11/13/08 Today we got a nice start just after dawn. Same crew as Monday Jeff, Billybob and myself. We left the gulf Harbors North channel at a dead low tide. It was intresting to see the formations of rock that generally are under water. We got a few clues as to where to throw some baits in the channel. A stop on the flats for pinfish was ok. we got about 5 pins and 8 little sandperch in about 45 mins of fishing with very small hooks and squid. We then headed offshore and tried our luck at a ledge in 45 feet of water. after 3 moves on the spot and nothing to speak of except a half dozen very short red grouper and 1 18 inch gag. Out to a spot of flat ahrd bottom in 55 feet of water due west of Anclote Island. Flat it was but there was great fish sign on the bottom machine. We anchored up and again the short grouper bite was on. Those 12 inch reds are cute but start to become annoying when the count reaches 30 plus. There were some good size grunts that we took home and one blowfish. b Earlier in the week i convinced Jeff to try them and he is now an advocate. What i do is just freeze them until i have a half dozen or so then we've got a weal. m. I like them breaded with italian bread crumbs and deep fried. their much sweeter than most fish. There is a small trick to cleaning them. Its easy and i'll share it with you on one of the weeks we don't make it out fishing. We let out line twice just to change position but still didn't get any keeper grouper, just a few more short gags and still lots of mini red grouper. We decide to pull anchor and wouldn't you know it the anchor was stuck in something. iI couldn't believeit becaus e the bottom was so flat. We tried evrything, and every direction to no avail. stretched the line scarily tight a few times. I didn't have my ring and float ball on board so we were at a slight disadvantage. So I decide to don my scuba gear and go down a retrieve the anchor. Bad luck again. I had a tank and bc and a wetsuit but had left my mask amnd fins at home after a snorkeling trip earlier in ther month. After a small discussion about cutting the line and leaving a marker on it we decide against it so i made a dive with no mask or fins to 55 feet by pulling myself down the anchor line. Such fun. It was a tribute to making my students swim underwater without their mask. I did have to hold my nose a few times after forgeting about the no mask and took a breath up my nose, fun, fun. There was a warm thermocline at the bottom which maybe is the reason for no keepers who knows. It was beautiful day and i'll be eating blackened grunt this weekend. Capt. Dennis

Call sign: Great Escape IV - VHF 16    Fishing Reports Archive

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