daddytime

Descided to put the orange boat back in the water for a trip since I can't sem to sell her. Actually have a couple of out of towners looking so I figured a shakedown would be good prior to a survey. Spent all day Friday prepping and rounded up the triplets, Trey, Tristan, and Taryn (all turned 12 Friday) and Will for another offshore contest. TCAT (Keith Johnson) signed up for mate duty and boy am I glad he did.

We spent Friday night on the gladiator with the problemchild docked next to her pretending we were on the mother ship. Pulled out about 2:00 am and were met with 2' choppy seas. While the kids crashed on the bean bags, Tcat and I paddled southeast toward the squiggles looking for some blueish clean water. It was a 5:00 am lines in event and at 4:40 we had flying fish busting everywhere about 20 miles short of the squiggles. We chose to set up our spread and at 5:00 AM we were fishing. It took a while to get light due to a huge line of storms off to the east. I started to watch the sirrus sattelite weather about then and never stopped the rest of the day.

About 5:15 we ran through a huge line of grass but had to keep heading south due to storms blowing up east and north of us. As the morning went on we had no choice but to go due south due to weather. We stayed clear of the storms and were in descent water but the fishing was slow. Finally, about 9:00 am we had a knock down on a magic bullet on the inside starboard rigger. Keith dropped back and it got pick up again. Fish let go and again and never came back. No visual but he felt like it was a billfish. We checked the leader a little later and sure enough it had the tale tale abrasions. Kids got up about then and they were cranky. Wet, cramped, no fish, you name it.

About 10:00 we came across a shrimp boat which Keith hailed. The cajun captain told us he would be pulling his nets about 3:00. We kept going south and about 11:30 we saw a couple of sportfishers working and turning. Then we saw some tuna busting and the kids perked up. We came up on some nice grass patches which we worked to no avail. Pulled up on the biggest one and jigged and live baited some pin fish and mullet. Taryn caught a shark and I boated some hardtails and a small BFT. Keith rigged the tuna up... ate pronto by something with teeth. Went to steel and no joy.Spotted tuna busting again so we set up a spread with tuna in mind and worked the area for another 45 minutes. Nothing.

The weather to the north started looking clear so away we went. Changed the lures back to a traditional type spread and finally got a knock down on a 20 with a cedar plug. Will brought the fish to the boat in about 5 minutes and were looking at a 20ish pound wahoo. For some unknown reason, he quits reeling with the fish 10 feet off the port corner and the hook just falls out of his mouth. I blame part of it on the light line and tackle, but he brought the fish in from a 100 yards out no problem, so....don't stop reeling.

30 minutes later and I see a fin scream across the spread and blow up an islander/hoo combo on the other 20.A descent bull does his blue angel impression and then succumbs to Taryns angling and Wills gaffing skills. Now we have a fish to weigh. 20 more minutes and Trey catches a peanut cow.

About 2:30 and we got 70 miles to run and I'm thinking about when to blast off and happen to notice the huge storm blowing up in Pensacola and Orange Beach. GREAT. 3:00 and we are still trolling and off in the distance is the shrimp boat we saw earlier. We see the nets come up and we troll to his wake and then I got a little sick. For about 150 yards there is a 10' wide slick of dead creatures thick enough to walk on. All kinds of fish I have never seen. We scooped up some including an angler fish.I think there is a couple of scientist types on here so if you known them or you are reading this thread, I have some of the fish and the angler on ice. This time tomarrow I'll be rid of them unless someone speaks up. Anyway, WHAT A WASTE. Sorry commercial fishing guys, but that is ridiculas. I'll think about it next time I'm in Pattis for some SHRIMP.

That event ended the fishing and we began our run. It was not smooth and we setlled in at about 25 knots. All was good until 17 miles out and the the staraboard engine oil alarm went off and the motor started shuttin itself down. We checked the resevoirs and thery were over half full. Now I'm thinking about missing another weigh in with a good fish. After scratching my butt for 5 mnutes, TCAT pulls off the cowling and sure enough, the back up resevior is low. I guess the pump went out (still under warranty:moon). TCAT proceeds to drain oil out of the port engine emergency resevoir and fill up the starboard. Off we go for about 10 miles...then we did it again. We had to be in the Orange Beach Marina trough at 7:00 pm and thanks to TCAT, we were there at 6:55:bowdown. Pull up to the dock and weighed in Taryns 1st Place Dolphin (20.28#) and team problem child scores again. No wahoo weighed in and Will is still winless.

Asked the kids today on the way to church which boat they would rather fish and the orange boat is definitely going to be a part of this families history. Been some sweet trips on that boat, with these kids, in this wonderul place we live. THANKS AGAIN TCAT.

BLKFLYZ

Good job Tom! Glad you all were able to find a few fish and dodge the storms!

Chris V

That angler is a fish called a goosefish. They are actually very good eating and are sold in fish markets as "monkfish". I don't know if I could eat the ugly bastard after looking at it in its whole form though.

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curtpcol

Congrats Tom& Crew nice post and Great Pics. It's about time you made it to the scales.

Curt

daddytime

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglerfish

Thanks tunapopper.

Caspr21

Congrats Tom! and great post

RiverGulfFshr

Tom, as always good reads. Glad you and the kids had some fun and a win to boot. Looks like the problem child did it again. Take care.

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See ya out there!

Ultralite

good report tom and glad ya'll made it in...congrats to the junior...those memeories will last a life time and for generations to come...

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"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the worked are so formidable as the will and moral and courage of free men and women. It is a weapon adversaries in today's world do not have". -Ronald Reagan, USA

MSYellowfin

Tom,

Good to see you again, glad to hear you guys did well. I admire a man that can run that far with kids!

We stayed west of the storms and only caught small kings for our effort. Maybe next year!

MScontender

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MSyellowfin
2008 54C Viking "Jacquelyn"
2010 36 Yellowfin "Forgiven"
2010 24 Hurricane Deck Boat
2001 Contender 25 (sold)

mpmorr

Great report Tom and Team Problem Child, congrats to you guys.:bowdown:bowdown