Keys Vacation - 2011- 0527-0611 (Mahi & Wahoo)

[walkerkb]

Guys,

I live in Clermont and have been coming over to the Big Bend quite a few times per year so I will post here and East Coast. My goal this year is to be diligent and post more of my trips. :red Did week 1 with friends and week 2 with parents (wife got new job & didn't have any vacation time yet so she couldn't come). Just learned how to the photos so hopefully this works.

Well, my Keys vacation is over unfortunately. Out of 15 days we had available to go out, we only had 3 days to take the boat out due to wind/rough seas. :mad: I have a 216 Key West Bay Reef (Bay Boat) so I do what I can. Made the most of it though. Still was out in 2-4s two of the days and 3-5s the other day (luckily period was enough). Also did one day on a charter in 8ft seas with a great captain, Captain Chris Baarth out of Islamorada, and he is the nephew of Kyle (Troutman for everyone here). If anyone ever wants a good charter down there, get you in touch with this guy. Here is report:

1st day with guys:
· 11 Mahi - up to 30 inches
· 1 Blackfin Tuna (1st on my boat)
· Threw back bunch of ½ inch short Mahi but we had fun catching them on light
tackle – 10lb test on topwaters, jigs, bare hooks, you name it and we threw it.

Charter day with guys:
· 46 Mahi up to 25lbs or so

2nd day with parents:
· 1 BIG Wahoo?:Rockon - 1st Wahoo on my boat, only caught a couple before this
one could have eaten those ones. Only fished for 30 minutes. Almost spooled
600 yards of 30lb test. I am 6’2” and 210lbs as a reference (pic attached). Had
to run in to clean fish as it was way too big for my cooler and nowhere else to
put it. Went snorkeling after going back out.

3rd day with parents:
· 1 25lb Mahi or so? – my dad fought this on an Ugly stick with my smallest reel
on it (trout & red reel), great fight for 45 minutes.
· keeper sized Mahi (lost others in tangles and while trying to hook big one)
· Caught tons of short ones on light tackle. Even caught some on vertical jig
but they were small.
· Gaffed myself in leg, brought in Mahi, floor was slick, fell on gaff. Had to go get
stitches, sucked!!!! No more water (pool, spa, etc) rest of week. Seas were
too rough anyways.

A couple of the good pics of the fish:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/562/dsc01421x.jpg
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2634/img2195ne.jpg
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/65/dsc01594w.jpg
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/83/keys22011005.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7991/img2202p.jpg
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/5549/dsc01600vp.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3201/img2215xw.jpg
Sashimi
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7827/dsc01336dz.jpg
Rubbed Wahoo in spices & freshly made Mango Salsa!
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7875/dsc01603o.jpg
T-Bones - yum yum
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2488/dsc01410mq.jpg

[walkerkb]

Interesting point on Wahoo & the gaffing of it - my dad had never gaffed a fish before, I won't lie, I was nervous when that big ole Wahoo was next to the boat. My dad calmly gaffs the Wahoo right through the brain and stones it dead immediately!!!! Couldn't believe it, it was awesome. It was meant to be. I have been wanting a big Wahoo for years and finally got it. I've caught a few others now but this one could have eaten those ones. It was pretty worn out by time it go boat side too. I fought it for awhile.

[craw_daddy]

Sounds like a memorable trip -great job on making teh best of it (looks kinda sporty out there)! Hope your leg is better!

[Full Throttle]

Congrats on a great trip, and an awsome hoo!

[ancientmarinerjoe]

HI:
GREAT TRIP FOR YOU.
I see you had a small lure in your hand when you took that picture of a Tuna. Can you give us some info on it. JET? LENGTH? HOOK SIZE? TEASERS OUT IN FRONT?
Interesting lure. did you make it yourself?
Ancient mariner

[walkerkb]

Hey Ancient,

It was a Mini Turbo Slammer I got at Bass Pro. I would have to go home and take a good look & measure it but it's small!!!! Metal jet head, no teasers, just heavy mono, and I ran it wayyyyyyyyy out back on shotgun line. It was the star of the trip.

Craw Daddy,
Got stitches out last week. Dr was worried about infection being gaff had already gone through Dolphin before my leg but I cleaned twice a day for 11 days and had antibiotics for 10 days. Already been scalloping and trout/shark fishing in the past week so I am good to go!!!

[walkerkb]

Oh yeah, and as everyone in the east coast forum knows, blue & white was the preferred color again while down there. Pink & white came in 2nd, I tried other colors, naked hoos, & skirted hoos but straight blue & white skirts & blue & white skirted hoos won out.