Carabelle 8/23
Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels
Carabelle 8/23
After the way you guys bad mouthed me, I ain't sayin nothin. Pennfish can write this report.
What was I supposed to do today?
Re: Carabelle 8/23
Awwww. come on, T.C.tin can wrote:After the way you guys bad mouthed me, I ain't sayin nothin. Pennfish can write this report.
Today TC andI caught , mullet and pinfish for bait behind the islands, we fished three spots from 60 to 90ft we had cobia,barricuda,nurse sharks that sent two Redbone rods to their death, red and gag grouper,triggerfish,red and vermillion snapper. A lot of short fish today, but enough to bring home and enjoy.TC caught the biggest keepers today and we both had hookups that we couldnt handle 
Good day and great company 
Good day and great company 
What a day. We left Tallahassee at 4 A.M., headed for Carabelle. The plan was to run behind Dog Island, catch a bunch of pinfish, and get headed toward our first stop, in the dark. We were hoping for a good early bite. The plan got altered behind Dog Island. Pinnfish put a chum bag out to attract pinfish. After 15 minutes we had caught a half dozen small catfish. We moved around several times, and managed to catch about 10 pinfish. By now it's daylight. With very little live bait in the well, Pinnfish ran in behind St. George, to another spot he had caught bait on. Nothing doing on the pinfish, but there was bait in the area. Pinnfish beached the boat and pulled his cast net out. In 15 minutes we had a bait well full of finger mullet, and some sort of small white bait I didn't recognize. We then headed south to 60' of water, on the Franklyn Co. Reef. It was still early enough for us to be the first boat there. We found the bottom we were looking for, tossed a buoy, and set up a drift. We were starting our drift 100 yards above the buoy, and drifting about 100 yards past the buoy. We were at the end of a drift when another boat with an older gentleman, and two older ladies showed up. They idled around a bit, and went straight to our buoy, and pulled out the anchor. I hollered at them, and asked if they intended to anchor on "OUR" buoy. One of the ladies asked "OH, is this your buoy?" 
Mind you, we were the only boat out there. They were nice enough to move off of our buoy to anchor, about 50 yards. 
We then anchored on the buoy. It didn't take long to hook up. We caught several short grouper, no keepers. I did, however, hook up with a couple of rather large fish. It didn't take long on either hookup to realize what I had on. I had the first nurse shark about about half way up when my rod snapped, about 2.5' below the tip. The 2.5' of rod tip took off down the line, and I kept fighting. I wanted the piece of rod tip back. I got the creature to the boat. It was around 7' long. Pinnfish was about to cut the leader when the main line broke, just above the swivel. 
Fortunately I had taken 2 rods. Within a half hour I had hooked another nurse shark. Same story. Half way up, the rod snaps, in the very same place. Got the fish to the boat. This one was bigger than the first one. But this time the main line held, and the leader was cut, for a boat side release, and, I got the tip section of my rod back (to be returned to the place of purchase). After 2 nurse sharks, and no keepers, we decided it was time to move on. Pinnfish had a flatline out the entire time we were anchored on this spot, with no takers. As he reeled the flat line in, he looked down in the water and said "Look at the size of those Barracudas". He paused the bait over one's head. Fish on. Pinnfish proceeded to put on a show. I lip gaffed the fish, and Pinnfish got his hook back. He had just successfully fought and landed a barracuda that was probably 48", on an inshore rod and reel. We then attempted to pull anchor. It was stuck. I was sure we were going to lose it. But, Pinnfish stayed with it, and managed to get it loose. Off to our second stop, in 70'. Short story there. Nobody home. Pinnfish said he had some numbers someone had given him in 90'. With nothing in the box, why not. 
We arrived at the point and the bottom machine showed NOTHING. It was flat bottom. Pinnfish decided, since we had ridden all the way out there, he would make 1 drift, and send a bait down. I decided I would sit there and watch. His bait was taken as soon as it hit bottom. Fish on. It was a short grouper, but it was a fish. After some discussion we decided to fish this flat bottom. So, we got right on the numbers, and dropped anchor, over NOTHING. We both sent baits down, and we both immediately hooked up. In an hour we caught 1 keeper grouper, 1 keeper red snapper, numerous short grouper and snapper, numerous beeliners, and a triggerfish. We had fish in the box.
The weather cooperated. The company was good. It was an adventurous day. Pinnfish is a great host. Thanks for a great day on the water, Steve. I look forward to the next trip.
Mind you, we were the only boat out there. They were nice enough to move off of our buoy to anchor, about 50 yards. We then anchored on the buoy. It didn't take long to hook up. We caught several short grouper, no keepers. I did, however, hook up with a couple of rather large fish. It didn't take long on either hookup to realize what I had on. I had the first nurse shark about about half way up when my rod snapped, about 2.5' below the tip. The 2.5' of rod tip took off down the line, and I kept fighting. I wanted the piece of rod tip back. I got the creature to the boat. It was around 7' long. Pinnfish was about to cut the leader when the main line broke, just above the swivel. Fortunately I had taken 2 rods. Within a half hour I had hooked another nurse shark. Same story. Half way up, the rod snaps, in the very same place. Got the fish to the boat. This one was bigger than the first one. But this time the main line held, and the leader was cut, for a boat side release, and, I got the tip section of my rod back (to be returned to the place of purchase). After 2 nurse sharks, and no keepers, we decided it was time to move on. Pinnfish had a flatline out the entire time we were anchored on this spot, with no takers. As he reeled the flat line in, he looked down in the water and said "Look at the size of those Barracudas". He paused the bait over one's head. Fish on. Pinnfish proceeded to put on a show. I lip gaffed the fish, and Pinnfish got his hook back. He had just successfully fought and landed a barracuda that was probably 48", on an inshore rod and reel. We then attempted to pull anchor. It was stuck. I was sure we were going to lose it. But, Pinnfish stayed with it, and managed to get it loose. Off to our second stop, in 70'. Short story there. Nobody home. Pinnfish said he had some numbers someone had given him in 90'. With nothing in the box, why not. We arrived at the point and the bottom machine showed NOTHING. It was flat bottom. Pinnfish decided, since we had ridden all the way out there, he would make 1 drift, and send a bait down. I decided I would sit there and watch. His bait was taken as soon as it hit bottom. Fish on. It was a short grouper, but it was a fish. After some discussion we decided to fish this flat bottom. So, we got right on the numbers, and dropped anchor, over NOTHING. We both sent baits down, and we both immediately hooked up. In an hour we caught 1 keeper grouper, 1 keeper red snapper, numerous short grouper and snapper, numerous beeliners, and a triggerfish. We had fish in the box. The weather cooperated. The company was good. It was an adventurous day. Pinnfish is a great host. Thanks for a great day on the water, Steve. I look forward to the next trip.
What was I supposed to do today?
