triumphrick
Lieutenant Commander
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2008
- Messages
- 1,737
Wooo hooo...the Florida West Coast THT fishing team (unofficial) got an early jump on the opening of ARS season today. Captain Gordo35, mates Bobby and Barry, Marlin 009, brother Bill and Triumphrick made an early morning gathering at the Ft Desoto ramp in southern Pinellas county.
Our trip was to find the oh-so-elusive ARS, the threatened red snapper that are now highly protected. Our season this year runs from June 1st to July 24..54 days with a two fish per person limit per day.
Our trip was to run out 40 miles to a spot Gordo had been on when the pesky reds wouldn't let him enjoy a day of grouper fishing.
Lots of super tunes blasting from the cranked stereo on Gordo's Contender 27..a mix of music so diverse we could all find something to like..
We stopped off at the channel markers off Egmont Key and found big schools of bait fish. Sabikied up a few dozen and headed West. We started with frozen dines, and it was on like gangbusters. All of us had limits quickly and now we need something else to take up the rest of our fishing day.
Thank you mangrove snappers for the treat. Light tackle and freelined chunks of bait were being grabbed left and right. 20 or so fish later we decided to hit the wreck, Mexican Pride.
Found another boat anchored there and another was hot on our tail. Several drifts got a few hook-ups and a big kingfish...that was promptly chewed in half by the waiting crowd of 'cudas...
Then and AJ hit the deck, but kinda short so he went back in.
Time to fire up the Yamahas, pump up the volume on the big subwoofer and speakers and cruise back in.
Nice day...really nice day. Thanks to Gordo for a super job tending to his mixed bag of misfits, fishermen and yours truly..I fall in there somewhere!
Pictures...http://s314.photobucket.com/albums/ll422/triumphrick/FtDesoto snapper trip 06 02 10/
Our trip was to find the oh-so-elusive ARS, the threatened red snapper that are now highly protected. Our season this year runs from June 1st to July 24..54 days with a two fish per person limit per day.
Our trip was to run out 40 miles to a spot Gordo had been on when the pesky reds wouldn't let him enjoy a day of grouper fishing.
Lots of super tunes blasting from the cranked stereo on Gordo's Contender 27..a mix of music so diverse we could all find something to like..
We stopped off at the channel markers off Egmont Key and found big schools of bait fish. Sabikied up a few dozen and headed West. We started with frozen dines, and it was on like gangbusters. All of us had limits quickly and now we need something else to take up the rest of our fishing day.
Thank you mangrove snappers for the treat. Light tackle and freelined chunks of bait were being grabbed left and right. 20 or so fish later we decided to hit the wreck, Mexican Pride.
Found another boat anchored there and another was hot on our tail. Several drifts got a few hook-ups and a big kingfish...that was promptly chewed in half by the waiting crowd of 'cudas...
Then and AJ hit the deck, but kinda short so he went back in.
Time to fire up the Yamahas, pump up the volume on the big subwoofer and speakers and cruise back in.
Nice day...really nice day. Thanks to Gordo for a super job tending to his mixed bag of misfits, fishermen and yours truly..I fall in there somewhere!
Pictures...http://s314.photobucket.com/albums/ll422/triumphrick/FtDesoto snapper trip 06 02 10/
