FISH FLASH: Always a tale to tell
Tina HarbuckIf you’ve ever been fishing there is always a tale to tell. It may be about the one that got away or about the monster you hauled in. Some tales may be a little embellished, shall we say, but all worthy in the world of fishing.
The Kentucky crew aboard the Destination with Capt. Stan Phillips had a tale to tell. As the deckhands hung up the day’s catch a person walking by noticed the big hunk taken out of one of the big red snapper on rack and asked what happened.
The tale was -- “shark took a bite out of it.” Not hard to believe and it happens often. Anyhow, they still had plenty of snapper on the racks plus some Almaco Jack, scamp and a few bonito.
Atlanta anglers on the Fish-N-Fool with Capt. Casey Weldon came in Wednesday with a rack of red snapper and bonito.
Georgia anglers David, Seth and Mason Ussery had a big time on the Sure Lure with Capt. Don Dineen. They got their red snapper and a lane snapper.
Remember the limit on red snapper is two per person and they must measure 16 inches to keep.
Capt. Phillip Blackburn and his crew from Arkansas aboard the Backdown 2 came in with a good catch of red snapper, a black snapper and a bonus fish - cobia.
Their tale was they were bottom fishing when the cobia just came up in the water. Captain said they threw a cigar minnow out for bait and the cobia took it, hook line and sinker they say.
“You gotta be ready,” Blackburn said.
That’s the thing about fishing, you’ve got to be ready with different rods, baits and lures because you never know what might show up.
Tennessee anglers on the Blue Runner II with Capt. Tommy Carter came in with their limit of red snapper, a black snapper and a king mackerel. Anglers aboard the Full Draw with Capt. Brantley Galloway had pretty much the same thing on their rack.
Capt. Ken Bolden and his group from Tennessee aboard the Just-B-Cause filled the racks with red snapper and bonito.
Capt. Bolden said it was a little choppy on the Gulf in the morning but calmed down as the day went on ... which seems to be the pattern of late, he said.
Texas anglers on the Mighty Fine with Capt. Bud Miller backed in on Wednesday with red snapper, mingo, lane snapper, white snapper and a king mackerel.
Shalimar anglers on the Rewind with Capt. Reid Phillips got their share of red snapper.
More local anglers on the Kitchen Pass with Capt. Travis Ream loaded up on red snapper, plus they had three grouper on the racks.
“We try to get our share on the grouper,” Ream jokingly said.
Anglers on the Lucky Lina with Capt. Steve Lathi came in with a rack full of red snapper and a few bull mingo. Bull, as in mighty big.
Louisiana anglers on the First Light with Capt. Steve Haeusler and deckhand Wyatt pulled in a limit of red snapper, a few mingo, white snapper and amberines. One of the red snapper looked to be about 25 pounds.
“It could be 30 pounds by the end of the day,” Wyatt said. “If you ain’t lying you ain’t fishing.”
There’s actually a lot of truth in that tale.
Missouri anglers on the O Sea D with Capt. Bobby Marek got their red snapper, a lane snapper and a king mackerel.
Capt. John Gibson and his crew on the Gulf Breeze back in with several stringers filled with red snapper, mingo, white snapper and even a king mackerel.
Illinois anglers on the Suzie Q with Capt. Casey Godwin filled the nails on the rack with red snapper, mingo, white snapper and Almaco Jack. One of the snapper weighed in right at 15 pounds.
Anglers on the Screamn’ Drag with Capt. Bryan Kelley got their red snapper, mingo, white snapper and a king mackerel on Wednesday as well.
Fishing is good with some good catches and fish tales being told.
See you at the docks.
