Fog fishing, no problem

Although the fog hovered around most of the day, it didn’t slow anglers down Monday as they brought in some nice hauls.
“The bite was great,” said Capt. George Eller of the Checkmate down at the docks at HarborWalk Monday afternoon.
“We had a heck of a pull,” Eller said.
He and his group of anglers from Tennessee, Texas and Alabama filled the racks, and then some, with amberine, scamp, big triggerfish, red grouper and white snapper.
Although the fish hanging on the nails were mighty impressive, they were more excited and regretful of the ones they had to throw back.
Capt. Eller said they had pulled in four 28-inch amberjack and one at 29 inches. The size limit for amberjack as of Jan. 1 is now 30 inches.
“We had about 20 (amberjack) total,” he said.
Then there were the red snapper they had to throw back.
“We caught a ton of red snapper,” Eller said, as the group of fisherman around him chimed in and showed off their pictures they had taken with their digital cameras before releasing the snapper for another time.
“We had three that were 25-inches or better,” Eller said.
Red snapper season, which used to open in April, is getting a late start this year — June. Why? The fishery is over fished, federal regulators say.
“It was almost criminal to throw those big fish like that back,” Eller said.
Capt. Judah Barbee on the party boat Destin Princess came in just a few minutes earlier with a nice haul.
“It was smooth and warm out today,” Barbee said as the 18 or so customers unloaded at the docks at Fishing Fleet Marina.
Barbee said they were about 21 miles out and that the bite was a little bit slower than usual.
However, you couldn’t tell it from all the nice stringers of fish brought in.
Anglers aboard hauled in mingo, scamp, amberine, white snapper, triggerfish and even a Kitty Mitchell. A Kitty Mitchell looks like a grouper with white measles.
Everybody I chatted with, had a great time.
As a matter of fact, young Jacob Pleszko of Cleveland, Ohio loved his trip. He and his dad Jason, who just got back from his second rotation in Iraq, had a fantastic time fishing aboard the Princess.
“We’re having a blast,” Jason said, noting this was his son’s first time to fish on the Gulf.
And Jacob was quick to tell me he caught 10 fish and several other “red-colored fish” that he had to throw back.
The twosome liked it so much, before I left the docks, I saw them standing in line back at the booking booth trying to get in one more trip this week before heading back home.
Come on down and book your trip. The fish are biting.
See you at the docks.