# Cape San Blas 5/14-21



## Rabun (May 23, 2017)

We had a great time down on the Cape last week.  Arrived Sat 5/13 to find out weather had our group socked in for the Sat trip to the snapper reefs.  Lower winds were forecasted for Sunday so we prepped our gear in anticipation of finding some rare and allusive red snapper.  We left the house at 6:30am,  launched the boat, caught some live baits and headed offshore to a couple of public numbers.  All six of us limited out by 10:30.  Since it was Mother's Day we decided to contact the Mom's and have them meet us at the marina for lunch....limit of snapper and still time to meet for Mother's Day lunch===priceless.

The next day we beach fished and loaded up on big fat whiting and few pompano.  A couple of guy's fished the sound and caught quite few redfish and trout on a DOA paddle swim bait on a 1/16th red jig head.

Tuesday we boated out to do some king trolling.  We hooked into a nice 38" king within three minutes of setting the lines.  We then noticed a bunch of fish hitting the water and motored over to them...turned out to be mahi mahi crashing bait fish so we set some freelines and drifted.  We ended up boating 22 small mahi and lost a big one at the boat.  We then went to our snapper reef and my Son speared some mangroves.

The remainder of the week we beach fished and caught many more big whiting and several pompano and fished the sound with the DOA bait.

Sat. rolled around and we determined to find some more snapper.  We left early again, but by the time we got half way to the numbers, the wind picked up so much conditions deteriorated and I had to make the call to return.  Wasn't a popular call at the time, but after taking a beating getting back, all were convinced it was the right call to bag it.  Sunday was worse weather.

We had a great time on the Cape...caught a lot of fish from boat, shore and inshore.  Snapper bit on cigar minnows and live bait, beach fish were primarily caught on dead shrimp and fish bites, mahi were caught on live bait and anything we threw to them and kings were caught on skirted cigar minnows.


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## dawg2 (May 23, 2017)

Nice!  That is a great area.


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## jaymax00 (May 23, 2017)

great report! Sounds like an awesome trip!


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## mcagle (May 23, 2017)

Sounds like a blast. We were there the 9th-16th as well. Fished inshore for a few hours daily. Caught a lot of trout but very few were keepers. Caught some good slot reds and a few flounder.  We put in at the state park.


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## Rabun (May 23, 2017)

mcagle said:


> Sounds like a blast. We were there the 9th-16th as well. Fished inshore for a few hours daily. Caught a lot of trout but very few were keepers. Caught some good slot reds and a few flounder.  We put in at the state park.



That's a great area!  Failed to mention we got a couple decent size flounder as well.  We also launched in the state park...they have a great ramp there.  When we launched Sat am I was unhooking the boat strap and looked over and there was a 6/7 foot gator making a bee line right to me.  I have a couple pics of it which I'll try and upload.  They told us when we returned that they captured/relocated the gator later that morning....for good reason.


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## mcagle (May 23, 2017)

Rabun said:


> That's a great area!  Failed to mention we got a couple decent size flounder as well.  We also launched in the state park...they have a great ramp there.  When we launched Sat am I was unhooking the boat strap and looked over and there was a 6/7 foot gator making a bee line right to me.  I have a couple pics of it which I'll try and upload.  They told us when we returned that they captured/relocated the gator later that morning....for good reason.



I've got several pictures of him Friday morning as well. He came right up to the boat when we put in at daylight.  He was a too friendly fellow. We came back in about 11:00 and he was still hanging out.


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## mcagle (May 23, 2017)

Pic


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## mcagle (May 23, 2017)

Another


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## Chas (May 23, 2017)

*Heading down Friday*

Heading down Friday to Mexico Beach to try the endangered Snapper out only have a 19 Foot CC so i will have to pick and choose my times, I have the memory card from the MBRA any tips you are willing to share about getting the live bait as well as any of the producing reefs will be appreciated! Sending pm now


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## burtontrout (May 24, 2017)

Rabun- Sounds like fun. Now lets get after those big trout in Burton.


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## teethdoc (May 24, 2017)

mcagle said:


> I've got several pictures of him Friday morning as well. He came right up to the boat when we put in at daylight.  He was a too friendly fellow. We came back in about 11:00 and he was still hanging out.



Sounds like somebody has been feeding him.


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## Rabun (May 24, 2017)

That's him mcagle.  when were you there?


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## Rabun (May 24, 2017)

Chas said:


> Heading down Friday to Mexico Beach to try the endangered Snapper out only have a 19 Foot CC so i will have to pick and choose my times, I have the memory card from the MBRA any tips you are willing to share about getting the live bait as well as any of the producing reefs will be appreciated! Sending pm now



I got your PM but I can't seem to get my replies to post so here you go...

Be sure and choose your weather carefully.  for the snapper you pretty much need to be in 70 feet of water...from what i've found anyway.  I got on the interactive reef site http://www.floridagofishing.com/reefs/gps-reefs-interactive-chart.html and looked for reefs around 70 feet with as much relief as you can find.  We fished on an old airforce tower and sunken LST.  Caught the sanpper on cigar minnows and live bait bait...pinfish, glass minnows and mud minnows...caught them with cast net and sabiki.  we ran into the kings and mahi just off the coast of MB outside the buoy line...lot's of reefs in that area they just aren't that deep.

Good luck!


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## Rabun (May 24, 2017)

burtontrout said:


> Rabun- Sounds like fun. Now lets get after those big trout in Burton.



I'm with you!  I fished earlier in the spring and didn't do worth a darn.  I'm sure I'll drag some lines this weekend and maybe luck into one.  You had any luck?


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## Rabun (May 24, 2017)

Hey Rhodes,  i tried replying to private message a couple of times but it never seemed to post...

i would think the same species will bite.  Mostly whiting and pompano in the surf with some occasional black drum, ray, shark and catfish.  We baited with shrimp, sand fleas and fish bites on two drop rigs with pyramid sinker.  Cast several rods at different distances and see which ones get hit.

I call st joe bay the sound.  there are flounder along the grass edges.  fish on a falling tide with gulp bait or doa paddle tail on jig head.

hope this helps...good luck!


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## mcagle (May 24, 2017)

Rabun said:


> That's him mcagle.  when were you there?



We were there the 9th-16th.


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