Big Fish & Shiny New Boat

I got to run a couple of trips off Grayton right at New Year's, before I shut down for the new boat swap. New Year's Eve "eve" I took a couple anglers who had fished with me before but never wanted to keep anything - all catch & release.

This trip, they said they wanted some good dinners as well as hot action. We started out Flounder fishing and the bite was great! They put a limit of flatties in the box in less than two hours, which gave us plenty of time to drop another mile or two offshore and catch and release a bunch of Red Snapper and Black Groupers to really wear 'em out! It sure is nice on the days when you actually get to "have it all"!

Smiles for a bunch of good dinners!

New Year's Eve I had another crew of regulars, but these folks are all about freezer fishing. Once again we started out Flounder fishing and again the bite was fantastic. They landed 40 nice Flounder in just under two hours and we released a few more smaller ones. The wind had picked up from when we started though and it was looking bouncy offshore, so rather than head out and get beat up we called it a two hour trip and went in with a box full.

I won't say who caught the most but I'll bet you can guess.....

I have spent most of the last couple weeks undoing the old "Deadfish" and transforming the new one. Yesterday was the maiden voyage in the gulf and we had a wonderful fishing trip.
 

Shiny , New and ready to go!

I have a fellow from the Nashville music industry that likes to fish every year during the 30A Songwriters Festival. In another of those "win/win" situations, he and his buddies get in some great fishing and I get to meet and talk with some of the talented musicians I have been listening to over the years.

This trip he brought some folks that not only can write and play, but were pretty darn good with a fishing pole too! We went and chased the Amberines and caught a pile of them and then ran offshore in search of Greater Jacks. The big Jacks cooperated as well as their cousins had and we got five fine ones in the box as well as releasing a few shorts, a big Gag and some big Red Snapper.
 

Calm seas,a Bluebird Sky and a full board on a winter 4-hour trip.

We didn't look for Flounders yesterday but I'm guessing they have probably moved on in the past three weeks. While I have caught them into January a few years, I have never seen 'em hang in 'til February. Plenty of other fish to fry!

Still lots of tweaking to be done on the new boat. As soon as I get this report posted, I'm off to start drilling new holes and fiber glassing over existing ones. Got to have it perfect before Cobia season!