Full Day Fishing Trip
Capt. Steve Souther
August 4, 2016
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
I'd like to introduce you to young Ryan shown standing here holding a couple of the fish he caught today. He was our solo guest on an full day fishing trip. His family became ill the night before and decided not to join him. I call him young because he is beginning his senior year in high school.
When Ryan showed up at the dock with his backpack and light tackle spinning rod, I assumed there were more coming and they were just running late. At just 2 minutes before the bridge was to go up, he explained to me it was just him and we were off.
It doesn't matter on any of our trips how many people are there, we always fish as if there were 6 aboard and we sure weren't going change that for Ryan. Our first stop was to catch some bait at the sea buoy and put that rod he brought to use. The baitfish weren't biting well and it does take a little to get used to it but in the end we had plenty of bait for our trip and trolling to the north was our next plan.
As our all-day fishing trip progressed, I found Ryan to be beyond his 17 years. He was extremely interested in what we did and how we did it. He spent most his time with Adam on deck and each bite brought a thrill as he reeled the fish in. At one point we had rods stacked up waiting for him to finish bringing in a fish so we could hand him another. And as the day went on, we changed our plan and decided to go for BIG!
The trolling gear came in and the big rods and baits went out. As it can be in fishing, you have to wait for that bite. The way we fish for big fish can sometimes take a while, the scent of the bait being carried by the current. The fish pick up this scent and follow it to us and with luck, we connect.
We'd been at it a while and the sky grew grey. Heavy clouds and wind were coming; a massive thunderstorm south of us was making things tough. That's when the bite came and a big bite it was too. And this was when things got fun!
One angler, one mate and one captain, three rods out, one with a fish and the other two in the way. Adam got Ryan set up and the rod strapped in and began clearing lines as Ryan began his battle. The threatening skies never got us wet and the winds reduced as Ryan worked the fish closer toward the boat. There's always a little give and take, when the fish gives, you take and as much as you can. When the fish takes, you rest and let the straps hold the rod. You must always be ready to reel though; a fish can change directions in a micro-second.
Finally, after 30 minutes or so, we could see color down deep and the fish kept inching closer. A large Hammerhead shark had eaten our bait and was growing tired, as was Ryan. He never complained, never faltered and his excitement was easily seen as he saw what he had landed.
Pictures were taken and the measuring done for this trophy sized fish before it was released into the sea with the tag in place. These tags allow the Taxidermist to communicate with the anglers this fish's location the next time it is caught, a very cool program.
We headed home catching a few fish along the way and I have to say I very much enjoyed my full day fishing trip with young Ryan. I even found out what Pokemon go is. LOL He doesn't play but explained it to me, usually my daughter's job.
Captain Steve
Target Species:
Sailfish, Shark, Swordfish, Wahoo, Tuna, Dolphin, Marlin and more...
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