Greg & Amanda, here is a link to that report from your last trip. Enjoy.
http://forums.floridasportsman.com/showthread.php?91168-12-28-2012-Port-Saint-Lucie-Offshore-Fishing-Report
We opted to run straight to Bullshark based on last weekend’s amount of sardines that were there and they did not disappoint. We filled the wells in short order and headed offshore.
Here is Anthony checking out the sunrise…
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110001_zpsaedb9935.jpg.html"]
[/url]I dialed in the ledge straight off from the Loran Tower out in 300ft and we ran Southeast towards it. We seen very little weeds on the way out.
On the second drift Andrews bottom rod goes off with a large fish attached to the other end. Not a shark based on him being able to gain line.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110005_zpsff302eab.jpg.html"]
[/url]He worked this fish about 10 minutes before it came unglued. We ran back up and set-up another drift. In virtually the same area as the first hit, his line goes off again. As before, about 10 minutes into the fight, it comes unglued again.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110007_zps6509d676.jpg.html"]
[/url][url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110004_zps18588aae.jpg.html"]
[/url]All gear still in tacked we ran back up for one more drift giving Andrew a shot of revenge being that his dad & Anthony are ribbing on him for losing the second fish. All in good family fun I might add.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110009_zps66ec109b.jpg.html"]
[/url]This drift did not produce a bite so I asked the crew if they were up for some running & gunning for fins. All in we headed due east in search of debris with bait under it.
We run for miles with nothing. Greg spots some good looking weeds and we motor over to find some baits underneath. We worked this for a couple of drifts with no takers.
We continue east. In 900ft Greg spots a large fish skying out of the water a few hundred yards south of us. We motor over an find no weeds in the area and continue east.
We hit 1000 feet and start to loop around to head back west when I spot a white object floating a 100ft off the bow. As we pull up to it, I see that it is a 5 gallon bucket lid covered up with numerous Triple Tail and tons of other baits.
I quickly tossed out a handful of chunk baits then tossed in my red marker so we don’t lose the lid.
From then on it was a blur. We had hundreds of fins all around us. I knew at this point we were going to lose my marker but the important thing is that we keep this school with us.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7120012_zps426868ea.jpg.html"]
[/url]At all times we must keep a fish in the water. The crew did a masterful job. We literally drifted 6+ miles from when we first hooked up to these fish. Towards the end they began to get lock jaw and stopped eating.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7120011_zpscb82c35b.jpg.html"]
[/url]We decided to tag & release the last fish we had on and let this school go. During this Chinese fire drill I had the crew use many tips to keep the school around us. The first was to always keep one in the water and keep changing them out with new ones.
Next was when the school would drop down out of sight, take a fishing pole and smack the surface of the water swishing it back and forth and this would bring them back up. The last tip was to let the fish that was on to dive down deep and slowly crank it back up bringing the school with them.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7120018_zps8ca1b28a.jpg.html"]
[/url]Hats off to the crew for an awesome job keeping this school with us for hours. We now decided to make an attempt to see if we can find my locator flag. We head due east again and within a mile I spot something red floating on the surface on the Port side.
We pull up and it is covered up with baits. Greg quickly hooks up to a fin. We opted to get this one in the box quickly in hopes not to lose the red plastic netting. Greg slung his approx. 28” fin into the box and we go back to the debris.
No other takers so we continued east. We get in line with the depth we dropped the marker with no marker in site. We dialed in the AJ spot and started the 12 mile run (20 miles NE of the SLI).
On the way I spot a black milk crate just off the Port side fly by as we were running 25+ mph. I quickly spun around an pulled up and it was covered with baits. We quickly chunked and squirted Menhaden oil to mark the spot. Menhaden oil makes a nice slick on the surface that can be spotted a few hundred yards away.
FISH ON… Chinese fire drill number 2 is under way. We worked this area for a ½ hour boxing a few more fins and releasing others that were just under size. One tactic we used here was to keep the fin in the water and motor back to find the debris. The Menhaden oil helped mark the area very well to allow us to find the crate.
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7120019_zps4d290da2.jpg.html"]
[/url]With the crew tired out we decided to dial in the SLI and call it a day. It was almost 3pm.
I had a blast today. Still finding blood in places I didn’t know I would. LOL... I hope my fishing shirt comes clean. It was a blue shirt when we left the ramp this morning and red when we returned. LOL…
Today’s Tally
20+ FINS – 2 Tagged & released & 8 additional released
0-2 on large mystery fish – My guess large AJ’s
Sorry for the lack of many pictures today but that is the nature of the beast when you get into Chinese fire drills.
How did you all make out today?
Tip of the day
Takes your kid & family fishing. Today was a prime example. The morning was pretty much without action with exception of Andrews two mystery fish. It was a typical run & gun day from then on of long runs hunting for debris. An then we spot the 5 gallon bucket lid in 1000ft covered up with tripletail and tons of other baits. I knew at that time it was quickly going to turn into a Chinese fire drill.
During this time the family bonded. All pitching in to help each other out. Re-rigging lines and keeping one fin in the water while others hooked up. Even Amanda performed a hook extraction on a large fin that required two hands to hold it. I might be speaking out of turn but I think that they will remember this day the rest of their life.
Random pics on the day
[url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110002_zps61f43ade.jpg.html"]
[/url][url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110003_zps27c4ab59.jpg.html"]
[/url][url="http://s226.photobucket.com/user/alwaysforward/media/7-12-14%20Fishing%20Pics/P7110008_zpseb339676.jpg.html"]
[/url]