# Back from the Hatch......



## Parker Phoenix (Apr 27, 2008)

Left out for Steinhatchee early Friday morning hoping to get the boat in the water in time to make a 20 mile run offshore. Not gonna happen. When I arrived at Riverhaven Marina they had a crab boat out of the water scraping barnicles and doing some welding repairs to the strut. 

Two hours later we finally got the boat lifted in the water. to late to run offshore so we headed out to #1 to try for a cobia. We chunked a live pinfish on the bottom and before we had an opportunity to react the pole bumped and we lost our shot at the cobe. We had one more bite but he spit the hook. Cobia 2, Weekenders 0.

Saturday AM the three of us left the Sea Hag at 8AM on a 240 heading to 42 foot of water. We trolled for a couple of hours but only put one red grouper in the boat. We hit a few of my favorite 40 foot numbers and nothing.

I then head out to 55 foot about 25 miles offshore and it's now about 1 o clock. We try the troll again and we catch a nice BSB, 2 huge sand perch, and a lizard fish. No grouper. I'm banging the Stretch 30's off the rocks doing my best to get the grouper to bite on the troll, no luck.

I pick up this real interesting bottom and just have to try it, never seen anything like it on my machine before. A bunch of red and black fingers show up with tiny spaces between them. It's now 2 o clock and we have one fish in the boat. We drop a live pinfish down and BANG, the bite was on. We had hit the mother lode. We pulled about four grouper off that hole so we pull anchor and drift a little. Well we tried to drift but it was moving at about 1.2 mph which is way to fast. SO I drop a sand anchor to slow the drift. It worked. We catch 7  more keeper red and gags at this hole. We had to chunk 3 nice red grouper back because we had caught our three. We also had a nice mess of pink mouthed grunts. When I fish with 3 people on board we always take turns working a pink pole while the others bang the bottom for grouper. It works.

We finished the day with 11 grouper in the box,1 BSB, and about 20 grunts. All after 2 o clock. We also had to throw back 3 keeper reds, and probably 10 -12 shorties. 

Life is good, so is the grouper fishing. I'd love to go back next week, but right slap dab in the primo cobia months I have to attend weddings the next two weekends. Sorry no pix. Can't figure out how to post them and I didn't bring the camera.


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## XTREME HUNTER (Apr 28, 2008)

Good Job Parker,
We are thinking of going Memorial Day Weekend


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 28, 2008)

Hope to see you there.


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## Hunting Teacher (Apr 28, 2008)

Great catch!
The grouper diggers were sure tearing them up Friday and Saturday. Where did you stay? I'm sure we crossed paths at some point. I was at Sea Hag.
Teacher


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 28, 2008)

Hunting Teacher said:


> Great catch!
> The grouper diggers were sure tearing them up Friday and Saturday. Where did you stay? I'm sure we crossed paths at some point. I was at Sea Hag.
> Teacher



I always dock my boat at the Hag. I keep a RV down there and my boat stays in storage there as well. All I have to do on Friday's is get in the truck and go.


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## Georgiagator (Apr 28, 2008)

Hi  Parker tried to call ya saterday on the radio but got no answer  I fished inshore saterday we  got 10 nice trout some spanish and some blues, me and my dad and a friend went offshore sunday started trolling in about 45 feet of water buy the time we made it to our hole which was a little over two miles away we had 5 grouper in the boat caught 3 at one time in 46.6 feet of water we caught 9 more in 52 feet bottom fishing and about 30 plus pinkmouths had 14 grouper in all biggest was a red that was just over 19pounds hung one more tring to get the limit on the way in but he got off right at the motor was back in alittle after 4pm


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## Nugefan (Apr 29, 2008)

sounds like some great fun .....

you are going to have company next year , no more spare vacation time this year ........


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 29, 2008)

Nugefan said:


> sounds like some great fun .....
> 
> you are going to have company next year , no more spare vacation time this year ........



I look foward to it.


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 29, 2008)

Georgiagator said:


> Hi  Parker tried to call ya saterday on the radio but got no answer  I fished inshore saterday we  got 10 nice trout some spanish and some blues, me and my dad and a friend went offshore sunday started trolling in about 45 feet of water buy the time we made it to our hole which was a little over two miles away we had 5 grouper in the boat caught 3 at one time in 46.6 feet of water we caught 9 more in 52 feet bottom fishing and about 30 plus pinkmouths had 14 grouper in all biggest was a red that was just over 19pounds hung one more tring to get the limit on the way in but he got off right at the motor was back in alittle after 4pm



We got our tails kicked early. I 'm glad you had a good day.  How long did you count before locking the line while trolling and how fast did you troll?


