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capt hoop · #1 06-19-2013, 09:55 AM

I got a call from a guy in Denver looking to take a ride to blue water and get some samples of blue water and grass. He works for US Geological Survey. He sent some equipment to my house by Fed-ex and some he brought with him. We loaded up and ran south till I found a weed line thanks to Alex of Super Strike who was already there. He saved me a little time. Once there he set up shop and went to work. The machine he was useing cost over 70 thousand dollars. I picked up 18 gallons of clean blue water for him to bring back to denver and study. He also collected some grass to bring back. His machine measured light readings through the sky, clouds, water, and in the grass.

The next 3 days I had on a private boat with Chris Anderson and his family. These 3 days started out like this.

It kind of set the tone for us with rough seas and a lot of wet clothing for the first 2 days. To add to the problems we we had to put up with the many sharks that made our fish fighting easy by ending it half way up.

The first day we could not get out for tuna and had to struggle for the our other fish. We did manage our red snapper and to add to the mix we had a yellowedge grouper and this bearded brotula.

This fish came from the bottom at over 300 feet and puked up a corn cob.

It also had sponge and other types of bottom feed inside to show us. Soon after several of us started to burn like we were handleing man of war jelly fish. The burn was also on our feet so I figure the water we threw on the deck to clean it had some baby jellys in it.

The second day they wanted to get a tuna. We fought the seas and looked in a lot of places. By the time they decided to give up on the tuna we had storms between us and the marina. We were over 60 miles from the nearest land and did not have a chance to fish for snapper. I ran back in through a few blinding thunder storms. Although very late it was a relief just to get back in safe.

On the third day we had better seas and were able to get into some fish. We started out getting some bait and set up our fishing. It was just nice to have calm seas. We loose a good tuna after a brief fight. After 2 days of nothing we are finaly into some fish. A short comes aboard which is a blessing after the last 2 days of wet rough junk with nothing yellow.

We hit that area hard but the sharks got too bad and drove us away.

Hind site I should have sucked it up and fought through all the toothy critters. I left the fish to look for more. I move 9 miles away and find tuna also. We got some bonito and throw the hook on a tuna that I figure to be a summer time 50-60 size one. After a good time fishing this area I wanted to go back to the first place but the customer wanted to run to a rig Eddie Burger had gone to. This was 22 miles in the other direction. It was his choice and the seas were calm so off we went. As we started to go there the water got worse looking but he still wanted to check it out seeing he went this far.

Almost there we find a weedline. It is not a promising one but we check it out anyway. While running along it playing I cast to a 8 inch cork floating several yards away from the line. A nice bull flys out and nails the frenzy popper and the fight is on. Before I could hand off the pole the fish was along side the boat so George gaffs it. In one smooth move he slings it into the fishbox. Only problem is I was between them and I got slapped by the fish with the popper in it's mouth. I did not get any pictures because I had to stop the bleeding. The hook went in and ripped out of my arm so quick that nobody saw it happen except me but they found out quickly as the blood started pumping out. Direct pressure stopped it and after a wrap up we were back to fishing.

The day was already late and only one in the box so far. Due to things happening this is when we got a picture.

After looking around and finding nothing we head in. about 30 miles in and very close to the pass I hit a rig that is enough out of the way that not many people go there. It paid off.

The fishing was constant. We threw back several ambejacks and got a few good snapper in the 15-18 pounds as well as a mangrove and an almico jack. By this time it was almost 6:00 so we called it. Not a meat haul but after the last 2 days an overall good day.

Takeing all the info and knowledge I gave them the last 3 days they went out alone and to the place we were at the day before and found the tuna that got away. It was a solid 60 -70 pounder They then went to some nearby rigs I told them about and got some nice snappers to end the stay in Venice.

Life is Good!
Fishing is not a matter of life or death. It's more important than that.

CAPT HOOP -- OUR FREEDOM