Bigger Snapper Here; Hogfish & Grouper:SW FL Fishbuster
Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:04 pmI fished Monday with Lee Wampler and friends, Kenny, Bob, Bill & Mike. We fished with live shrimp in 50 feet off New Pass, where we caught twenty-five mangrove snapper to 15 inches, and released short gag grouper and porgies. Seas were still pretty rough, but a lot better than they were over the weekend.
Tuesday brought calm seas, but also a slow bite 20 miles off the 240 ledge, where I fished with Bob & Martha Graham and Tom & Linda Graham. We caught ten keeper mangrove snapper, a keeper hogfish, and porkfish, and released short gags to 17 inches, all on live shrimp.
Wednesday, fishing in 40 feet off Bonita with the Bill Schroeder party, we caught fifteen snapper to 17 inches, two hogfish, whitebone porgies, and released gag grouper shorts.
The Bill Story party fished with me Thursday, 12 miles off Bonita Beach, where we caught thirty keeper mangrove snapper to 14 inches, and a dozen Spanish mackerel to 20 inches. We released a small hogfish.
Fishing Friday, again 12 miles off Bonita, with Frank Partee and son-in-law Joe Regan, we caught three limits of mangrove snapper—nice ones to 19 inches, and released a good 25 additional snapper, along with porgies and gag grouper shorts. We also caught Spanish mackerel to 20 inches, all on live shrimp.
I got a Saturday morning trip in with the Frank Bettendorf party, although we came in a bit early, due to rapidly increasing winds and seas, as the weekend’s weather front approached. We fished in 30 feet off Naples with live shrimp, and boated a keeper gag grouper, a scamp grouper, and half a dozen mangrove snapper. We released porkfish, and Spanish mackerel.
Sunday’s 6-8 foot seas kept us in port. Find complete info and fish photo album at www.fishbustercharters.com
Tuesday brought calm seas, but also a slow bite 20 miles off the 240 ledge, where I fished with Bob & Martha Graham and Tom & Linda Graham. We caught ten keeper mangrove snapper, a keeper hogfish, and porkfish, and released short gags to 17 inches, all on live shrimp.
Wednesday, fishing in 40 feet off Bonita with the Bill Schroeder party, we caught fifteen snapper to 17 inches, two hogfish, whitebone porgies, and released gag grouper shorts.
The Bill Story party fished with me Thursday, 12 miles off Bonita Beach, where we caught thirty keeper mangrove snapper to 14 inches, and a dozen Spanish mackerel to 20 inches. We released a small hogfish.
Fishing Friday, again 12 miles off Bonita, with Frank Partee and son-in-law Joe Regan, we caught three limits of mangrove snapper—nice ones to 19 inches, and released a good 25 additional snapper, along with porgies and gag grouper shorts. We also caught Spanish mackerel to 20 inches, all on live shrimp.
I got a Saturday morning trip in with the Frank Bettendorf party, although we came in a bit early, due to rapidly increasing winds and seas, as the weekend’s weather front approached. We fished in 30 feet off Naples with live shrimp, and boated a keeper gag grouper, a scamp grouper, and half a dozen mangrove snapper. We released porkfish, and Spanish mackerel.
Sunday’s 6-8 foot seas kept us in port. Find complete info and fish photo album at www.fishbustercharters.com