06/25/2019 long run out of Red Fish pass. Calm seas but Hot Hot HOT

larrywitt

It has been way to long between trips. Less than ideal weather, lack of crew, red tide to name a few.  Yesterday that came to an end.
 This trip we were on Capt Scott`s crew of 4 Me larrywitt,Craig, Vito a friend from Erie.
The plan was to run out to grouper numbers that had been go producers  before Irma and red tide made a mess of the fishing. We would be in 90 to 115 ft of water. Squid and 8 to  12 oz white jigs were our choice baits as calm as it was you needed a lot of lead to stay near the bottom. There was a grouper bite and we boxed a couple keepers and a number of shorts.
   It was so nice and calm we decided to run  out deeper to 130 and deeper to some snapper numbers I had archived. We moved around looking for a show of fish on our sounder.  They were red all right Vermilion and Red snapper shorts it was a lot of catch and release. OK enough of this time to box some grouper ran back towards shore which was 60 plus mile away. Bingo  we found good hard bottom  and did get a three man limit. And boy it was hot,hot, hot. The biggest fish were 28 to just under 29 inches.

CaptainBly

Nice Job Larry.  I found some keeper red grouper in about 85 when I was down there a couple weeks ago.  Glad you finally got back out there.

larrywitt

more pictures.

Soda Popinski

Good day on the water, I'll trade heat for calm seas any day of the week!  

lukkyracer

Nice report. You mentioned red tide. The latest fwc report looks fine. Where is it? Thanks

CaptainBly

lukkyracer said:

Nice report. You mentioned red tide. The latest fwc report looks fine. Where is it? Thanks

I THINK he was saying SINCE as in last year's red tide.  Not that there is any red tide threatening now.

larrywitt

lukkyracer said:

Nice report. You mentioned red tide. The latest fwc report looks fine. Where is it? Thanks

No there is no red tide now. But after Irma the inshore and offshore bite out to 70 to 80 FT it was a dead zone. 

 Tileman and I made a number of trips offshore  just to check our numbers out, there was not a fish to be had. The first fish to show up were  sand perch from  3 to 4 inches very small.
  The water now is cobalt blue.
Life is good again in South West Section.
larrywitt

lukkyracer

Ok, that makes sense. Not good but hopefully it will recover sooner rather than later. We got hammered in Sarasota, manatee county too.