Return to the Elbow:
Last weekend the Florida Fisherman ll, Hubbard's Marina, did really well on the Florida Middle Grounds. Friday September 7, 2012. Decision time. Will, it be the Grounds, or shall we 'Return to the Elbow.' Well! It's the Elbow. The Elbow, 80 miles West of John's Pass is known for big fish and strong currents. Let's load up & go. Tiger Island Outfitters is well represented. The Florida will be in dry dock for a few weeks. Her next scheduled trip is 9/28. It's going to be a long wait. Oh well! Time to visit Tiger Island. Hope to get a chance at a real trophy boar. Now that's fun & good eating too.
Care to know why we like hog hunting so much? Talk about good!




We are ready:

What a beautiful place. Look at the view from our cabin:

In our seminar Joe explains how to find the story and pictures of our trip on the

Internet. My little red cards helps a great deal:

Joe, we are hungry. Here comes Chef Tammy with a cheese meat ball sub. Talk about good:

Shall we troll or hit the cool bunks. Those who decided to troll did well on kings. However, most hit the bunks. 12:30 A.M. time to get up.
Immediately the mangrove snapper & king fish challenge us:



Gosh! Whatever Tammy is grilling sure smells good.


This place is loaded with kings:

Bar jacks are plentiful:

Mangrove snapper & AJ's are hungry:






Breakfast time. Decision time! Everything looks so good:

Think I will try something different. Tammy's breakfast burrito. Need I say more?

The weather is really against us. Glad we have the 72' Cat under us. What a platform from which to fish:

Now that's a red grouper anyone would be proud of:

The AJ's are big, strong, and hungry:




Rough or no rough, the fight continues:

Lunch time. Boy, we sure do a lot of eating out here. New Jersey wants Tammy back. Now that would be a real fight. Florida loves Tammy:

It's getting rougher all the time:

What a beautiful American red. See you next year:

The mangrove snapper are running as big as ARS:


As rough as it was. I saw no one fall or sea sick:

What a nice gag:

Evening falls on the Florida Elbow:

Tammy goes Mexican again. Hope this is a regular thing:

All in all it has been a good trip. Rougher than we would like it? Absolutely! Slower during the day than we would like it to have been? Absolutely? Good mango & AJ catch? Absolutely! Many caught their two day limits of each. Great food & snoozing? Absolutely! Do we want to go back again? is September 28 here yet?
[Let's take pictures of a very nice catch:

An AJ to be proud of:

What a nice king:

Captain Hubbard does the honors:

Now that's a winner:

The big winners. Look at the cash those fish are coughing up:

Looks like both the Florida Middle Grounds and Elbow represent Florida very well. Will, in all probability, be fishing the Grounds September 28. That will be a full moon trip. Full moon currents tend to be strong. In October we will, once again, 'Return to the Elbow.' Hurry up October.
Bob Harbison Native Florida Sportsman
Florida Outdoor Writers Association