I was reading some posts the other day and saw FloridaBoy2 begging for a report…a report even from the nearshore reef. So, I called Mr. Keys up and asked him if he was in. Like a soldier, he said, “yessir”. So, we watched the forecast and our day was now a window of winter wahooing’ it seemed. The Got2Go was loaded up and soaking wet at 3am as we eased by a bunch of quiet shrimp boats and bars. As we cleared the rocks we were able to cruise out and before you could say, “Henry, touchdown Tide”, we were at our spot, waiting for the sun to break the horizon. We put out the spread and waited and waited and waited and waited…Getting anxious and itching to drop down on some triggers, flat line goes kapow! Check the bait out to find a broken factory hook from the Braid Speedy, . Lines back out and back over the multiple step ledge now lit up with bait…zzziiiiiinnnngggggggg! Mr. Keys fought the fish George Poveromo style and before you know it, wahoo in the boat. Reset and make another pass, then another pass and zzziiiiiinnnnnggggggggg! I pass the rod off to Mr. Keys who had never caught a hoo before and he makes short work of wahoo #2. As I raise the hoo over the rail, he gives a last headshake, dislodging the marauder from his mouth and into my finger…uh oh! So, it’s now 10am, 2 nice hoo in the boat, an ocean getting nastier by the minute, and now I have a hook in my hand. No big bolt cutters on the boat (I know Sellsfish, I know), so cut off the solid ring and left the hook in it. Secured the boat and headed back in as the ocean got frothier and frothier. Boat on the trailer by 1pm and headed to Ace Hardware on Coleman to cut off the hook. Got the boat backed in and Mr. Keys was like “I got this man, go to the doctor”. 2 hours, 3 stitches, and $200 later, at the house, having dinner with the family.
72-74 water temp
160-190ft
2 nice hoos
Tackle: Penn Squall 50s and Shimano TLD25s on Penn Rampage Jigging Rods XXH
I can’t say thanks enough to Derek for the help and stepping up b
G2G, thanks for the shoutout, nice job on the fish!!! Sorry bout the finger man I know that sucked. I just told a buddy, bolt cutters and good first aid before the first trip! HMU next time you go, I wanna tag!
I’ve heard of broken hooks on those lures before. They do catch fish though so I’ll keep running them. I bet you wished the one in your hand had broken off first. Cool pics and nice battle wound.
Harbor Freight 5 dollar bolt cutters inside vac seal in the first aid kit. GO straight from the package in the store to the vac seal since they’ll rust if exposed to air within 100ft of any water body.
How’s that boat on fuel? Love the updated 197, but believe the tank had to be sized down to have a step down console.
We burned 36 gallons of fuel with 2 people and a loaded boat. Round trip was about 175-180 miles I believe. We ran 25mph heading out for 50+ miles, then trolled 8-10mph for 3.5hrs, then came in at 22mph, with the last 7 miles at WOT.
I’ve heard of broken hooks on those lures before. They do catch fish though so I’ll keep running them.
I had no idea people ran plugs offshore without changing out the factory hooks first…
Just curious Midg, what hooks do you use when you replace those that come on a Marauder? Not a cheap lure. And I’d bet pretty much all people that run plugs off shore don’t change the hooks on new lures, now it they have some hard use and the plug still looks fare, maybe a hook change…
Got2 Go, great report and catch on some nasty seas! Did eating some fresh wahoo make your finger feel better?
“If Bruce Jenner can keep his wiener and be called a woman, I can keep my firearms and be considered disarmed.”
. Lines back out and back over the multiple step ledge now lit up with bait…zzziiiiiinnnngggggggg! Mr. Keys fought the fish George Poveromo style and before you know it, wahoo in the boat. Reset and make another pass, then another pass and zzziiiiiinnnnnggggggggg! I pass the rod off to Mr. Keys who had never caught a hoo before and he makes short work of wahoo #2. As I raise the hoo over the rail, he gives a last headshake, dislodging the marauder from his mouth and into my finger…uh oh! So, it’s now 10am, 2 nice hoo in the boat, an ocean getting nastier by the minute, and now I have a hook in my hand. No big bolt cutters on the boat (I know Sellsfish, I know), so cut off the solid ring and left the hook in it. Secured the boat and headed back in as the ocean got frothier and frothier. Boat on the trailer by 1pm and headed to Ace Hardware on Coleman to cut off the hook. Got the boat backed in and Mr. Keys was like “I got this man, go to the doctor”. 2 hours, 3 stitches, and $200 later, at the house, having dinner with the family.
