Another great catch reported by Captain Carlos of the fearless Adventurer! Our buddy Bill headed out for a brief 2.5 hour trip and hauled in this very respectable Red Snapper estimated to weigh over 20lbs.
This is a heckuva good eatin’ fish and a good sign that last year’s legendary Red Grouper bite may be on it’s way back.
Recall that in the Spring of 2012 we had a massive influx of this tasty species and I am sure that all of the Captains would love to welcome them back to the fishboxes.
Check out this haul of tasty reef-dwellers that Mr. Higgins put on ice along with Captain David on the Explorer.ย These Mullet Snappers are very delicious as sushi or as small filets.
Clearly the bottom bite is back and the barroom brawler is ready to beat them down! Great work by the 26 foot Super Panga and John Higgins.
Rich Binnell and his son had a day of big smiles and fun action on the 23 foot Adventurer with Captain Carlos. The fish were gigantic by any stretch, but the small Snappers and White tunas taste just as good as the big ones!
Looks like the lack of big fish didn’t diminish the smiles on board the Adventurer!
All told we got happy clients and fish in the box as the Adventurer delivers a fun, safe, educational family fishing trip.
David Lukof and his family come from the hills of Pennsylvania and are the most recent in a long line of Northeast anglers who have experienced amazing success on our stretch of ocean. Things got started quickly with lots of early Bonita catches.
The highlight of the trip was certainly this monster Broomtail Grouper conservatively estimated to weigh a 45lbs. Look at the girth on this fella:
First Mate Alex is one of the strongest men I know when it comes to fish-handling (see Double Sailfish releases) and Mr. Lukof ain’t no little guy either; clearly this fish was more than a handful!
David Lukof has more trips planned on the Wanderer and will also try his hand at extreme panga fishing with the Explorer and Adventurer later this month and in early March. Stay tuned!
Mark Manson brought his family to the Wanderer for a relaxing sunset cruise, but the fish were biting with such frequency and variety that relaxation fell by the wayside.
They started off by catching a and bunch of Bonitas which are not very tasty for humans to eat; however the bottom fish can’t resist them!
Mark’s family pulled in a 15lbs. Ponpano (above) and 25lbs. Grouper which should provide more than enough filets for the rest of their trip. Another excellent sunset trip from the famous Wanderer!
Mike Burling is one of our favorite repeat clients, and after lighting it up last year on the Wanderer this time he chose the 26-foot Explorerย as his fishing platform of choice. The super panga was up for battle and Mr. Burling’s group was fit for the task.
The inshore bite provided good action early in the trip with four nice Mullet Snappers (12-14lbs.) and four equally-sized White Tunas on ice by Noon. In the afternoon the Explorer ventured to Sailfish city and released three beauties estimated at 70 lbs., 90 lbs., and a whopping 120lbs.!
Captain David and Mate Carlos saw to the safe releases of all three monsters as Mike Burling proved that his success last year was no fluke, but in fact the norm for this excellent Northeast Florida angler.
Glen Sutherland booked the Adventurer for a half-day excursion and the little 23-foot panga put Glen on top of big fish! Dorado was the most popular item on the menu and the lethal weapon hauled in several nice fish. Here is the biggest one:
They also caught a handful of Bonitas; not worth keeping but still nice to have the rods bend throughout the trip.
Michael Helbock brought his family to the Wanderer, which in addition to being the most productive boat in Garza is also the most family-friendly. Many youngsters have been introduced to the craft of sportfishing on the flagship and her crew are the perfect hosts for a safe, fun, and educational time on the water.
They caught a few Jack Crevelles and a pair of tasty Mullet Snappers; excellent eating for the dinner table!
Excellent inshore action from a boat that is just as good for families as for hardcore anglers.
John Danner comes to us from the picturesque island community of Davis Island in the Tampa, FL area which is known for it’s world-class sailing. In fact every Thursday night there is an open regatta where local sailors can mix it up with traveling cup teams in Hillsborough Bay.
Well, Mr. Danner got into a different kind of sailing over the course of three trips with Captain David on the Explorer.
This is the kind where you release multiple Sailfish from a 26-foot panga boat!
Great work by Captain David and Mate Carlos to safely catch and release these beauties.
Mr. Danner was all smiles when he came back. Here is the email he sent us:
Craig, Matt, and Arturo,
Again thank you for an awesome trip. ย Everything was done beyond what I had expected. Aย friendlyย arrival, excellent advice, outstanding fishing, and complete satisfaction from start to finish. I have all ready told my friends of your outstanding operation. Thanks again for the trip of a lifetime. ย Cannot wait to go again.
Russell Triplett and his lady had a wonderful day of action on the flagship, highlighted by His and Hers Sailfish releases and a monster Dorado for the dinner table.
Russell caught the first sailfish and just when she swam away freely after the release a second line popped off the report of a strike.
First Mate Alex switched the spread over from billfish to meatfish in the afternoon and once again the flagship delivered the goods for her clients. Take a look as this monster Dorado estimated to weigh over 45lbs.
Need some help holding that fish, Russell? I think she can handle it for ya:
ย Another super day on the big blue beauty Wanderer!