Fishing Offshore

[steve 9atx]

Scott

Ok, now that you're shut up: when we fish in Mexico out of Cozumel it is over a DEEP trench between the island and the mainland. All

the record fishing for pelagic species to my knowledge are in similar circumstances (like between Margarita Island and the Venezuelan

mainland). Our continental shelf is so high and shallow, you'd have to go probably 250 miles east of Houston to get as deep a 5 minutes

driving the boat west from Cozumel toward the mainland.

In any case, every time we go fishing in Cozumel in the spring billfishing season we see 32'-40' boats that look from sea like they're

literally on the beach. I asked my guide one year, "what the hell are they doing between the beach and the first sandbar, aren't they

risking their boats?" He said, "yes, they ground boats in there all the time". But, he also said they catch a lot of record sails in water

apparently too shallow for them to raise their sail in. It may be a local thing, maybe high water temp, schools of baitfish, who knows,

but maybe it's easy pickin's for them (as my South Texas bayfishing guide says) in "de challows".

Steve

[steve 9atx]

Matty B

Now, don't confuse me and my friend of 30 years, Sean. I know you are fascinated by his shorts, but here is a brief comparison

for your aedification: Sean with another dolphin in Costa Rica:

[steve 9atx]

Me. Notice shorts almost to the kneecap (I'm the guy in back).

[steve 9atx]

Sean. (Can't comment on the shorts).

[steve 9atx]

Me, wearing appropriate-length trunks, I think. (Not so funny story: milliseconds after this pic, the pez vela

squirmed a bit which was like someone grinding bacteria-laden slime into my thighs with 80 grit sandpaper.

My skin was infected for a week.) Maybe next time I'll put on some baksetball shorts before putting a fish

in my lap..........

Steve

[www.dadluvsu.com]

[bubba]

Scott, Just caught this Discussion.I heard my Grandfather talk about catching all sorts of fish ,including Wahoo,which he did consider trash fish in Lake Worth in close proximity to the Palm Beach Inlet.It creates a difficult dilemma for me because as much as I would like to question him about the truthfulness of those statements,he departed this World at the age of 91 years in 1995.He told many stories but his reputation for veracity was well known and highly regarded.It is hard to know if anyone alive during our time- frame will encounter more interesting circumstances or more natural beauty he saw during his life.

Steve,Those are some Great Fish!

[gsn]

Bubba,

No dilema here, if he says he caught them, I'm sure he did.

But there is the possibility that he might have been mistaken on the ID ,which is why I gave examples of fish that might be more likely caught in the intracoastal, which look somewhat similar to wahoo! And some people would call those species of mackeral trash fish, not me mind you ,but some would!

[Ken Johnson]

William, Where is that pic from?

I am not familiar with that area. Looks fishy though!

I may target yellow tail today. My crew is on stand by.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

That is "The Rat's Mouth" La cala de la Boca de Ratones... I've got a VHF right next to my desk at the office (Land based, I would never use it to send! ) and all the captain's up here can't stop blabberin about them yellowtails! Go get em' Ken!

[Ken Johnson]

Will, Is there a marina in there called "The Sailfish Marina"? Does that tie into Lake Worth? Can I launch my boat there? Wana go fishin? Should we grab Bubba from his office on the way?

[www.dadluvsu.com]

I'm always down to tow around some baits... I can break away next week tues, wed, or thurs...

Bubba you down? Can we all coordinate a day?

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Will, Is there a marina in there called "The Sailfish Marina"? Does that tie into Lake Worth? Can I launch my boat there? Wana go fishin? Should we grab Bubba from his office on the way?

You cannot see it in Will's pic, but in the upper right corner you see where the Intracoastal continues North. The closest boat ramp is right there, on the south side of the Palmetto Park Road Bridge.

Jerry

[_Keith]

Will, Is there a marina in there called "The Sailfish Marina"? Does that tie into Lake Worth? Can I launch my boat there? Wana go fishin? Should we grab Bubba from his office on the way?

You cannot see it in Will's pic, but in the upper right corner you see where the Intracoastal continues North. The closest boat ramp is right there, on the south side of the Palmetto Park Road Bridge.

Jerry

I hear the Dork Fish are biting right now.

Courtesy of http://www.freakingnews.com

[street124]

Alan,

No ill will intended , nor disrespect intended,I am only trying to state facts about open ocean species .Nor am I saying he didn't catch a wahoo in Lake Worth.Much the contrary I am clarifing what others have said,even you. Yes there are freak oddball catches recorded everywhere. But it is far from the norm, it is out of the ordinary.Cacthing a pelagic in a shallow water estuary is a freak occurance no matter how pristine the water. I am only going by what I know from years of experience both inland ,nearshore ,and offshore fishing. This what I do for a living.

Now I am really going to shut up!

I am going to get in on this one you guys are talking my language now. First my background, I have been a commercial fisherman my entire life fishing out of south Florida primarily the Florida Keys. I am on the board of directors of the two largest commercial fishing organizations in Florida. I have been on numerous FWC advisory councils past and present and I am a member of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. I have heard just about every fishing story imaginable and some of the craziest ones have come from some of the most experienced fishermen that I know, although most of the good stories were from their younger years when they had a drinking problem. Some of my high school friends are well known Charter Boat Captains and I have fished with them throughout the Carribean and both coasts of Central and South America (before the ball & chain).

