SUBJECT: # 39140: Gag, Snapper & Goliath Battle: SW FL Fishbuster Dave

Submitted by Fishbuster Dave from FLORIDA on 5/15/04 3:06:00 PM

I fished at the reefs off Bonita Beach Monday with Bill Grigsby, and Chad, Kim, five year old Sophia, and six year old Sam Toops. We used live shrimp to catch a 24 inch gag grouper, three large triggerfish (15 inches), Spanish mackerel, and blue runners. We released all but the gag and one triggerfish. We also had fun with a goliath grouper that bit the hook three different times, and tried to eat the gag we pulled up, but we won that battle! Sophie also got to see a remora, which suctioned itself to her hand for a photograph.

Tuesday, the Jim Cayeves party fished with me, 17 miles off Naples in three to four (mostly four) foot seas and a stiff wind. There were so many blue runners out there that it compromised catching the good stuff somewhat, but we managed nine keeper mangrove snapper, a few nice porgies, and released small gag and red grouper and Spanish mackerel.

Wednesday, conditions called for 2-3 foot seas up to 60 miles offshore: That was not at all what I encountered fishing with Chris & Lisa Stimack at the Bonita reefs. Even just 5 or 6 miles offshore, we faced a southeast wind of 20 knots, and four foot seas. We caught Spanish mackerel, grunts, and blue runners for a little while, then decided to head in, as it was pretty unpleasant out there.

I deferred a couple trips at the end of this week to next week, hoping for calmer conditions, but I did head out Saturday with the Grant Wise party to the ledges off Naples. We stayed closer in the first part of the trip, as seas and swells were still pretty rough, but we moved out toward the 240 ledge after it calmed a bit. Fishing was slow most of the day, but we caught mangrove snapper, triggerfish, porgies and porkfish. We released lots of short gags and blue runners.

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