Super Fishing Trip

My friend Carl invited me to go fishing yesterday for Grouper.I was delighted to go and along with Carl was my golfing buddy Ron and Ron a fishing friend. I was up at 4.30 am and at the dock side At 5.30 am ready to head out on the Gulf of Mexico. Carl decided to go out to 125 feet of water and that meant over a 60 mile trip on the water.

The excitement I felt was special as this place we were going to was known for big Grouper. At thirty miles and 60 feet of water we stopped and caught bait fish. These baits were about a pound and under a foot long. We had our wet well pretty well filled so we moved on.

The weather was supposed to be calm but a north wind made the trip bumpy and rough. After nearly three hours we drifted over a large shoal in about 125 feet of water. Using one pound weights we dropped our lines and instantly Ron hooked a Grouper. It weighed 15 pounds and was a beauty. Within minutes we were busy catching Groupers.

We threw back all fish 20 inches or smaller. The water became even rougher and it was difficult to stand and we often slid from one side of the boat to the other. This did not cut down on our fun and prosperity. Within 2 hours we had ten large Groupers. in the ice locker.

We were drifting and suddenly I thought I was caught on bottom. I realized I was not because I felt a head shaking fish on the end of my line. I could not move the fish. All of us felt I hooked a giant grouper. For one half hour I fought this fish and still never moved it off the bottom. I was pretty well exhausted when I felt a little give and began the task of getting this big one to the surface. Another 15 minutes passed when my fish was sighted in the clear water. It was a nurse shark. Seven feet long and about 250 pounds of solid muscle.

I guided it to the side of the boat and photographed it and cut the line and let it go. It was my second large shark but this one made the rest look small. Even thought we were grouper fishing , catching the shark was a real treat. My arms were weak and sore but we decide to stay for a short time to look for our main treasure, grouper. We dropped our lines for the final time and all four of us had good luck. After boating these fish we called it a day . We had 14 keepers weighing about 120 pounds and that was fine.

The weather was turned nasty so we headed home by a longer route but safer.   Fighting the heavy seas and bouncing about took us about 80 miles and four hours before we sighted land. We were happy to come along Carl's dock and to get about the job of cleaning the fish. We all went home with a fine pile of fillets and great memories of our adventure out on the Gulf  of Mexico.