I will start with the hammerhead, it is common knowledge amongst commercial fishermen and biologists that the greater hammerhead reaches legnths of up to 20 feet, I have seen some over that 14.5 foot shark myself. Although fear and dive masks tend to make things look larger underwater. I have (once) seen a school of hammerhead sharks while diving alone when I was about 15 years old,small ones maybe 4-5 feet long or maybe not as I was wearing a mask and I was not thrilled to see them. Nobody believed me but after seeing a TV show with video of a huge school of large hammerheads I knew I wasnt seeing things.

Wahoo, I have never heard of a wahoo being that far inshore. But, predators follow prey and if conditions back then were different than today and the bait was there then maybe, although I would lean towards another stromboid. I have this year seen 3 small sails within 1 mile of shore 15-20 ft and I have never seen them in this far, but there have been many accounts of them being caught off of bridges in the keys in the past.

All that said, I have some friends who had a large great white come up their chumline while commercial yellowtail fishing off Marathon in the keys about a month ago. They are seen and sometimes caught offshore in deep water on the humps but I have never heard of one that close (42 ft) ever.

For those like me who werent around 50+ years ago when conditions were much different and virtually no documentation was taken all we have is the old timers to fill in the blanks.

[bubba]

Bill and Ken, Let's go! I got a special little place to lauch,if you guys want to come up here.Some guy caught a 60lbd Dorkfish yesterday in the Lake. He said it was not a record but the largest he caught that week.

[palmmermaid]

I am not a commercial fisherman however, I've made over 2000 dives off the coast of Palm Beach County and in the Intracoastal here. I've seen 4 foot sailfish in 40' of water. I once saw a mola (sunfish) on a shallow reef (about 45'). I've seen 10-12' hammerheads in less than 60'. I count fish when I am diving so I know the species. Here in Palm Beach County, the Gulf Stream comes in the closest of anywhere. Sometimes it is right off shore. You just never know what you will see when diving here. I've seen species in the Intracoastal that are pelagic, including wahoo, sharks, and grouper. Salt water fish can survive in rfesh water, fresh water fish cannot survive in salt. So it is possible for any salt water fish to be several miles from the ocean and still survive. Over in Crystal River, there are schools of large tarpon in the springs. They scare the tourists to death because they think the tarpon sre sharks!

Once when I running the boat, I saw a whale shark. I put the boat over him and he was visible from both the bow and stern. The boat was 38' long. And that was over one of our 60' reefs.

[bubba]

Kitty, One of the strangest things Ocean-wise I have ever seen was just North of the Breaker's in shallow water. We were in a friend's boat and saw a large fish moving quite strangely in tighter and tighter circles.We were a ways away so we headed towards this strange phenom.

When we got there,it was atleast a ten foot Hammerhead giving birth!The Shark was fully on top of the water and suddenly out popped a little monkey!

[tank]

Bubba,

I have no reason not to believe your grandpa. I have heard many stories of folks catching snakes just outside of/or in the Lake Worth inlet. I've actually eaten Wahoo caught in the inlet from a fellow in a 17f boston whaler and I promise you it was not Kingfish meat.

Anyway, WHO CARES!

Here is what you do out of Cedar Key in the winter.

Catch some sandwich meat.

(Thats me in the pic and I promise it was legal!)

Or some ceviche.

(Notice the outstreched arms for the pic so the fish looks bigger. Now that is a sign of a seasoned angler.)

Or just catch a buzz

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Nice swimmin scammiches!

I too know the art of fish photography... Just look at that monster lake fish!!

"Pops, hold the fish out to the camera to make it look HUU-UUGE!!"

This one has nothing to do with the topic, but I don't know where would be more appropriate and no fisherman I know would mind it here! I tried to get Sarah to kiss the utter, but I just got smacked on the shoulder fer askin!

[tank]

Steve,

Nice sail! As for your buddy's shorts, at least he'll attain the ever elusive "thigh tan".

Here is the owner of the boat from my previous pics with a nice black?? (at least I think thats what it is, maybe its a gag) caught this week off of Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. A trip I usually go on but skipped this year. Now I'm sitting in the office looking at pics of his fun.

Boat ride can be a bit long out to Elbow Cay from Florida's east coast. Usually takes between 6 to 10 hours, depending on the seas. Several hours of running in 5 foot chop turns my spine to jello.

[bubba]

Jason, Cedar Key is a great spot.Obviously,those fish speak for themselves.Buffet use to have a Trailer there after he got run out of the Key's.The Bahama's and especially the "Family Islands" are my personal favorite.In particular,Hope Town.The Bahama's really had no meaningful existence until Castro closed down Cuba in 1959 for the folks around here.My Grandparents and all their friends here sold their boats in 1959 and I can remember him laughing at me when I told him I was going to the Bahama's.(only an idiot would go there)

Spent 3 weeks once at Walker's Cay.(now closed down after Wilma)Learned the meaning of "Rock Fever".

Bill,Like all those pictures!