Our yearly trip was postponed because of Matthew. We tried to fish 2 days inshore. First day had us fishing in rain, then running for our lives by 11 am. Second day was windy as hell but we fished in 25 mph sustained because we’re idiots. Did catch a couple bull reds, but inshore fishing was not like years past.
Wed was our slot for offshore and despite terrible conditions for over a week the weather report continued to look pretty good. Low and behold the fishing gods shined down upon us 1 day of absolutely beautiful weather! Boarded the Kimmi, 37 Freeman, with Capt. Justin and Capt. Joey of Mexican Gulf Fishing Co. and headed to look for bait. And we looked and looked and f it! No live bait we head off shore. 1/2 way thru our run to the first rig captain throttles back, we jump up from our bean bags and its the biggest school of mullet I have ever seen. Acres of fish, no wonder we couldnt find any inshore…couple throws of the net and we are loaded! Lots of sharks in the mullet school so the captains decided to go with the original plan and run to the rig. Pull up and tuna are busting everwhere. Get a couple live mullet lines in with high expectations and…nothing. couple hours and no fish other than a shark. Capt sees a cuda by rig, puls over and pitches a live mullet at it and bang, we have cut bait. Pull off rig to where we were marking fish and dropped back chuncks on 4 rods. All 4 rods go off, we land 2 solid yellowfin. Worked at it with chunks for the next couple hours and managed to put 6 yellowfin in the box. Caught my largest to date at 70# on a 25. It was a humbling experience on light tackle. Worked at it for a while and then the bite just quit. Pitched out 10 mulet free bees and in less than a minute, tuna were skying all around us. Pitched live mullet back out and 2 fish on immediately, but came unglued. It was a real weird bite, they would run with it for a while and then just drop the bait. Leader was probably too heavy but we managed 2 more solid yellowfin and it was time to head back to th
I vote this best offshore post of the year. How ’ bout that, Scott?
Things have a way of working out OFM:smiley: Hope your little friend made it to wherever he was headed!
Great day! Thanks for the pics!
That’s on the bucket list!
Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for sharing.
Side note – it looks like you’re holding a tiny, tiny gaff in that second picture. 
1994 Hewes Redfisher 18, 2004 Yamaha 150 VMAX
Malibu X-Factor Kayak
its a mullet gaff
quote:
Originally posted by brysonSounds like a great trip! Thanks for sharing.
Side note – it looks like you’re holding a tiny, tiny gaff in that second picture.
1994 Hewes Redfisher 18, 2004 Yamaha 150 VMAX
Malibu X-Factor Kayak
Joey is a really big dude .
Wondered if anyone would notice that.
“Those who have the ability to make a difference have the responsibility to do so.” Thomas Jefferson
I’m sure the fishing is spectacular. The bird on your finger is a life moment. Very few people will experience that, in that situation, purely by chance/location. How many people go offshore?
I fish the Savannah Navy towers and you see all kinds of birds on the towers that have come off ships/migrating and are 40+ miles off shore. More than on finch has hitched a ride with me.
I saw a parrot that the seagulls were working over, but, to its lot…it stayed on the tower.
What a great thing to experience in the midst of an epic fishing trip.
mdaddy, I fish enough off shore to know it was pretty cool. Its not uncommon for a bird to “hitch” a ride coming in from offshore. I’ve just never had one that was so unwilling to leave.
“Those who have the ability to make a difference have the responsibility to do so.” Thomas Jefferson
Had a little yellow finch type bird, circle the boat 2 1/2 hours out into the Gulf of Alaska once! Tried to land, but didn’t! Hummingbirds winter in Central America! Does that mean they fly across the Gulf!
I love the 2nd picture. Looks like he is holding the worlds smallest gaff.
26 Seahunt
Angler’s Dream
quote:It was sooooooooo cooooooool. That bird trusted you implicitly. You're the best thing in that birds life...at that moment... thanks for sharing that.
Originally posted by on a fishin missionmdaddy, I fish enough off shore to know it was pretty cool. Its not uncommon for a bird to “hitch” a ride coming in from offshore. I’ve just never had one that was so unwilling to leave.
“Those who have the ability to make a difference have the responsibility to do so.” Thomas Jefferson
Had one come in the cabin and eat all the flys for an hour or so and leave headed to a tanker we trolled past! He landed on a guy taking a nap and scared them both. He brought us good luck that day.