Yesterdays offshore report

[biggun]

Hi guys..

Make it out to 32 mile out of rollover yesterday morning..

Make several dives .. one big snapper.. Snaps have been hammered where we been going. water so clean they been going way outside of platform..


After 1 st dive, move to big main platform...It's black as far a the eyes could see to the east and SE.

We decide to hook up down wind of platform behind well conductor risers..

Wind got to 30-35 knots... It was raining sideways...seas got to 4-5'.. let out about 75' of rope.. Finchaser just bobbed like a cork..

Actually the rises were so close together it knocked the seas down to about 2-3'.

No lightening though..

We ended with one nice cobia.. 3 nice snaps..

Well THIS IS WHERE I CALL SOMEONE OUT...

We are leaving and my guys are putting gear away as I idled from the platform...

After about 100 yds, we see white things floating all over the place in the distance..

Go over to see what it is and it's very legal snapps 17-20".. The boat had just left that the fish were in line with..

They tie up to a platform north of us.. As we pass down current from them..

There some more floatin..

BTW..

I've seen this 24' bayboat fishing trout at Tiger Shoals.. It's a 24'-25' Yellow Hull Seachaser, Susuki 4 stroke, with a marroon t-top...... talon or powerpole???

Anyone on here know who this is???

AS for as I'm concerned; anyone who doesn't know how to release a snapper properly should not be fishing them..

They are LOWWW LIFES.. and F-- ing azzzholes. What F ----- ing douse bags.... I'm sure they had not landing permits, or were NOT using circle hooks...

People like these are the reason we have a 2 snap limit... So if u are a member on here; just know game wardens MAY BE are looking for U...

Ok I'm off my rant...

[rardoin]

"AS for as I'm concerned; anyone who doesn't know how to release a snapper properly should not be fishing them..

They are LOWWW LIFES.. and F-- ing azzzholes. What F ----- ing douse bags.... I'm sure they had not landing permits, or were NOT using circle hooks...

People like these are the reason we have a 2 snap limit... So if u are a member on here; just know game wardens MAY BE are looking for U..."

While I agree that there is a proper way to release snapper (even though I have seen no properly performed controlled and repeated studies that a "proper" release has any effect, positive or negative, on the population) in all likelyhood the guys you are upset at are likely doing us all a favor. They are not the reason for the 2 fish limit...to the contrary...the limit makes snapper fishermen more likely to cull "smaller" fish to try to get 2 fish that make an offshore run worthwhile. I have fished the offshore waters for snapper and other reef fish as well as pelagics for over 40 years. I, as many of us here, can recall the days when you were lucky to catch a 10lb+ snapper and a 5 lb fish was not a given on any trip. The saying back in the 70's and early 80's was "you have to get past the triggerfish and amberjack to reach the snapper". Now you have a severe overpopulation of snapper (most likely due to a combination of TED's on the trawls and the ridiculous limits/total allowable catch/season) to the detriment of grouper, amberjack, and yes, even the lowly triggerfish. While the cull you witnessed was disturbing to see it is likely to have a positive impact on the reef fish population as a whole. The culprit in all this mess is the NMFS and the anti-fishers that have their ear/pocket. Rant off...flame away

I now fish inland/coastal waters where such matters of limits are not controversial.

[Mako19]

Thanks for the report. I have been wanting to make an offsgore trip from that side of the state but always end up heading east instead to waters i am more familiar with.

That sounds like some pretty hairy stuff about that storm catching ya'll. Last week out of Grand Isle a pretty bad storm looked like it was headed our way while we were tied up to a platform 40 miles out.

There was a lot of discussion as to whether we should untie and try to run from it or stay tied up and ride it out. I always feel better when we are tied to a rig out there in case of a breakdown or any other issues with the boat. We ended up making the decision to stay tied up but the storm missed us by a few miles anyway.

That's pretty crappy about that guy killing all of those snapper. Venting is too easy to not do it and kill the fish. We released around 30 snapper last week and I only remember 1 maybe 2 that didn't go back down when we vented and released them. Now, if they lived more than a few hours after that....I have no idea.

[biggun]

Mr. Ardion

I agree with U some what..Only somewhat...I've been fishing for over 50 yrs offshore.. Use to remember when we could catch 1500-2000# of snapper in a single over night trip with 8 peps on the boat fishing wrecks/rocks etc.

Like mako said.. I can release a snapper by throwing in head first and down an almost be assured they go back down... It was only 73' of water. If they used J hooks, and hooked them deep. well u know what happens. I still vent them if there swim bladder is out of of there mouth... There is Science on Berotrama... It's very inconclusive whether it helps or not....

What happens after that, no one can say.. I know I have not seen any snaps float behind my boat...

Enough said.

[cmac23]

Red Snapper are a Nuisance!
Season should be 365 days with a 10-fish limit to weed some of them out!
Sure would help the economy, especially retail establishments that cater to the recreational fishing community!!!
Ridiculous regulations are the cause of people trying to cull and not care about venting. Most fish caught in 75ft or less don't need to be vented, but I do agree, should be using circle hooks.