GEM Trip History

[bighead]

Can any of you OG's fill me in on the history of the GEM trip? I think I had read that it started over on the allcoast board but what year? Who was onboard for the first trip and who has been along since? What boats? How many trips have there been? Anybody have any old pics to post? bert

[Minnow]

GEM Started back in 2003 form Allcoast Gulfcoast board.
The boat was Akela from Freeport, TX.
First GEM trip participants:
1. TEX aka Scott Townson
2. Txseadog
3. Earl
4. DeepBlueGulf
5. McGolfer
6. Minnow.

Second GEM trip got canceled on 2004, rescheduled for 2005 aboard Necesity from Orange beach Alabama.
Participans:
1. McGolfer
2. Bret
3. Vic
4. Ragman
5. Niel (Vic's brother)
6 Vic's father ( sorry I can't rememmber his name)
7. DeepSeaGull
8. Minnow

[ksong]

Originally Posted by Minnow

Second GEM trip got canceled on 2004, rescheduled for 2005 aboard Necesity from Orange beach Alabama.

In fact, GEM had second trip out of Venice, LA in Jan, 2004.
You forgot about the trip ?

Ed, Dick and myself from NY/NJ joined the trip.

[Minnow]

Opppss, sorry I forgot about that trip . Thanks Kil for remind me on that trip.

I think I know why , because I didn't catch a single yft tuna on that trip

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

Here's a few shots from the 05 GEM trip (Gulf Exploration Mission)

A look at the cockpit at night.


A sail that Neil caught...


Bret's 9500 getting trashed by Vic


Ragman with a nice mahi


Weedline that we spent a great day trolling. McGolfer had a nice blue marlin oof this weedline

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

Originally Posted by ksong

In fact, GEM had second trip out of Venice, LA in Jan, 2004.
You forgot about the trip ?

Ed, Dick and myself from NY/NJ joined the trip.

One of the groups that fished the Venice GEM trip...

[DeepBlueGulf]

Actually, the GEM trips were an offshoot of the old Allcoast TAG trips! TAG meaning Texas Allcoast Gang. We did several trips on the Dolphin and Pelican with some great results! I was on the GEM 03 Trip and it was pretty awesome, the Akela was a wonderful fishing platform. I have some pics from all the trips and if I get a chance I'll post some up in the next few days.

Somewhere I still have an unused GEM T-Shirt! I'll look for it and maybe post a picture of it. It will never hold a candle to the TBB-06 Shirt! That is the most awesome shirt and trip of all!

Tom - DBG

[ksong]

My porta rail for jigging designed for the trip. Jigging tuna was not popular in Gulf of Mexico in 2004


Flfatboy and his spinning tackles. He was a true tackle-ho. He just disappeared after the trip.

[txseadog]

Originally Posted by Minnow

Opppss, sorry I forgot about that trip . Thanks Kil for remind me on that trip.

I think I know why , because I didn't catch a single yft tuna on that trip

Actually, that wasn't a GEM trip. The GEM trips are focused on exploration of new areas and/or techniques where the Winter Venice or GCT* (I forget what we call them but Gulf Coast Tuna something) trips are hardcore chunking at the Midnight Lumps in a quest for triple digit tuna. It still was a great trip none the less with 4 out of 12 people getting personal bests that topped the century mark.

Here are some pictures from the Gem03 trip that Minnow has in the Gallery.
Earl and Tex with a fish from an incredible bite at Ensco 7500


Minnow pinned to the rail.


Mcgolfer on a white marlin


Earl and I live baiting marlin with 80Ws.



My personal favorite, Ed Bass having a stroke with all the gear we brought.

[bighead]

Thanks for the great response guys! Since I'm a late comer to the GEM it's cool to see where it started. Anybody ever notice how Tony shows up in so many great pictures? I guess it just goes to show who's out there hittin it hard. Kil, those are some whopper YFT's. What boat was that Venice trip on? It's funny about internet friends that you can talk to them everyday and then they disappear. You never know if they were pissed off or maybe had health problems?? The Necesity sure has a beam on her! I've only fished a handful of sportfishers before but don't remember them being as wide or as deep a cockpit as that boat.