Florida Fishing report Part I - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

RIROCKHOUND · 01-31-2004, 04:22 PM

Well, its rainy and windy today, did the shopping thing with the woman, but it's all good, my winter is made... I can wait for a spring a happy man.. ok maybe not but I'm good for now...

Yesterday AM, we rented a 20' wellcraft, headed out of the harbor, threw out some chrome bombers, bam... 3 pound spanish mack.. one of my favorite eating fish.... no other hits trolling.. ran to ~100ft of water E of sandhill reef... my father started out bottom fishing, banging some tasty yellowtail, as well as grunts, jacks etc.. I set a light 20-30 rd with a newell loaded with 30lb AN-40 out with a half a ballyhoo.. let it back 50ft, reached for a ballon, and before I could get it out 20ft from the boat, had a vicous hit... turned out to be a 20-25lb kingfish... hell of a fight, a couple of nice runs, and to top it off, 80lb mono and 2/0 hook, no wire... the real fun was boatside... we had no gaff!!! after two misses we had it in the boat by the tail... what a tasty fish...
Action continued with lots of small jacks and the like on the bottom, nothing on the bigger float bait....

missing link · 01-31-2004, 04:25 PM

sweet!

RIROCKHOUND · 01-31-2004, 04:32 PM

Part I continued....

So after a while of finding no tasty yellow tail, we moved a bit closer, in about 35ft of water, anchored on the edge of hard bottom.. threw out a block of chum and started bottom fishing, hitting grunts, mixed snapper (spanish and yellowtail) small groupers ~16", and some close relative of scup (Big boys)..

The slick was going strong, some ballyhoo in it etc, so I drifted a whole frozen pilchard back on my light stick; a 10-20 6' 3pc light action grafite convench with a penn 965 with 50lb PP and a 25lb floro leader, 2/0 hook...

Had one hit, felt like small fish that couldnt get it swallowed... tried again with the biggest pilchered we had... drifted back... BANG...Huge hit... fish made a monster run, probably a good 50 yards... Hard to turn its head, lotta weight, no head shakking, I figured it was a reef shark as we've tangled with a bunch of various species over the years... 20 min in, I had gained but not turned this fish or seen it, started figuring shark, probably well over 100lbs... 30 min in the fish had me in the bow and was real close to the anchor, so we pulled and with me in the bow we chased it to gain some line, got it closer, now straight up and down... more runs... started figuring I might not see it... around 40min we had color... 45min it was in the boat...
My first AMBERJACK!!! 48" or so, we guessed a solid 45lbs, some length weight websites say 48" =50lbs, so I'm saying upper 40's.. on light tackle, made for fluke... the best fight I've ever had.... after a pic the fish was revived and let go, swam off slow but strong...

Back out sun or monday, but I dont care if we just get snapper, My trip was made.. trolled in, banged another spanish...

All in all a great trip

Not trying to rub it in, I'll be back in the cold monday at midnight, but had to share, that pic still makes me go ear to ear....

Christian · 01-31-2004, 04:34 PM

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ThrowingTimber · 01-31-2004, 04:59 PM

Fantastic! Glad you got into some fish looks like a helluva lotta fun

Christian · 01-31-2004, 05:12 PM

would those things take wood?

Nebe · 01-31-2004, 05:28 PM

You bastid

I caught a cold today, baybe a buzz tonight

Slingah · 01-31-2004, 06:13 PM

ya had to rub it in didn't ya hound
nice fish

Got Stripers · 01-31-2004, 09:36 PM

Your killing me, I'm shooting at a May Tarpon trip, can't wait.

schoolie monster · 02-03-2004, 02:56 PM

That's not rubbing it in at all... hey, if it was me, I'd have about 10 pics up... congrats and I'll bet it felt good to have some warm sunshine on your face. Glad someone's gettin' some fishing in.

I'll get my shot in March... I have a trip set up with my dad to fish the Indian River, FL in late March. Still seems like forever from now though.

It is totally miserable out there these days. Can't even putz around the boat in the garage.

beachwalker · 02-03-2004, 03:44 PM

sweet.

hows the night life

RIROCKHOUND · 02-03-2004, 04:27 PM

BW, the night life was good, but having grown up in newport, the only difference is that I could walk bar to bar with a beer (legally) besides that we didnt party like crazy, I was there to relax, get warm and catch a few fish...
back to cold dreary NE again....