She did the best she could with the Lord’s help. We rolled through the Stono this afternoon around 3:45, and she couldn’t make but about 13kts for the first 10 miles.
I was heading towards some BSB numbers when she finally spaced out enough to run closer to 20 knots. I started seeing fliers in 50ft. I tried to get a pic of one, but I wasn’t fast enough. They were big fliers too…
I checked out some stuff in shallow water while I was close, but I knew they wouldn’t be best for groceries today. Went on out further and found the snapper like I wanted them… ready to bite. We caught 11, and kept our limit of 6. Also caught and released many big triggers and a few short gags.
Left that hole and came back towards home to get on a sundown grouper bite. I fouled up the first try anchoring. Anchoring small boats is much harder than big boats, btw… that’s my story at least.
Anyhow, we pulled some fat knothead seabass off the last spot, and I reset on it quickly as the sun was setting. We had perfect live baits sitting right on a little ridge that was showing well on the sonar, but they didn’t go. Didn’t get a single big grouper bite.
Oh well. We ran 26kts all the way in until right before the inlet when there was a little more chop stirred up from a nearby T-storm.
Saw some weird pyrotechniques offshore coming from a few jets tonight. We thought they were flares, but they didn’t fall towards the horizon like flares. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was a beautiful ride in on the Miss Phin. She missed being out there and having her box filled with something. I forgot how good she was…
Those are the smallest red snapper that I have ever seen. I would have cut them up for bait and tried to catch a big one. Could you at least get a couple that were 20" or better?
Those are the smallest red snapper that I have ever seen. I would have cut them up for bait and tried to catch a big one. Could you at least get a couple that were 20" or better?
The ones we kept were 20.5-23". I guess the guy that said they schooled with fish of the same size was right… generally.
Which dots here were the 11 red snapper? Can you please circle them and re-post? Also, how can you tell that they are not gag and scamp groupers? This could be very enlightening for us all…
Nice catch Phin!! Glad you made it back safe and sound. Also good job on the float plan, that is one thing that many do not talk about on this site and should be done before every trip.
REPUBLICAN
Because not everyone can be on welfare
All Rise - 31 Contender Fish Around with a pair of 250 Yamahas
Skinnee, neither of those shots are showing legal ARS. I did not take a pic of the ARS on the sounder, but I can tell you that they look entirely different than the two shots above… they were moving around, and it was a bit of a challenge to get anchored where we could get on the little school of them. I will get a pic of them next time…
However, do you honestly think that I cannot deduce either the size or possibly the species of fish in the two shots above based on the formations and thickness of the arches/blobs showing on the returns?
I know that I can’t tell you exactly what every mark showing on there is, but I still say that I can tell what is predominately showing and what is not in order to know what to fish on and what to not fish on.
Scoutin, thanks for the help! I would never go out there, especially in a 17 footer, without telling somebody where to come look if we didn’t get in as expected.
Scoutin, thanks for the help! I would never go out there, especially in a 17 footer, without telling somebody where to come look if we didn’t get in as expected.
Luke 8:22-25
Well, you put the bottom fish in the Miss Phin lets try to fill her with dolphin. You were in 111 feet not much further, she can do it!
REPUBLICAN
Because not everyone can be on welfare
All Rise - 31 Contender Fish Around with a pair of 250 Yamahas
However, do you honestly think that I cannot deduce either the size or possibly the species of fish in the two shots above based on the formations and thickness of the arches/blobs showing on the returns?
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Possibly?
There has been no “possibly” in any of your previous claims.
Remember Phin…your previous claims have never been about making an educated guess. You have been claiming you can tell with certainty what the fish are on the sonar screen.
Hell, my grandfather could predict with 75% accuracy what we were “possibly” about to catch with his old needle and paper sonar.
I also bet I could go on the Thunderstar and predict with 85% accuracy what we were going to catch without even looking at then screen all day. But that’s not what this debate has been about.
You have been claiming you can tell the difference between a Black Sea Bass and Pink Snapper. You claimed you could tell the difference between Triggers and Spades. Vermillion and Grunts. Etc. Etc. Etc.
However, do you honestly think that I cannot deduce either the size or possibly the species of fish in the two shots above based on the formations and thickness of the arches/blobs showing on the returns?
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Possibly?
There has been no “possibly” in any of your previous claims.
Remember Phin…your previous claims have never been about making an educated guess. You have been claiming you can tell with certainty what the fish are on the sonar screen.
Hell, my grandfather could predict with 75% accuracy what we were “possibly” about to catch with his old needle and paper sonar.
