely
watching two of four screens mounted before the wheel, he cut the
power, dropped the bow anchor, and with a reverse thrust, set the
anchor in the rock-covered bottom.
It had been a two-hour-plus run, and those on board were ready to
fish. But Billy had a list of what to do and what not to do to go over
before the fishing started.
Grouper were the main target. The season has just closed on red
snapper. But Florida snapper - better known along the Georgia coast as
hognose snapper - would be plentiful and there was no limit to the
number that could be taken.
"Don't try to adjust the drag on the reels," Shearin said. "They are
purposely set. If you hook a big one (a grouper), make sure you keep
the tip of the rod high and don't let the fish get into the rocks. If
it gets into the rocks, you're going to loose it. If you catch a
keeper, we will put it in the box. If it's a swimmer (one under the
minimum size allowed), it goes back"
The day was Dec. 5 - last Sunday to be exact. And we were about two
hours into the Gulf of Mexico southwest of Steinhatchee, a small
fishing village on Florida's Gulf Coast that still maintains the
laid-back, almost serene atmosphere that was once a calling card for
much of the state.
The group
Charlie Russo Jr., John Cavouto, Steve Ratchke and yours truly had
driven down from Savannah the afternoon before for a planned day in
the Gulf with Billy. Joining the group the next morning was Palmer
Hodges, a Savannahian who moved to the area a couple of years ago.
Weather-wise, it was not the best of days. A southeast wind had been
blowing since sunup, and by the time we reached the starting area -
about 25 miles off the coast - seas already were running between 4-6
feet.
Unlike the Georgia coast, the Gulf remains shallow for many miles out.
Billy, who started in the charter fishing business at an early age in
Chatham County and became almost the authority on bottom fishing along
the Georgia coast, moved his boat and charter fishing operation to
Steinhatchee about four years ago.
He had seen a picture of a grouper in a publication that had been
caught on an artificial trolling lure in the waters off Steinhatchee.
The photo showed the lure in the mouth of the fish.
Grouper and snapper fishing off the Georgia coast usually is in such
deep water that trying to get a trolling lure to work becomes almost
impossible.
Billy decided to find out what it was like in Florida, and trailered
his boat down to Steinhatchee. Using the same method to map the bottom
- that is, the electronic equipment including ground positioning
systems (GPS) now available, he picked up several grouper on his first
try and soon had mapped out where the best fishing could be found in
the waters offshore of Steinhatchee.
The catch
Although the action was a little slow at start - Billy quickly moves
from one location to another if the fish aren't biting - the big
cooler aboard the Neva-Miss soon filled up with grouper and Florida
snapper.
By the end of the day - we were back at the docks in Steinhatchee's
Sea Hag Marina at 3 p.m. - we had a total of 23 grouper (the daily
limit is five per person), and I lost count of the Florida snapper.
For every grouper brought on board and kept, I would guess three or
four more were released because they were too small.
Billy considers himself semiretired, and only operates the charter
business three or four days a week. Still maintaining his main
residence across the river from Savannah in South Carolina, you will
find him commuting the four-hours-plus distance about once a week.
During the winter months, when seas have a tendency to be choppy and
rough in that area of the Gulf, he does less chartering. The action
picks up in the spring, summer and early fall.
I don't see how it could get much better than it was last Sunday, even
with the rough seas.
Billy can be contacted at (342) 498-9242 in Steinhatchee or by e-mail
at http://www.nevamisscharters.com.
Outdoors Editor John Burke can be reached at 652-0299 or burkejohn437@aol.com.
