TBT - March Madness

xenia

Sorry I'm one day late, but with March Madness going on I thought it be cool to bring a new angle to the phrase.  March was when grouper season hit high-gear down here, especially with Gags off Dade and Broward.  The madness part comes in when you consider we'd go out no matter the weather.  NE 20-25, no problem, we'd be out trying to **** for position at one of the various hot spots that only commercial guys knew about.  Sometimes we'd be anchored so close we had to put fenders between our boats to keep them from smashing each other.  My dad and uncle got 49 big gags in one day in March off Bear Cut in 1978.  Guess it wasn't such a good idea to fish for them when they were trying to spawn.  It's a miracle any survived.

lemaymiami

Great memories... .I can remember years ago when the average amberjack on the wrecks off of Miami Beach- was 40lbs.. I had one restaurant all those years ago that would take two of them at a time to make smoked fish dip with every week.... back when I held a hook and line ticket in the mid eighties.  After two of them - I never wanted a third....

Great memories of a time that's long gone...

CaptJ

For those of us who grew up in S Fla in the 50's - 60's the fishing memories can't be topped. Wife and I were discussing where to move (from our Miami house) and we couldn't think of a better place than The Keys, but even here in Key Largo there's no comparison to what we had back then. Sad but reality. Love St. Pete, but the recurring red tide is a no go. Got to be near the sea or else we'd look west. I dove in those schools of Gags and it was awesome!