I also bet I could go on the Thunderstar and predict with 85% accuracy what we were going to catch without even looking at then screen all day. But that’s not what this debate has been about.
You have been claiming you can tell the difference between a Black Sea Bass and Pink Snapper. You claimed you could tell the difference between Triggers and Spades. Vermillion and Grunts. Etc. Etc. Etc.
You’ve said a whole lot of stupid stuff.
Please quote where I’ve said all these things. All I remember saying or implying is that somebody who argues that someone cannot tell what’s showing on their sonar after years of fishing offshore is either 1)not very smart or 2)lying.
I’m glad you brought up your g dad. 75% with paper. Paper was better from what I remember. Perhaps there were more fish. Perhaps as a little kid, I didn’t know any better and gave the capn too much credit when we filled the boat with fish and killed 4 batteries with
triggers
red porgies
bait (small grunts and scups to be exact- but I only know those species names from jigging them up)
BSB
Triggers show arches differently with little to no color in them, but they are not as flat as B liners. Bait shows as more of a blob, but won’t be yellow (hard) because they don’t have the body mass to return that kind of signal. BSB rarely show as more than half-arches on my machine.
There are probably other fish in there too, but the above are all I’m concerned with when looking. If legal snapper or grouper were there, then I know my sonar shows them as more solid, i.e. with yellow in the middle of the arches. AJ’s have solid on the side of the arches with hollow in the center of the arch where their air bladders are. Yes, you can see a fish’s air bladder sometimes when they are bigger fish. Can you believe that? There could have been grouper down under rocks and coral that would not be showing on the sonar, but because of the time of day and the other things I know from fishing for them, they would have been out feeding and should have shown up in the shots above if they were on those spots. I didn’t take a pic of the snapper or of the last spot I tried to get anchored on as we ran out of light.
All of this can be done with any decent sonar if you cut off all the bells and whistles and learn how to operate it on your own and pay close attention to details.
Skinnee, neither of those shots are showing legal ARS.
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If they are not legal, then why kill them by ripping their gill plates off and digging up in their gills? Shouldn’t the self-proclaimed best bottom fisherman in Charleston be a little more concerned about that?
Skin E, I assure you that I’ve never said I was anywhere near the best bottom fisherman anywhere. I might have implied that I was better than you, so I guess your ego necessarily sees that as saying I am the best… ?
My little boat and little skillset cannot do much better than this. I did my best, and I couldn’t get any grouper in the boat. Ran out of time, couldn’t run out as fast as I wanted, couldn’t get bait as quickly as I wanted, screwed up the anchor job on the first try trying to get on the grouper with daylight running out, etc. etc. Those are all reasons I am ready to go back when I can though. Those are all also reasons why I am not that good of a bottom fisherman. I do not believe I suck though. I believe I have a clue at least. I’ll be fair and say that you do as well.
The bawled up snapper on the right in that pic was 20.5" long thankfully. I try not to put my hands on any that are obviously illegal. With close ones, I like to measure them with the stick before trying to even dehook and vent so we know what we’re dealing with. Yesterday, I did practice the advice greg1 gave me on not popping anything sticking out their throats. I vented them all behind the pecs. They all seemed to swim off very briskly… even the 17" and 18" gags.
I’ve never heard him say that Skinnee. Nothing even close to that. Phin is one of the most laid back fisherman I know and a pleasure to have on the boat or hanging out somewhere. He’s always lots of fun no matter where we are and never a “know-it-all” like Gregory makes him out to be.
I’m sure you guys are just bored at work as usual and screwing with Phinigan for kicks, but you are letting the douchey one lead you astray. Greg has a way of pulling the worst out in people. He’s so good at it, you don’t even have to know him personally. Just look at how worked up people get when talking to him online. It’s comical almost.
Fight it Skinnee, fight it.
I’m back and I’ve promised to behave this time.
I want to be like Fritz when I grow up.
Edisto-Fisher is my hero…internetly speaking.
My heart is in Antarctica.
Lone Ranger is a tool…man.
I did my best, and I couldn’t get any grouper in the boat. Ran out of time, couldn’t run out as fast as I wanted, couldn’t get bait as quickly as I wanted, screwed up the anchor job on the first try trying to get on the grouper with daylight running out, etc. etc. Those are all reasons I am ready to go back when I can though. Those are all also reasons why I am not that good of a bottom fisherman. I do not believe I suck though. I believe I have a clue at least. I’ll be fair and say that you do as well.