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Xaf
Posts: 1,132 Officer
Yankee Capts 3 day Mutton Marathon
Xaf
Posts: 1,132 Officer
Finally got to go on a trip with my long time fishing partner, Nathan, my son. He's been fishing party boats with me since he was 9. If my math is correct that is almost 30 years. It's been tough to get out together the last few years with his work and family obligations so I was really looking forward to this trip. So we loaded the truck up with coolers and tackle and were off on the 7 hour drive to stock island, stopping along the way to pick up some goggle eyes, speedos, and balley hoo. As we pulled up to the Yankee Capts there were already several groups of anglers waiting for the word to board. We unloaded our gear and joined them. I thought our drive was bad but ran into Dudley, a YC regular, that drives down from Jacksonville. When Capt Greg gave the word we loaded our gear and then went next door to the Hogfish to get a bite to eat.
Edit: Forgot to add one incident. Thought several people were going to lose their lunch when Art (another regular) ate a bait squid on a bet. We were told you could hear the people around him gagging all the way over at the Hogfiah.
(Not sure why some of the pictures may not open all the time. I tried reloading the pictures and tried re-sizing them but it didn't seem to make much difference)
Not a great picture, but the Yankee Capts, looking good with its new paint job and new boxes on the bow, as we wait to depart.
After we got under way, it was time to try and get some sleep. About 6 am I heard the power pulled back and was up and ready for our first stop of many. I believe we started fishing in about 140 ft. A few fish were caught but there was a lot of green slime on the bottom. If you didn't get a bite the first minute or two when you dropped down, your bait and sinker would come up covered in the slime. After a couple stops with these conditions Greg decided to move further off shore into about 220 feet to get away from the slime. I would say that the trip was pretty typical with a slow pick most of the time. There were a few spots were the bite was better then others but all-in-all a pretty good trip. As usual the sharks were a nuisance at a couple spots. There were a few small muttons but most were on the large side, 10-12 lb. In fact, we broke off a few fish that were pretty large. There was a pretty large variety of fish caught including a 38 lb Cabarra, quite a few blackfin tuna, a few amber jacks, a lot of nice scamp grouper, etc. Not too many yellow tails, which is OK with me. I hate it when they keep stealing your bait.
The weather was great the whole trip with a slight breeze that made it very comfortable. The seas were probably never more then 2, maybe 3 feet at most.
Nathan with an AJ
Nathan with Blackfin
A couple of the typical muttons we caught.
32 lb king fish caught on a bottom rig with no wire.
Total catch: 13 muttons, 2 scamps, 1 red grouper, 1 yellow eye snapper, 4 lg yellow tail snapper, 2 gaint porgies, 1 nice margate, 1 kingfish, 1 black fin tuna, and one amber jack. My son did most of the catching. With a bum knee and bad back I take a lot of breaks from the rail. (Got to have some excuse for him out fishing me.)
Capt Greg and crew did their usual outstanding job. Greg put us on the fish and Lyndon, Matt and Brian made quick work of any line tangles and were there with the gaff when needed. The mates scrubbed the boat from bow to stern keeping the new paint job looking great. Pete the new cook made me a couple great cheese burgers that really hit the spot. Don't know how I managed to leave Brizo out. Keeping everyone on the crew in line.
I couldn't resist one last picture. My son with his future fishing partner.
Edit: Forgot to add one incident. Thought several people were going to lose their lunch when Art (another regular) ate a bait squid on a bet. We were told you could hear the people around him gagging all the way over at the Hogfiah.
(Not sure why some of the pictures may not open all the time. I tried reloading the pictures and tried re-sizing them but it didn't seem to make much difference)
Not a great picture, but the Yankee Capts, looking good with its new paint job and new boxes on the bow, as we wait to depart.
After we got under way, it was time to try and get some sleep. About 6 am I heard the power pulled back and was up and ready for our first stop of many. I believe we started fishing in about 140 ft. A few fish were caught but there was a lot of green slime on the bottom. If you didn't get a bite the first minute or two when you dropped down, your bait and sinker would come up covered in the slime. After a couple stops with these conditions Greg decided to move further off shore into about 220 feet to get away from the slime. I would say that the trip was pretty typical with a slow pick most of the time. There were a few spots were the bite was better then others but all-in-all a pretty good trip. As usual the sharks were a nuisance at a couple spots. There were a few small muttons but most were on the large side, 10-12 lb. In fact, we broke off a few fish that were pretty large. There was a pretty large variety of fish caught including a 38 lb Cabarra, quite a few blackfin tuna, a few amber jacks, a lot of nice scamp grouper, etc. Not too many yellow tails, which is OK with me. I hate it when they keep stealing your bait.
The weather was great the whole trip with a slight breeze that made it very comfortable. The seas were probably never more then 2, maybe 3 feet at most.
Nathan with an AJ
Nathan with Blackfin
A couple of the typical muttons we caught.
32 lb king fish caught on a bottom rig with no wire.
Total catch: 13 muttons, 2 scamps, 1 red grouper, 1 yellow eye snapper, 4 lg yellow tail snapper, 2 gaint porgies, 1 nice margate, 1 kingfish, 1 black fin tuna, and one amber jack. My son did most of the catching. With a bum knee and bad back I take a lot of breaks from the rail. (Got to have some excuse for him out fishing me.)
Capt Greg and crew did their usual outstanding job. Greg put us on the fish and Lyndon, Matt and Brian made quick work of any line tangles and were there with the gaff when needed. The mates scrubbed the boat from bow to stern keeping the new paint job looking great. Pete the new cook made me a couple great cheese burgers that really hit the spot. Don't know how I managed to leave Brizo out. Keeping everyone on the crew in line.
I couldn't resist one last picture. My son with his future fishing partner.
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Greg
I have one more Pulley Ridge Trip then go in for knee replacement scheduled at the end of May. Hopefully everything will go as scheduled, looking forward to the July trip myself.
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That's awesome. Thanks for your service and I hope you guys tear them up at Rankin Ridge.
Stangman, thank you for serving. Let me echo Bob...any questions or information you guys need, dont hesitate to ask.
Art, anyone who knows you knows you ain't eatin no rotten bait squid!
It's been a long time, I know Dudley has been terrorizing the oceans but have not heard or seen you in a while, then again I've been out of the loop myself. I went back to my days as a gear head, been working on my Pro Street Mach 1.
My next bus ride: drift fishing the Pulley Ridge banks for Muttons and shallow water grouper on July with Cudaman.