We started off with Scott anchoring us on a miniature wreck somewhere with one drop of the anchor - some guys just know how to do it right. This thing was more like a pimple on the ocean bottom than a wreck! We got 6 or so red snaps off the wreck, 2 were legal, and a 15 +/- pound grey grouper.

Scott thought the bite was slow so he took us out a bit further and had me drop down a pinfish. (on the way out we had a sail free-jumping along side the boat - pretty cool!) A very long time later Scott gaffed my first decent amberjack of about 40 pounds. It was my fault - I asked for AJ's. We caught at least 18 (everyone lost count when the pain set into our arms, backs, and shoulders), with the small one going 25 pounds and the biggies in the 40 pound bracket. I loved it, reeling in at least 4 over 30 pounds. We were swapping off rods in the back, only 2 rods in the water. Those things are some powerful brutes!

When we could get a bait through the AJ's, we managed to get 3 greys in the 20 pound bracket, the largest was estimated at 22 pounds. Several other grouper were lost or rocked-up on us. This stop took most of our time on the water - and was well worth it. The fish were biting on almost every drop.

Several kings showed up behind the boat twice - the second time they lost a member to a white jig with pinfish belly strip - nothing huge, maybe 30 inches.

Scott took us to one more stop on the way in to play with the chicken snappers and hopefully cull a few keepers to color our AJ's and greys on the fish board. We managed another 2 keeper red snaps and maybe 6 or so throwbacks along with the assorted sharks and half a sea bass. Another boat ruined our fishing by coming too close and causing us to leave the spot.

Our fish box tally:
4 red snapper - 21 - 22 inchers
4 grey grouper - 15 to 22 pound range
6 AJ's - 35 to 40 pounds
1 kingfish at about 30 inches
(over 100 pounds of fillets = AMAZING DAY!)

Tally of fish caught:
12 to 20 red snapper
4 greys
18 +/- AJ's - who can keept count?
1 king
6 or 8 sharks

I was real pleased with the day, the boat, & the captain. My crew stepped up to the plate and batted best they could with the snapper, grouper, and AJ's. It is fun watching the pained look on someone's face when an AJ takes out 20 feet of line that they just fought 5 minutes for!

Side note - Scott dropped down a bait 3 times while the "next fellow" was delayed. On two of the three drops, Scott about immediately hooked-up on grouper (one was landed by a "crew" member, the large one got off), the third fish was an AJ. He shared his "secret" - my next drop had a 20 pound grey, my first "real" grouper. Thanks, Scott!

Newport
(Rich)