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Most will tell you to avoid fishing around the full moon. Well, I guess I let that go in one ear and out the other, because I was boarding the famous Yankee Capts out of Key West, FL for a 2 day fishing excursion. I wasn't going to let a little thing like a full moon get in the way.....lol, well it kinda did. The fishing was tough and the 20 man crew was able to scratch out a decent result. Catches included Grey Tile, Yellow Edge Grouper, Blackfin Snapper, Snowy Grouper, Blackfin Tuna, Red Grouper, Mutton Snapper, Vermillion Snapper, Scamp Grouper, Yellow Eye Snapper and Queen Snapper.......oh, and one type large Black Grouper.
This was my first Yankee Capts trip, and it did not disappoint. Boat was spotless, and all the crew were on point. They really couldn't do a thing more to make the experience a better one. Captain Greg put us on the fish and was trying to coach us from above. Guys fishing bait were using 3 to 5 lbs of lead. The mates, Bryan, Matt, and Scott, busted their hinny's and were incredibly helpful. They were on every gaff shot, tangle, and reef snag with the quickness. They gave great advice on tackle and techniques, unfortunately some people don't listen.
Myself and my buddy Bryan (brn2surf) were doing our best to produce on the jig. We both bagged grouper, snapper and tuna on the jig. We were mostly fishing depths of 500 to 600 ft. Our shallowest spots were maybe 400' and the deepest, being 800'. Again the strong tide provided a challenge, as we had to use jigs heavier than we'd like too. Jig range was 260g to 750g, on the jigs used. Some jigs, like the Sea Floor Control (SFC) Arc, proved to be fast sinking in the heavy water and allowed us to fish a little lighter. Most of my catches were on the SFC Arc 320 gram.
By the end of the trip, I felt like everybody had a good time and was satisfied with the effort put in and the end result. The highlight of my trip was catching a 72 lb Black Grouper, which is probably the best fish of my lifetime. The Marine Research Scientist back at the dock, said the fish was probably close to 50 years old! Dang! Wow what a dream come true! I certainly look forward to my next Pulley Ridge trip and I will be a little more prepared the next go around. There was some definite learning going on. I highly recommend you guys getting one of these very special trips and fishing aboard the Yankee Capts.
Tackle used for most of the trip (jig wise that is)
Rod: Evergreen Poseidon High Pitch Jerker PHPJ 410
Reel: Shimano Torsa 16
Line: Berkley Fireline 30 lb
Leader: Yo Zuri Pink Flourocarbon 50 lb
Jig: Sea Seafloor Control Arc 320g Gold/Pear Zebra Glow
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Here is the weigh in on the scale for the grouper
![Hat Gas T-shirt Fish Butcher]()
Here is the culprit or my accomplice...lol. The jig is now retired!
![Fish hook Bait Fishing bait Fishing lure Artificial fly]()
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This was my first Yankee Capts trip, and it did not disappoint. Boat was spotless, and all the crew were on point. They really couldn't do a thing more to make the experience a better one. Captain Greg put us on the fish and was trying to coach us from above. Guys fishing bait were using 3 to 5 lbs of lead. The mates, Bryan, Matt, and Scott, busted their hinny's and were incredibly helpful. They were on every gaff shot, tangle, and reef snag with the quickness. They gave great advice on tackle and techniques, unfortunately some people don't listen.
Myself and my buddy Bryan (brn2surf) were doing our best to produce on the jig. We both bagged grouper, snapper and tuna on the jig. We were mostly fishing depths of 500 to 600 ft. Our shallowest spots were maybe 400' and the deepest, being 800'. Again the strong tide provided a challenge, as we had to use jigs heavier than we'd like too. Jig range was 260g to 750g, on the jigs used. Some jigs, like the Sea Floor Control (SFC) Arc, proved to be fast sinking in the heavy water and allowed us to fish a little lighter. Most of my catches were on the SFC Arc 320 gram.
By the end of the trip, I felt like everybody had a good time and was satisfied with the effort put in and the end result. The highlight of my trip was catching a 72 lb Black Grouper, which is probably the best fish of my lifetime. The Marine Research Scientist back at the dock, said the fish was probably close to 50 years old! Dang! Wow what a dream come true! I certainly look forward to my next Pulley Ridge trip and I will be a little more prepared the next go around. There was some definite learning going on. I highly recommend you guys getting one of these very special trips and fishing aboard the Yankee Capts.
Tackle used for most of the trip (jig wise that is)
Rod: Evergreen Poseidon High Pitch Jerker PHPJ 410
Reel: Shimano Torsa 16
Line: Berkley Fireline 30 lb
Leader: Yo Zuri Pink Flourocarbon 50 lb
Jig: Sea Seafloor Control Arc 320g Gold/Pear Zebra Glow
Here is the weigh in on the scale for the grouper
Here is the culprit or my accomplice...lol. The jig is now retired!
