2016 Cajun Conch Invitational Fishing Rodeo..

[biggun]

Awesome weekend for Team FinChaser...


Saturday Morning we hit the water at 6:30 am hoping to catch some croakers castneting..

After about 1 hr.. No croakers, but some nice shrimp.. Off we went.. I have boiled 5 # of Macaroni and mixed it with some cheap whole nibblet corn...

We hit the GoM with a awesome 1 ' ground swells... Turned FinChaser on 185 deg heading..

After and 1.5 hr run we arrived at our destination. Rotary currents were moving pretty good, so I eased up to the up-current side of the platform we threw a few handfuls of chum...

Started cutting some pogies.. I placed the boat in the best position and told my crew toss you free line pogies there...

Well we started of slow, and we started catching a few mangroves, here and there.

We broke some bruisers off. Finally moved to another platform... When 3 nice ling came up.. We hooked into one; when about 4 blacktip sharks came calling.. I had thrown a jigg to one of the other cobia.. and a black tip inhaled it.. Give my rod to another crew member.. and I gaffed the other cobia..

Anyway this went on all day.. Ended with some stud groves, and 3 awesome ling..

Sunday morning... Didn't check the weather again Saturday night, BAD move..

Got down to PI.. Wind was whipping.. I got on my phone, check the forecast.. It was calling for 8-10 MPH.. But picking up in the afternoon...

It was blowing 14-18 MPH.. Seas were ok until we got 35 miles out.. Wind had picked up a little more.. and it was a good 4-5 ' seas with a 6' mixed in for good measure just to make us miserable...

After getting hammered trying to sett the boat up.. We give up after fishing 2.5 miserable hrs... Did catch some nice red snaps , and broke off at least 12-15 fish...Just couldn't place boat in proper position...

Took us 2 hrs to come back in.. We stopped at the canal and washed FinChaser..

Cleaned up at a friends Camp.... Off to the weigh in ... We weighed in 5 mangrove that went 45# with the best going 10.8# which was in 1st place..

Had First and 3rd Ling with the best going 42.. We got bumped to 2nd a little later on.. They were NOT giving any 3rd place awrds.

Here where I was a little upset.. They had another boat that came in an weighed fish.. They had a red snap that went 18#.. Judges didn't ask him if it was caught in State Waters.....

We didn't keep any red snaps and no else weighed any in the offshore division...

SO that bumped out 10.8# mangrove out of 1 st as the catergory was for Snapper .... But this is a benefit tourney.. with just prize prizes... But my competitive nature.. I was upset.. Plus they were fishing a 30 offshore boat..

Anyway I was not going to keep any red snaps 35 miles offshore.. and Chance getting checked by WLF... Not worth lossing my 50K Triton over..

But our 5 fish aggregate MG snaps weight was a tourny record. Along with 2 second place for Mangrove and Cobia. .. Give us Best Offshore Boat honors...

We also weighted a king that give us a few points too.

Thanks GO out to My outstanding crew... We Fished HARD.. And WE Made it Happen out of my 24' Triton LTS, FinChaser....

Eric Quirk, AKA Crawl79 on SC from Washington.. And very longtime friend Rick Upton from Abbeville...

Here's a few Pic.'s.

[Crawl79]

Had a great trip and met some great people. Worked hard for our fish but listened to Capt. Gunner and his experience paid off for us. Every time I fish with him learn something new.

Was a fun tournament and hopefully will make it back next year!

[jpeff31787]

geez! went that far out on Sunday in a triton! Thats impressive, how fast were yall able to go?

BTW that red snapper seems like BS to me too

[biggun]

Triton is the Bomb... Built like a TANK.. Only 24' fiberglass boat I'd own... Going out 18-19 mph. Coming in; about the same..

[Crawl79]

Originally Posted by jpeff31787

BTW that red snapper seems like BS to me too

I was upset myself knowing we worked hard and caught our fish legally but it was a family and friends type tournament so could only smile and know we deserved 1st.

Someone on that boat mentioned fishing in Blue water. Blue water was no where near 35 miles this weekend. Much less 10miles....
I don't agree with the federal snapper season regs but until we can change them we have to play by the rules especially in a tournament where honor plays a big part, no matter what the prizes are.

[jpeff31787]

Originally Posted by biggun

Triton is the Bomb... Built like a TANK.. Only 24' fiberglass boat I'd own... Going out 18-19 mph. Coming in; about the same..

Oh I know, I've driven one before! They are awesome boats. We went out of vbay sunday, and that's how fast we were going in our nautic star 224. The waves were RIDICULOUS! Similar to what you had posted, but I turned it around and went back toward the island. It would have been tough just anchoring in all that, and not necessarily easy to trout fish in. We still caught loads of trout, just not the right size. We were happy though.