FISH FLASH: Red snapper, it’s what’s for dinner
Tina Harbuck
From the looks of what’s been showing up on the racks at the docks, it appears a lot of folks are going to be having red snapper for dinner, or maybe a grouper sandwich or some smoked mackerel dip.
Either way, fish is bound to be on the menu for most.
With the Fourth of July just days away, the fishing boats along Destin harbor were busy on Monday.
Arkansas anglers on the Silver Lining with Capt. Joe Quaranto pulled in a good catch of red snapper and a mackerel.
Capt. Mike Graef and his group aboard the Huntress hauled in some big red snapper, several bull (as in big) mingo and a king mackerel.
“It was a good day out,” Graef said, noting it was a bit choppy in the morning.
Anglers on the Outta Line with Capt. Trey Windes backed in with a rack full of red snapper, a few white snapper and a couple of Spanish mackerel.
Oklahoma and Tennessee anglers on the Kitchen Pass with Capt. Travis Ream loaded up on the red snapper and snagged three grouper.
“It was a little bumpy out,” Ream said.
Locals on the High Cotton with Capt. T.J. George got their share of the red snapper, which is two per person, as well a few mingo and white snapper.
The Sure Lure with Capt. Don Dineen had a good mix on the racks. His group from New York, Texas and North Carolina pulled in nine king mackerel, a limit of red snapper and a few black snapper.
“We combo’d it up,” said deckhand Tom Banachowicz. “We mackerel fished while we were bottom fishing.”
Texas and Georgia anglers on the Phoenix with Capt. Gary Jarvis had a good mix on the racks as well. They had gag grouper, scamp, red snapper and a mingo. They also had a red grouper head, which was what the “tax man,” also known as a shark, left.
“I almost had to to the boat ... shark, gone,” said angler Liz Moore.
Jarvis said the shark like red grouper and it tends to happen a lot.
Capt. Kyle Lowe and his Kentucky group aboard the Special K will be eating red snapper or maybe a scamp for dinner from what was apparent on their rack.
Anglers on the Bow’d Up with Capt. Brady Bowman got their limit of red snapper and a big grouper.
Capt. Rusty Gilbert on the Done Deal and his fishermen got their red snapper for dinner.
Capt. Ben O’Connor and his group on the 100 Proof pulled in a limit of red snapper, a gag grouper and a couple of Spanish mackerel.
Georgia anglers on Destin Inshore Fishng Company filled the nails with red and black snapper.
Pittsburgh anglers on the Al-Lin with Capt. Harold Staples reeled in a limit of red snapper, a couple of black snapper and lane snapper.
Although it was a bit choppy in the morning, the Pittsburgh group said, “it was worth it ... it was a good time.” It was also their first trip on the Gulf and agreed they would do it again.
Capt. Ken Bolden and his group on the Just-B-Cause backed in with a limit of red snapper and a king mackerel.
For the group aboard the Mighty Fine with Capt. Bud Miller it was snapper kind of day. They had red snapper, black snapper and lane snapper in the mix.
Capt. Steve Regan and his anglers on Wahoo also got in on a bit of snapper action as well.
Fishing is good and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. So keep those rod and reels a screamin’ because dinner is coming.
See you at the docks.
