Fishermen's Fleet Reports

"IN WICKEDNESS OF PRIDE IS LOST THE LIGHT TO UNDERSTAND HOWLITTLE GRACE IS EARNED AND HOW MUCH GIVEN."
ROBERT HUNTER


FISHIN'? WE GOT SOME O' THAT. LAST 4-6 WEEKS WE HAD BEEN PLODDING ALONG THROUGH SOME GOOD DAYS, LOTS OF OK DAYS, AND A FEW REAL STINKERS. BEEN WAITING FOR SOME CONSISTENT SIGNS OF CONCERTED ACTIVITY AMONG THE DENIZENS FOR WHOM WE FORAGE. THE NEEDLE HAS DEFLECTED DECIDEDLY CLOCKWISE THE LAST FEW DAYS. BEGINNING ABOUT 9 DAYS AGO A BOAT OUT OF 4 WOULD RETURN WITH 2-3 NICE AMBER JACK. THOUGH NOT WELL KNOWN UP NORTH THIS MEMBER OF THE JACK FAMILY IS A STAPLE ALONG THE GULF COAST, OFTEN TAKEN WHILE FISHING OIL PLATFORMS. HERE THEY LOCATE ON ROCK PILES. LOOKIN' SORTA LIKE A ROOSTER FISH SANS THE MULTI MASTED TOP KNOT THEY ARE HARD FIGHTERS, IN FACT THE MEXICAN NAME IS "PEZ FUERTE", AND PERCHED ON TOP OF THAT THEY EAT VERY WELL, MUCH LIKE A YELLOW TAIL. THEY CAN BE TAKEN EITHER ON LIVE BAIT OR BY YO-YOING WITH A SPURIOUS VICTIM BROUGHT TO JUSTICE USING RAPALA'S. WHILE SARDINES WILL DO THE JOB, MORE OFTEN BIGGER BAITS ARE THE TICKET, WITH ZEBRAS, THOSE STRIPEY LITTLE GUYS THAT OFTEN SWARM THE BUOYS, BEING THE FILLET DE CARNADA. WE'RE TAKING THEM RIGHT NOW ON MACKEREL. WHILE THESE ARE NOT HUGE, THEY'VE ALL BEEN IN THE 20-35 POUND CLASS, AND REQUESTS TO BORROW ROD BELTS HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE. ALONG WITH THESE THERE HAVE BEEN PARGO, MULATTO, MULLET, AND CUBERA. THE SUPPLY OF LARGE ROOSTERS HOLDS STEADY OFF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE ISLAND. NUMBERS OF STRIPED MARLIN, BOTH SEEN AND HOOKED, INCREASED MARKEDLY IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AND WE LOST 3 WAHOO JUST YESTERDAY. I KNOW, "WE" LOST 'EM BUT i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

FISHIN' IS FUN, FUN IS GOOD
DAVID JONES