Looks like the record was broken yesterday. I’ll be interested to hear more…
It indeed was, the Jabez broke it yesterday with a monster lol. 32lb 10oz official weight lb
What a hog - very nice.
Wow
AWESOME
Thats very nice and good job. My goal is one snowy tomorrow.
I have never deep dropped in SC but have done my fair share in the Keys. It’s interesting to see how different fish vary throughout their range. Obviously this is a large one for SC as it’s up for the state record. I have caught a few that were in the 50 lb range in the Keys and the IGFA world record is 70 lbs 7 oz that was caught out of Virginia. I wonder why the fish in SC, which is in between FL and VA, are smaller? What is the average size of Snowies that are being caught in SC?
Congrats to the Jabez guys, those are some tasty fish.
quote:
Originally posted by RapchizzleI have never deep dropped in SC but have done my fair share in the Keys. It’s interesting to see how different fish vary throughout their range. Obviously this is a large one for SC as it’s up for the state record. I have caught a few that were in the 50 lb range in the Keys and the IGFA world record is 70 lbs 7 oz that was caught out of Virginia. I wonder why the fish in SC, which is in between FL and VA, are smaller? What is the average size of Snowies that are being caught in SC?
Congrats to the Jabez guys, those are some tasty fish.
If I’m dropping squid/ballyhoo pieces I generally average 8-15lb fish but I am also bringing up 3-5 fish on each drop. When we actually target large snowies with big baits and bigger hooks we pull some really nice fish up. The fish are there, it’s just a full commitment to run out 70 miles, drop a 3-5lb bait and wait.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
quote:My thoughts exactly... What kind of gear are you using on the drop? It sounds like it would be fun to try, but it's hard for me to justify spending $1K on an electric setup to run 70 miles for 1 fish.
Originally posted by Toucheit’s just a full commitment to run out 70 miles, drop a 3-5lb bait and wait.
quote:
Originally posted by skinneejquote:My thoughts exactly... What kind of gear are you using on the drop? It sounds like it would be fun to try, but it's hard for me to justify spending $1K on an electric setup to run 70 miles for 1 fish.
Originally posted by Toucheit’s just a full commitment to run out 70 miles, drop a 3-5lb bait and wait.
It’s a blast. I have an old 1990’s international 2-speed on a short 5’6" PJ wholesale bent butt you can see in the back of the picture. Spooled with 80lb PP and a 25ft 130lb wind-on for a little give. Simple 5-hook dropper rig with glow beads by the hook and a disco light at the top. I catch better fish on ballyhoo but they will tear up squid. Any structure from 380-600ft. You will catch red porgies, toros, gray tiles, lion fish. Almost everything you bring up is delicious. On bigger fish you set the hook with high gear, then drop to low to muscle it up and back to high gear to finish the trip.
I’ve only done 2 or 3 committed deep drop trips and usually we will run way out to catch goldens and rosies and hit the snowies on the way home. If you don’t want to buy an electric but want to have some fun at the end of a trolling day, get a bent butt setup like that and line up a few guys down the side of the boat. As one person wears out, the next person steps up and keeps cranking.
EDIT* In order to be good stewards of the fishery, a SeaQualizer is a must. Poking holes in the side of a fish to vent is a waste of time and even if a fish survives I’m sure it is hampered for some time and will probably become dinner for a shark. This Do-It-Yours
I caught a 52lb snowy here 2 years ago on Penn 80 with 80lb braid in 400ft. We were already cutting it up before looking up the records and was super bummed we didn’t weigh it to crush the existing record. That fish was caught on a double hook rig with bonito chunks. All manual no electric
quote:
Originally posted by FishnBarrelsI caught a 52lb snowy here 2 years ago on Penn 80 with 80lb braid in 400ft. We were already cutting it up before looking up the records and was super bummed we didn’t weigh it to crush the existing record. That fish was caught on a double hook rig with bonito chunks. All manual no electric
HELL YEAH
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
Awesome! Congratulations.
“If we ever forget that we’re
one nation under God,
we will be a nation gone under.” - Ronald Reagan
quote:
Originally posted by Touchequote:
Originally posted by skinneejquote:My thoughts exactly... What kind of gear are you using on the drop? It sounds like it would be fun to try, but it's hard for me to justify spending $1K on an electric setup to run 70 miles for 1 fish.
