Between weather work and family it has been near impossible to get out for some fun. Off for the week before Christmas and was trying to get a trip together on monday but no takers. The forcast was certainly not for bathtub conditions but good enough for a trip. Dave didnt have any 2 million dollar sporties to fix and the kids were off for the week so the 2 of us loaded up and headed out at 0300 to a good looking temp break with our 2 oldest boys. Lines in the water just before sunrise with a nice spread of naked and skirted ballys, fathoms, and some new heavy wahoo lures that I had running deep off the corners. After 2.5 hrs and no action the call for bottom dropping could not be ignored. While we were getting rigged up earlier we were showing what appeared to be some amazing bottom that we marked.
We got back on the spot and dropped down. Within seconds were were both hooked up on a double and a nice scamp and gag hit the deck. We both looked at each other and just new what the day would be like. Every drop was bringing a fish to the surface. We were catching literally everything Big Porgies, The biggest seabass I have ever seen, Mutton, Red Snapper, Yellow Jacks, Donkeys, Triggers, Even 2 Golden Tilefish. Our backs were sore and the boys we exhausted. My boy boated his first grouper and he was all smiles from ear to ear !
We threw back at least 6 smaller legal and undersize grouper and lost at least as many that freighttrained us. One of which must have been at least 100 lbs or more because my accurate boss magnum with 130lb braid locked down was spinning like a kids toy and to our surprise produced a straigtened 9/0 owner circle hook ( and a compresed vertebrate in my back ) from the depths.
It was depressing to have to release so many fish that we otherwise could have kept if there we not so many closures but having our 7 year old boys out there puts conservation into perspective even if we do disagree with some of the justifications.
Regardless we got some great meat for the freezer ran out at