Thursday, August 16, 2007

Sarasota Slam, Team-X-treme. Fishing report and picks.

First of all Let me thank all involved for doing such a great at putting this event together. This tournament just made one of my favorite 3 events. The Auction is great. Last year we spent over half of what we won on a bunch of killer artwork. They actually had an original Vangoh.


The evening started with deciding what to do on this voyage. I knew after weighing in several giant Warsaws in the last events that everyone would be gunning for a big Warsaw in this event. Then I thought if they are all going for the Giant, I will too! But I am not going to waste my time trying to catch it I will use the minor solunar to try and take the big dog out.

The time was 4:40am the sun and moon where 1hr 10min apart directly across from the earth. It was very close to an eclipse. This is when Giant Warsaw bite best, early in the morning. We started out dropping baits to the bottom in 590ft and the bite was on but the wrong fish, Scamp, kitties, Tile; we move to another spot, same thing not the right fish.
By now it is just past sun up and I decide to try 1 more before we change our game plan. We manage a 30.5lb Yellow Edge and a 15lb Scamp and a 20lb Kitty. Still not good enough. I know now the the big dog isn't going to bite this morning. I could see the Giant Warsaw down there they just didn't want to bite. Thats ok. I figure that if I knew for sure they where down there and they didn't bite they didn't bite anyone else either.

I new the Major Solunar feed was going to be at 11:48am. The moon ad Sun would be directly above and the bite should be on. But if I stayed and waited for the solunar I would never make it home in time from this distance. And neither would anyone else that stayed to deep. So I made a 20mile run in shore to 410ft So i would be closer to home after the major feed. Still in Warsaw bottom but I was where there was alot of gags and large snapper.

I knew I needed a grouper 40+ and a Snapper at least 25. And at least a 60lb jack to get in the money. A had a good feeling about this area. We made 4 stops in this area and the bite was on. The first stop Pulling in 25, 21, 20 and 18 pound snapper one after the other and 15 to 25lb. gags. We all looked at each other and knew we now had a chance.

The next 2 stops where gags and scamp, Still no big gags or warsaw. Until stop 3. First fish in the boat my boy "Yellowtail Mike" pulls the 38lb gag in the boat. It's 12:35pm and I say thats good enough. Lets go get them jacks!

I run 12 more miles closer to home into 350ft I know the jacks on this spot start in the low 50's and go to 120lbs. So I say "drop 2 rods and whatever we get no matter what we take them and go". 1 stop shopping the baits only made it half way down and both rods hit the gunnel. 2 jacks hit the deck 55 and 58.5lbs.

It was now 1:15pm and we had 107miles to go. We had to push the boat to the edge to make it back in time for the weigh-in. Praying the hole way home she would hold together. Well as you can see we made it. 2 Years in a row yellowtail mike pulls the winning grouper in the SHBA Sarasota Slam. I am already dreaming and planing for next year.

See you guy's at the Grouper Grab next weekend in Pine Island.