Misn 1

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Being relatively new to offshore fishing on my own, there have been several ?firsts? for me. On this day, Tuesday 12/30, I had several ?firsts? all in one trip. I live in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:State> and fish out of <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Orange</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Beach</st1:PlaceType></st1lace>, so I have to plan my trips a little in advance. My wife and I had planned to go out on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday since the seas were calming down. At 11:00pm Monday evening, she decided that she really didn?t want to get up early (4am) and make the 3.5 hour drive to <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Orange</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Beach</st1:PlaceType></st1lace>. I said ?OK? and went to check the forecast one more time before bed. When I came back to the bedroom she asked me what I was gonna do. I told her that I was going fishing even if I had to go alone. She was worried about me going alone, and worried about me launching and recovering the boat. I have a 23? <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cobia</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">WA</st1:State></st1lace> and haven?t put in or taken out by myself. After arriving at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Orange</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Beach</st1:PlaceType></st1lace>, I visited several tackle shops, took advantage of several sales and went and picked up the boat. Here?s where the ?firsts? started;<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o><UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=disc><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I launched the boat by myself.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I headed out to the GOM by myself.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I decided to go to several ?new? spots to fish them for the ?first? time.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">About 14 miles out, I saw a pod of dolphins, so I went over to them to take some pictures (to make the wife jealous of course)?must?ve been over 50 of the I arrived at the fishing spot about 20 miles out, there was another boat about 400 feet away.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in">I set the anchor by myself.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">I had some frozen bait, but decided I would do some jigging ?first?.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">Dropped down a speed jig, and hooked into something on the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> retrieve up?my ?first? AJ. Only 22 inches, but still my ?first? AJ and the ?first? time I tried this jigging thing.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">I loaded up another rod with frozen bait and dropped it down while I continued jigging. I caught several more AJs in the 22 to 24 inch range?man, was I stoked!!!</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">Tied on a Bucktail jig and dropped it down. Bam, the fight was on?my first Bonito. Man, these fish can fight.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">Dropped the Bucktail back down. Bam! Oh-oh! Line was peeling from my reel. Could this be my first legal AJ? After a couple minutes of tug-a-war, the line went slack. Oh well?that?s fishing.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">I tied on another speed jig and caught a couple of those endangered Red Snapper on the jigs.</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">While all of this was going on, I caught several Red Snapper on frozen bait. I was hoping for a couple of stupid Grouper (wish I?d had some live bait).</LI><LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">The other boat left, so I decided to drift a little. Did I mention how flat the seas were getting? Dropped down the jig again and let it lay on the bottom for a few seconds. Bam?this felt pretty good too. Pulled in my ?first? Red fish?27 ½ inches. Released him and dropped the jig down again. Same thing, except this Red was 27 inches even. Release him also.</LI>[/list]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Man, I was so stoked I could?ve beat up King Kong with a hickory switch! But it?s 4:45pm and I gotta go. The GOM was almost completely flat now, so I knew I could make it back pretty quick. I didn?t mention that Flipper was cruising from boat to boat in search of a free meal. All in all, I didn?t have a single fish to clean, but I wasn?t mad. I had memories of several more ?firsts?!<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Total catch; 5 Amberjacks, 1 Bonito, 7 Endangered Red Snappers, 2 Reds, 3 unknown break-offs.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">