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Xaf
Posts: 1,132 Officer
Yankee Capts Pulley Ridge 05/24-26/14
Xaf
Posts: 1,132 Officer
Sorry that this is a little late. I had to fight computer and photobucket issues.
I was finally getting to go on a Pulley Ridge deep drop trip after waiting nearly a year. With the boat departing at 8pm on the 23rd I figured I should leave a couple hours early for the normal 6 hour drive because of the holiday weekend traffic. Traffic turned out to be quite light and I was the first to arrive around mid-afternoon. Coming home woud be another story. (more on that later.)
Pretty soon others on the trip started to arrive and an impressive amount of tackle, coolers and equipment started to pile up on the dock. Capt Greg arrived and soon after gave the go ahead to start loading. The next couple hours were spent checking tackle, getting extra ice and last minute goodies, or hanging out at the Hogfish Grill. Their lobster bisque is quite good by the way.
I was glad to see that quite a few anglers were using the Diawa Tanacom 1000 as I was or the Tanacom Bull 1000. I was using a 7' Star 50H which worked but was a little on the stiff side. Next time I will go with something a little lighter. There was one brave angler who did quite well hand cranking. Cudaman also did quite a bit of jigging. In the deep water both are way too much work for me.
Finally the 8 oclock hour rolled around it it was time to leave. Most everyone hit the bunks for the 12 hour ride to the fishing grounds so they would be rested and ready to go in the morning.
Saturday morning we reached our destination and started our first drift about 9 am. Fish started coming up immediately, I got a black edge snapper (I believe thats what its called) and the next drop brought a decient Queen snapper up. The fishing was almost constant the rest of the day. There were red groupers, blueline tiles, snowy grouper, yellow edge grouper, mystic groupers caught steadily during the day. There were also 10-12 mahi-mahi caught as they came around the boat. As day turned into night Greg moved the boat up on top of the ridge and drifted in approximately 200 ft. The main catches were blackfin tuna, red grouper and mutton snapper.
I have to give Cudaman credit for allowing me to use the "fish" pictures he posted on his blog "http://www.cudamanadventures.com" Though I vowed I would take more pictures this trip, as usual I got caught up in the fishing and took very few.
Wahoo
Yellow edge Grouper
Black Fin
Mutton Snapper
Red grouper
Blue Line Tile
Snowy Grouper
AmberJack
About 5 pm on Sunday Capt Greg announced that we were out of ice and needed to head in. Before we all headed for the bunks for the ride in Joe (Otown Joe) prepared a feast of fresh black fin sashimi with a killer dipping sauce on the rear deck
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I think they need a bigger tote for the mahi. I lost track of the number of totes around 28.
Joe with his pool winning mahi-mahi.
Hats off to Capt Greg and crew for doing their normal outstanding job to make the trip a success and as enjoyable as possible. So another Yankee Capt adventure is in the books.
I alsmost forgot the ride home. It was just the opposite of the trip down, stop and go all the way to Florida City. Took me nearly 4 hours more than normal to get home.
I was finally getting to go on a Pulley Ridge deep drop trip after waiting nearly a year. With the boat departing at 8pm on the 23rd I figured I should leave a couple hours early for the normal 6 hour drive because of the holiday weekend traffic. Traffic turned out to be quite light and I was the first to arrive around mid-afternoon. Coming home woud be another story. (more on that later.)
Pretty soon others on the trip started to arrive and an impressive amount of tackle, coolers and equipment started to pile up on the dock. Capt Greg arrived and soon after gave the go ahead to start loading. The next couple hours were spent checking tackle, getting extra ice and last minute goodies, or hanging out at the Hogfish Grill. Their lobster bisque is quite good by the way.
I was glad to see that quite a few anglers were using the Diawa Tanacom 1000 as I was or the Tanacom Bull 1000. I was using a 7' Star 50H which worked but was a little on the stiff side. Next time I will go with something a little lighter. There was one brave angler who did quite well hand cranking. Cudaman also did quite a bit of jigging. In the deep water both are way too much work for me.
Finally the 8 oclock hour rolled around it it was time to leave. Most everyone hit the bunks for the 12 hour ride to the fishing grounds so they would be rested and ready to go in the morning.
Saturday morning we reached our destination and started our first drift about 9 am. Fish started coming up immediately, I got a black edge snapper (I believe thats what its called) and the next drop brought a decient Queen snapper up. The fishing was almost constant the rest of the day. There were red groupers, blueline tiles, snowy grouper, yellow edge grouper, mystic groupers caught steadily during the day. There were also 10-12 mahi-mahi caught as they came around the boat. As day turned into night Greg moved the boat up on top of the ridge and drifted in approximately 200 ft. The main catches were blackfin tuna, red grouper and mutton snapper.
I have to give Cudaman credit for allowing me to use the "fish" pictures he posted on his blog "http://www.cudamanadventures.com" Though I vowed I would take more pictures this trip, as usual I got caught up in the fishing and took very few.
Wahoo
Yellow edge Grouper
Black Fin
Mutton Snapper
Red grouper
Blue Line Tile
Snowy Grouper
AmberJack
About 5 pm on Sunday Capt Greg announced that we were out of ice and needed to head in. Before we all headed for the bunks for the ride in Joe (Otown Joe) prepared a feast of fresh black fin sashimi with a killer dipping sauce on the rear deck
[/URLI think they need a bigger tote for the mahi. I lost track of the number of totes around 28.
Joe with his pool winning mahi-mahi.
Hats off to Capt Greg and crew for doing their normal outstanding job to make the trip a success and as enjoyable as possible. So another Yankee Capt adventure is in the books.
I alsmost forgot the ride home. It was just the opposite of the trip down, stop and go all the way to Florida City. Took me nearly 4 hours more than normal to get home.
Replies
It was a pleasure to be out there fishing with all of you.
http://www.cudamanadventures.com
http://cudamanadventures.com/2014/05/28/yankee-capts-pulley-ridge-adventure-deep-drop-may-2014-jig-and-cranck/
Great to see you.
Greg
www.jimyjigsusa.com
You are correct Cameron, these are one hell of a meat trip. If you want fish for 6 months this is the trip. Have to love the variety and you not only get to use an electric reel all day you also get to fish top water day and night plus regular bottom fish at night like you normally would on any tugas trip. Got to love it!
http://www.cudamanadventures.com
Well if everyone listens to our instructions it certainly can happen. Lets hope this is the group.
Last trip I had a guy tell me "Hey Greg, fishing is about figuring things out". I said "I have made all the mistakes for you so there is no reason for you to do it again. If you continue to fish the way you are your going to continue to tangle people, not catch anything and continue to frustrate those around you with the junk you brought. " Well it took him 5 hours to get with the program. He spent hundreds of dollars of stuff he lost or got chopped up in tangles. Soon as he fished with the right stuff he was in the game. Guess what? His cooler started to fill up.
I just don't get it with people. You would rather listen to someone who has never been on this type of trip? Or worse yet one of the "Internet Fishing Experts"? It is very simple. Deviate from the recommended program and suffer the consequences. Hopefully you won't impede the angeles around you. Thats not fair to them. You can only imagine the stuff I see people bring.
Questions? I am always available. Rant over.
Greg