Decided to take a break from trolling and took a crew of 5 (including my dad) out to catch some bottom dwellers. Dad would rather bottom fish over trolling, and at the age of 70, he can still get it done. Nothing like fishing with your dad on a nice ocean! First ended up on a pretty hot triggerfish bite. We boated 50 of them, with many pretty big ones. Then, after getting tired of triggers, we moved and found a pack of hungry football vermillion up to 4lbs. Took a 5 man limit of those. The vermillion bite was pretty constant and when we were reeling fish up, other members in the school would follow them up and were swimming under the boat. If we had some chum, I’m pretty sure we could have caught them yellowtail snapper style behind the boat.
Wish we would have had some spadefish gear because the first 3 spots that we fished were loaded with spades swimming right up under the boat. We also caught and released 30+ red snapper, only 3 of which floated off, and I am pretty convinced that they were mishandled and could have lived if the crew was a bit more careful.
Also, dad got doubled over on a nice Gag grouper and landed him. Beautiful fish, and will post pictures of him soon. Probably around 18-19 lbs.
Caught probably a dozen or so BSB, a few large white grunts, and a few red porgies.
Then we hit 2 dive spots. Ended up with a nice hogfish, 2 Gags, 1 scamp and 6 lobster. Then, got a daymaker. Saw an 8# lobster, and then when I went to move in on him, I noticed something else further down the ledge. It was a beast that had legs with the diameter of golf balls! No way. It wasn’t real, couldn’t be. But it was, a 13 lb lobster that looked like a sea monster. Biggest bug I have ever seen underwater. When I was wrestling him, I was literally riding his back when he was pulling me across the sand, until I could get myself planted.
50 Triggerfish
25 Vermillion (footballs)
30+ Red snapper (released)
1 AJ
3 white grunts
5 red porgy
12 BSB with some more released
3 Gag Grouper (1 o
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
Heck! I will say you have given it a go this year! Never known you to have trolled so much in one season. But at least now you can focus on the bottom for the rest of the year. Not sure what I am going to do going forward, but diving conditions were great. Forgot to mention that we probably saw 100-150+ more red snapper under water yesterday ranging from 3-20 lbs.
Grouper fishing was pretty tough where we were because you just couldn’t get baits past the red snapper.
Geez, man - did you take a break from cleaning fish to make this post? There’s no way you’re finished by now.
2000 Sportcraft Sport Cat 255 - “Morning Bite”
Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160
Ha! I don't care for frozen fish, so I usually only take 1-2 fish for myself and pack everyone else's coolers full of WHOLE fish. They take them home and clean them.
A wise man once told me that bottom fishing will ruin you for trolling…its barely June and you’ve abandoned the troll, LOL. Can’t say that I blame you either.
A wise man once told me that bottom fishing will ruin you for trolling…its barely June and you’ve abandoned the troll, LOL. Can’t say that I blame you either.
Conditions have been a bit off this year for trolling when I am able to. I still prefer the troll over the bottom fishing, but I trolled on Thursday, and promised my pops a bottom fishing trip, and wanted a rest. Also, I've had some engine issues this year, so making runs out to 1600' isn't as much of an option. I'm planning on mixing it up a bit this year and maybe even do some trolling in the fall. It's nice to have options: trolling, diving, bottom fishing.