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## XTREME HUNTER (Apr 29, 2008)

Parker Phoenix said:


> Hope to see you there.



Yea we should make a real attempt this time if you are going to be there instead of making a couple calls over the radio.


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 29, 2008)

XTREME HUNTER said:


> Yea we should make a real attempt this time if you are going to be there instead of making a couple calls over the radio.



We should. It's easy to get sidetracked when you are hunting grouper.


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## XTREME HUNTER (Apr 29, 2008)

Parker Phoenix said:


> We should. It's easy to get sidetracked when you are hunting grouper.



Thats my biggest problem


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## How2fish (Apr 29, 2008)

Guys what exactly is a "pink pole" I think I know but if I'm wrong it would just be too embarrassing ....


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## XTREME HUNTER (Apr 29, 2008)

How2fish said:


> Guys what exactly is a "pink pole" I think I know but if I'm wrong it would just be too embarrassing ....



I aint touching that one.  Dont want to get banned


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 29, 2008)

How2fish said:


> Guys what exactly is a "pink pole" I think I know but if I'm wrong it would just be too embarrassing ....



LOL....It is a pole for catching pink mouthed grunts. The theory behind it is if the grouper see the pinks feeding they will investigate, thus giving the grouper bait an opportunity to work.


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## Georgiagator (Apr 30, 2008)

parker I got some streach 30;s at back woods outdoors that look like spickle trout  we troll at 5mph line out 50yrds. we also use one that looks like a big shinner but the speckletrout looking ones usuall do the best.


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 30, 2008)

Thanks. I have a fistfull of them, not the spec. I'll get one. I troll between 4 to 5 mph, Count one pole to 35 and 1 to 45, then let them dig.


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## $EA $ICKNE$$ (Apr 30, 2008)

Congrats on a great trip.  I had some grouper for dinner last night.  Can't wait to get back on the h20. 

BTW, it used to be you could cross the river and launch yourself at the ramp for free.  Its not that far at all.  There are some low power lines to the houses there, so if you have a tall tower on your boat be warned.  I found out the hard way!


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 30, 2008)

$EA $ICKNE$$ said:


> Congrats on a great trip.  I had some grouper for dinner last night.  Can't wait to get back on the h20.
> 
> BTW, it used to be you could cross the river and launch yourself at the ramp for free.  Its not that far at all.  There are some low power lines to the houses there, so if you have a tall tower on your boat be warned.  I found out the hard way!



Yeah the boat ramp across from the Hag, and there is one up river also. I hate to put the trailer in the salt. One of my favorite activities when I get back to the hill is to watch folks loading their boats at the landing. I have seen all kinds of mishaps over there.


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## $EA $ICKNE$$ (May 1, 2008)

Why worry about the salt? hmmmm....I just got a quote from Magic Tilt.  To replace my triple axles w/brakes, wheels, tires, torsion spindles... $4000 for equipment plus labor @ $60/hr. (estimated 10 hours).  I am upgrading from 14" to 15" tires and 3700 to 5200 lb. axles, but jiminy christmas !!!!  Oh, and a new trailer costs $10,600.

Anybody wanna buy a boat cheap?!?!?!


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## XTREME HUNTER (May 1, 2008)

$EA $ICKNE$$ said:


> Why worry about the salt? hmmmm....I just got a quote from Magic Tilt.  To replace my triple axles w/brakes, wheels, tires, torsion spindles... $4000 for equipment plus labor @ $60/hr. (estimated 10 hours).  I am upgrading from 14" to 15" tires and 3700 to 5200 lb. axles, but jiminy christmas !!!!  Oh, and a new trailer costs $10,600.
> 
> Anybody wanna buy a boat cheap?!?!?!



WOW


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## Parker Phoenix (May 2, 2008)

$EA $ICKNE$$ said:


> Why worry about the salt? hmmmm....I just got a quote from Magic Tilt.  To replace my triple axles w/brakes, wheels, tires, torsion spindles... $4000 for equipment plus labor @ $60/hr. (estimated 10 hours).  I am upgrading from 14" to 15" tires and 3700 to 5200 lb. axles, but jiminy christmas !!!!  Oh, and a new trailer costs $10,600.
> 
> Anybody wanna buy a boat cheap?!?!?!



I think I'll  continue to keep my trailer out of the salt. That's a lot of gas and slippage fees.


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