Venice, LA 2/29 and 3/1/2008 by Capt Rob

[rbhankins001]

Well, NOAA said Friday would be 2-4 seas. Yeah right. Try 2+4 and getting bigger as the day went on. We were lucky we got invited to go on a 37' custom catamaran instead of my Cape Horn or else we would have got are butts kicked even worse than we did. On board was my friend and co-worker from Alaska (one of the best Capt's around) and two river pilots and one wife and deckhand / up and coming attorney. Decided to bottom fish for AJ's and deep drop for grouper in the snotty conditions. First stop and it was AJ after AJ, with the biggest around 55-60 pounds. We then finished up with those and went deep dropping with the kristal electric reel. Pulled up a nice red snapper (season closed) from 500' down. Every other drop we just couldn't get the grouper. At this point we took one wave over the transom but just barely. Few minutes later we took a good one over the transom and decided we might better start heading in. So we headed north with sore arms and a bumpy ride home. Most charter boats were in when we got there as well. I saw two come in after us.

Saturday we almost didn't go figuring the forecasted 1-3 wasn't gonna happen as it was still blowing 15-20 kts until about 10pm. Then the gnats came out! No wind at all. We made the run and it was 2 footers out about 40-45 nm from the pass and then 3-4 after that and it was windy way out there and building seas. We managed around 15 small blackfin tuna (didn't really count) and 2 more that were cut in half courtesy of a big cuda. We hooked two yellowfins, straightened the hook on one and broke the 60 lb flouro on the other. At this point we were a long ways out and with the wind and seas building we headed in a little closer to another floater and it was the same thing with only blackfins and one undersized yellowfin. Could have been better, but it was a great day on the water none the less.

See you out there next week!

-Rob

P.S. Conger I know your arms are still sore! haha!

P.S.S. This was my buddy's first warm water fishing EVER.

[bluffman2]

nice report there Rob...glad you were able to put your friend on some fish...

[welder]

Great report Rob , now get that nice Lady a shorter butt, rod.

[tunatic]

Hey Rob

Is that the Cat that was built in Bucktown? Twin diesels? I know some of their friends.

[rbhankins001]

Hey Brent,

Yes, that's the one. The sponson design is based on the GB hull. It is a very impressive boat in all aspects. They built it themselves in 2 years. Great platform. Fuel burn was 16-20 gph (for both 6 cyl yanmars) giving us a cruise of 22 mph and could maintain that speed most of the time even in that slop.

As for those guys and their friends they are some of the nicest people I've come across. They invited us for dinner and drinks and didn't even really know us.

Anyways, I'm gonna run another trip real soon, especially once 3/15 rolls by and I can get some gags loaded up. When you going next?

P.S. You must know some people at Puglia's too, huh? I recognized your transom in some pics over there . . .

Tight lines.

-Rob

[Capt. Fred]

Man what a beautiful snapper. Did you have to throw it back? ("closed season"?) If so- Bummer!

[tunatic]

With the way the weather is looking this week, I need to take off my axle to get a spindle fixed. I may try for a weekday next week.

As for Puglia's, yea that is my boat. I noticed them one day and realized that they were brought in by others that were on my boat. I have come to know Anthony fairly well after spending so much of my money there.

How is your new boat working out for you?

Brent