FISHING

Nassau Grouper. These fish are endangered in the USA. They have been a banned catch in the Keys as long as I have been fishing there. They are restricted in the Bahamas too, but there is an open season. I caught this good looking fella deep jigging in over 200 feet of water right on the edge of the dropoff that goes from 200 feet to 2000 feet. My favorite place to fish in Abaco. I spend most of my fishing time working that edge.

WAHOO! One of the greatest predators out there. I always say that they are a guided missile with a mouth full of razor blades. This one was about 70 pounds...caught single handed in Abaco Bahamas. I had to stand on the transom to get him high enough to take the picture. He broke the heavy solid composite lure in half.

I was out fishing alone just as a weather front was approaching. It was looking pretty stormy for my future. I was trolling along and saw a big ruckus in the water ahead. Something was running through a school of fish ahead, and making them jump out of the water in showers of fish. Spectacular. I had four lines out and tried to position my troll as close to the bait showers as I could without running over them. Success...this big guy took the smallest lure...a 4" plastic lure meant for small Blackfin Tuna. He made an impressive run ahead of the boat. I followed him so that he wouldn't take all of my line and escape. After about a half hour, I brought him aside, crawled out on the swim platform, and dragged him aboard. The 3 to 5 foot seas made it very difficult. I was exhausted and sat on the floor with him celebrating with a beer. He was about 6 foot long with a 34" middle...just about the same as my measurements. Awesome trip! One of my best catches ever.

Wahoo, and Dolphin (Mahi Mahi). This was about a one hour trip. One 60 pound Wahoo, and two Dolphin...one was about 25 pounds. I had to come in because they wouldn't fit in my cooler and I didn't have enough ice...didn't matter anyway, I had plenty of fish to eat and share.

Yellowmouth Grouper. This is the kind of great fish I catch in The Bahamas. In the USA, there is so much fishing pressure that there just aren't that many Groupers any more. Due to  that, fishing regulations limit any catches at all. Most Groupers are not in season while I am in the Keys.

Blackfin Tuna are one of my favorite target fish in the Florida Keys. They are a common winter resident. Not to say that they are easy to catch. They are moving around a lot...here one day, and gone next day.  This one was 23 pounds. Doesn't sound huge, but a serious battle on relatively light tackle. I have several underwater "humps" where I target them. They chase big schools of baitfish that are also attracted to that structure. Lots of ways to eat them, including canning them with my special recipe...best canned tuna that you will find. That is my boat in the water behind me at my dock that is complete with a fish cleaning station.