Red Hot Red Snapper action comes to a close!!!!!! 7-23-2012
What a Great 2012 Red Snapper season it has been aboard that darn ol WhipaSnapa charter boat out of Biloxi Ms.. No sure nuff monsters but alot of nice 20's an hardly anything under 10. Most all trips had a fine limit except 1 or 2 that the weather didn't allow us to go very far. A couple of the last trips we were invaded by the o so lovely SHARKS!!! OMG when them s.o.b's school up on a rig or in a particular area, an you make your drop to the bottom, it just might costya a hook, swivel, sinker an all. If you don't lose it all, an are fortunate enough to hook one. Especially on bottom, generally they will tangle up with everyone else on the boat !! O what a mess!!!!!!!! But anyway, let's move on!! But not South this time, before we had been, just going further south, but the further we went the thicker they got. Lets try about 15 miles to the west this time, that did the trick. NO SHARKS HOLLALOUYA!!! I know some of you like'm an all, an they do eat pretty good, an they do fight pretty good, but they have a tendency to make me pull my freakin hair out. Especially when I'm snapper fishing. Sometimes certain bodies of water will just be infested. Just something you have to deal with. Sometimes you can catch one are two snapper before they move in. Then you mightiest well move on..Especially if its those that are big enough to eat your Snapper. We had some 20lb snapper bit off right behind the head. The Barracuda can play havoc as well on a nice catch.. If there is a shortage of the ol Red Snapper its not in our neck of the woods. I don't see as many of the sure nuff sows like did some 8 to 10 yrs ago. Some due to the fact that I am fishing with a bunch of dang rookies, that just can't turn the beast.:) Naw (I love my rookies) I think that is were some of the shortage is, the big mature sow snapper. Which from what I'm told are some 30 to 40 yrs old. I remember back just before I started chartering that a limit of over 20lb sows was very common an you could keep 4 per person. Snapper season was also from April to October. The ol Gus area we called sow country which has very few rigs anymore (2 to be exact). Would produce a limit of sows just about every time.!!! O what some battles we had, trying to turn a 25lb+ Snapper took a lot of Heart!!!!
Had a great group of guys in from up Wisconsin way this past week. They booked ol snapa for a whole week of fun. Two offshore's an two inshore's an what a blast we had.. I think the group caught about every type of fish in the Gulf of Mexico an the Mississippi sound. Great group of men an some super strong fish bites made for some exciting days on the water for sure. Our first trip out after snapper season started o-ut a lil stormy. Man it is nice havin that XM weather on board to keep an eye on the sky an one on the radar to tell which way to go.. really does help to tell which way the storms are moving an where exactly they are an just how bad they are as well. Some times you just have to take what Mother Nature gives you. Actually all the time cause she is the BOSS!! She will make you change plans sometimes an you just try make do with whatya got. The guys were wanting to fight some reef donkeys (amberjack) even tho they were going to have to return the donkey (opens Aug 1). I did know of a few good Mangrove holes out that way. That would put some meat in the box. A pretty impressive Thunder Boomer had that trail blocked off so a lil detour was in order (plan B). Which landed the 5 man team right up on a few nice Cobia, LIL tunny, King Mackeral, Vermillon Snapper, Lane Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Scamp Grouper, Dolphin, Black fish, Jacks, an I'm not sure what all. The guys kept their rods bent an their face lit up with them big ol :)s all day long.. An at the end of the day the fish that got the complimentary ride to the Biloxi Shores aboard that darn WhipaSnapa, was pretty impressive indeed!!! So ifya smell what I'm steppin in,"There is a lot more fish in these waters besides a Red Snapper"... So even tho its closed that Ol Gulf Of Mexico is VERY VERY Fisheee!!!So Lets Go Get'm!!!!
Inshore the islands have been producing a great deal of excitement as well. A few cobia some reel nice Kings an Sharks have made those drags sing which produces a :) an just a lil anxiety for what reason IDK but when the clicker goes screaming an the reel is locked an the drag goes screaming most just can't stay calm. PANICMOANIA sets in an they go reeling as fast as they can. Even when their line is going the opposite direction. A steady turn on the handle is NOT necessary (but it happens anyway). Everyone else goes to screaming an running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. Everyone wants to see what's on the other end as quickly as humanly possible.. (enjoy the fight people) once the hook is set an the rod stays bent he not going anywhere!!!!! (most of the time). PUll UP REEL DOWN!!!!!:)
The Bay has really had some very nice trout action 2 @ a time. Still a few nice reds an black drum, big Gafftops, spanish, an lady fish, ground mullet and many more. Fishing is HOT!! Red Hot so moan in here lets venture out on the ol Fishing magician (WhipaSnapa) an let's stick some meat on a hook an see what try's to take the meat an run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what you waiting for here is your invitation:
Getcha self on down here, load up on the dang ol' WhipaSnapa an let's get it on!!!
Many thanks to all and God Bless!!!!
Capt Robert "Earl" McDaniel
228-229-6978