Originally posted by Toucheit’s just a full commitment to run out 70 miles, drop a 3-5lb bait and wait.
It’s a blast. I have an old 1990’s international 2-speed on a short 5’6" PJ wholesale bent butt you can see in the back of the picture. Spooled with 80lb PP and a 25ft 130lb wind-on for a little give. Simple 5-hook dropper rig with glow beads by the hook and a disco light at the top. I catch better fish on ballyhoo but they will tear up squid. Any structure from 380-600ft. You will catch red porgies, toros, gray tiles, lion fish. Almost everything you bring up is delicious. On bigger fish you set the hook with high gear, then drop to low to muscle it up and back to high gear to finish the trip.
I’ve only done 2 or 3 committed deep drop trips and usually we will run way out to catch goldens and rosies and hit the snowies on the way home. If you don’t want to buy an electric but want to have some fun at the end of a trolling day, get a bent butt setup like that and line up a few guys down the side of the boat. As one person wears out, the next person steps up and keeps cranking.
EDIT* In order to be good stewards of the fishery, a SeaQualizer is a must. Poking holes in the side o
quote:
No grouper brought up from 380+ is surviving after release, vented, seaquilized, or whatever.
You’ll have to elaborate.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
quote:
Originally posted by Touchequote:
No grouper brought up from 380+ is surviving after release, vented, seaquilized, or whatever.
You’ll have to elaborate.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
Numerous studies have shown that release mortality is close to 100% in these depths.
Don’t listen to me - a quick Google search will lead you to the data.
I was wondering the same thing. Where is the science that suggests that you can bring a grouper up from 500’ with his eyes popped out of his head and anus sticking out and suggesting that a depth release will increase his chance in survival? There would be a lot of irreversible physical damage done at that point.
quote:
Originally posted by skinneejI was wondering the same thing. Where is the science that suggests that you can bring a grouper up from 500’ with his eyes popped out of his head and anus sticking out and suggesting that a depth release will increase his chance in survival? There would be a lot of irreversible physical damage done at that point.
You can google all you want but there is no way to put together an accurate study on mortality of releasing fish from that depth unless you are either satellite tagging or bringing fish up and down pressure gradients in a hyperbaric chamber, which means you’ve already brought it up etc etc.
If you manually fight a deep water grouper they do not come up with their eyes/anus/swim bladder blown out.
They also will not swim down on their own. The dorsal fins have air sacs that will hold them up. Once you get them about 100ft down they will start kicking and fighting just as hard as when you originally hooked them. Where they go from there I could not honestly tell you. It’s a one fish limit. If you are morally opposed to pulling multiple fish up from that depth, use a big bait and make your fish count. If that still bothers you, move out to 1,000’ and catch all of the rosies and goldens your heart desires. If you catch a fish you need to release, have the tools on board to do it. Hell of a lot better than floating it off.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
Many good sandwiches there! Great post, congrad on the record!
quote:
Originally posted by Touchequote:
Originally posted by skinneejI was wondering the same thing. Where is the science that suggests that you can bring a grouper up from 500’ with his eyes popped out of his head and anus sticking out and suggesting that a depth release will increase his chance in survival? There would be a lot of irreversible physical damage done at that point.
You can google all you want but there is no way to put together an accurate study on mortality of releasing fish from that depth unless you are either satellite tagging or bringing fish up and down pressure gradients in a hyperbaric chamber, which means you’ve already brought it up etc etc.
If you manually fight a deep water grouper they do not come up with their eyes/anus/swim bladder blown out.
They also will not swim down on their own. The dorsal fins have air sacs that will hold them up. Once you get them about 100ft down they will start kicking and fighting just as hard as when you originally hooked them. Where they go from there I could not honestly tell you. It’s a one fish limit. If you are morally opposed to pulling multiple fish up from that depth, use a big bait and make your fish count. If that still bothers you, move out to 1,000’ and catch all of the rosies and goldens your heart desires. If you catch a fish you need to release, have the tools on board to do it. Hell of a lot better than floating it off.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 19