I made it home from the Key's!!

[macojoe]

Got home last night about 2am, and have been trying to cooperate!! Not a lot of sleep and what we had was little!!

Arrived at Key West at 5 pm Thursday, After a 5 hour ride from Ft.L, made many stops and saw the local people, they were cute!!
O wait!! Here are a few now!!
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This Female (I hope) took a likening to me!!

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I think we were becoming the talk around town and decided to get out of there!!

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Also stopped at the Wide World of Sports to get some tackle, which we did not need, Should have bought hooks!

So off we go and stopped at some restaurant that feed there own wild Tarpon!! There they sit just waiting for food, and they are great sizes!!

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Off we went and ck'ed out the boat, then it was off to get something to eat!
Got down town and we were kind of in a rush as we didn't want to miss the boat. But I did at least see Sloppy Joes!!

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We walked all over to see as much as we could before heading back to the boat :sad:

We decided to get a sandwich at a shop and get back to the boat, we would come for dinner when we got back in on Sunday. YEA RIGHT!

So we get on board get all are stuff toghter and settle in, then the Capt came on said it was windy an it was going to lay down in a whike and we would not leave till 2 am.

I say to my to buddy's Lets go!! Party Time!! They said no way, you be drunk and grabbing the local talent, then we all miss the boat!
I said she missed me and was cleaning up for a hot date as we spoke!!

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So we stayed on the boat and went to sleep, 3 guys. no wives or kids, strip places all over and we are going to be d in the hold of a boat :head:

So as the Cat said 2 am we off! the next morning was a bit wavy but just fine!

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This is Mark on the left and Henry on the right

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Here is Henry & I with a couple of Porgys

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Mark & Henry doing some night fishing

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There were lots of fish, lots of Yellow Tails, Yellow eyes, red snapper, Porgy, Mutton. there were so many that I can't even remember them all!
And this was along the whole trip!!

One morning we saw a school of Bonito, it was huge and not time for the camera!
One night there were a school of ten or better Mahi Mahi they would take nothing offered and stayed away.

Then there were the Flying fish! I was sitting at one point and I here JOE!!!!! I looked and BAM, one flew right into the wall 3 inches from my head!! Funny stuff!!

Henry's on, gets a small Grouper

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So I get up in the morning, catch the biggest Mutton of the trip comes to the top and there Hooks sucked!! Guy said thats easy 20 pounder!! Just as the mate goes to gaff it the hook lets go and the fish is just floating!
Mate grabs the 12 foot long gaff and if there was ever a time I wish I had 3 inches more this was it! Just could not reach it.
A guy comes over with a Buck Tail gig and cast right on top! Try to snag it and it wakes up and is gone!
Man I was POed!!

O well just 20 min later I got a few small hits, something was playing?? I got fed up with it thinking it was something small, locked the real and set the hook BAM I was on!

What a fight, I had all I could do to hang on! I was sure glad that Henry had brought a small pack of Gammy Hooks with him, cause I was mad about losing that other Mutton to a dull hook and he gave me a good one just before this!

We were using Penn 113, 50# Test, and 5/0 rods, heavy stuff!! and I was bent over hard!!

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That thing had me from the side of the boat to the rear and back to the rear corner!!

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Here she comes!
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And here she is the winner of the pool and $240 to me!



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35# Black Grouper, Nice foght!! Its the biggest Tog I ever caught.

I have a bunch more random shots I will try to post later!!

[tsubaki]

You suck, you just suck.
MJ that is about the best post I can remember you making ever (well except the rogue wave)!!

[whale]

Awesome fish!!!!

[TunaHead]

GREAT post MJ. The rest of you guys take note... That is how a trip report should be made. Congrats on winning the pool! How much did you end up bringing back?

[Mac_Attack]

Gad you had a great time. Looks like a lot of fun. Now the bad news the Pats Lost! Sorry :beer:Billy Mac

[Sean]

Congratts on a great trip, and special congratts for taking the pool!!!! Sounds like you guys had a blast!!!
35# Tog, if only :oh:
Do the groupers fight like Tog?

[lumberslinger178]

:happy::happy:nice work there mj looks like a nice trip and good weather:sun:

[whale]

Congratts on a great trip, and special congratts for taking the pool!!!! Sounds like you guys had a blast!!!
35# Tog, if only :oh:
Do the groupers fight like Tog?

I have never caught any big grouper but when I went on a party boat in Fort Myers last year the mate told me they run for the rocks once they are hooked.....so in that sense they are like the tog! I only caught a small one and lots of snapper and ones they called "spottails" but I "think" I had a bigger grouper on briefly and he buried himself quickly on me....lost him.

[mushman]

Wow, pulling up your winner the water looks so blue it looks like a blue hawaiian.Congrats on the pool winner.Nice job.

[macojoe]

Thanks guys!!

Tuna, the pool was $240, and I have like 30 pounds of meat, we caught over 150# of fish but trying to get it on the plane, and that most was Yellow tail that doesn't freeze well we gave all but the Groupers to others.

Sean & Whale

Think of them as fighters like the tog, and yes you need to be fast to keep them out the rocks!!
But 100 times more fight then the biggest Tog you ever caught!! Bet it took me 15+ min to get him in!! He had me doubled over hard!! Glad I am a heavy weight!! or he might have made me go for a swim!!

Mushman, That water is so blue it looks fake!!

[phatdaddy]

MJ was that a Tortuga trip? how long were you out? Its probably a good thing you didn't got out on the town, they got some stuff down there Ajax won't wash off.

[macojoe]

Just other Random stuff.

Mark wit a grouper and Nichole the deck mate

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[macojoe]

phatdaddy

Yes Tortuga trip!! 3 nights 4 days, but the 4th day was most traveling to home port.

[parishht]

Looks like you had a great trip,
wish I could go.:drool::drool::drool:

[phatdaddy]

I worked at the dry tortugas for a contractor who was remodeling the ranger quarters in the fort. we camped outside the fort for about 3 months. its a great fishing destination. great pics & report.

[nipper]

Thanks for the pictures, MJ. They brighten up a cold dreary midwest U.S. day.

[C YENSEN]

Awesome man. makes me want to go on vacation:clap:

[Pipe_Dream]

Great report, great fish, great pics!

I wanna go back...to the island
where the shrimp boats tie up to the pilin'
Give me oysters and beer
for dinner every day of the year
and I'll feel fine, I'll feel fine...

http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Jimmy-Buffett/Tin-Cup-Chalice.html

My trips to the Keys (the first one being about 25 years ago) inspired me to move to the coast. I didn't quite make it to the Keys, but I did get to salt water. :-)

[randlemanboater]

:clap:Super report MJ. Now you know why us Southerners go for the bottom fish all the time. Just wait til you eat some of that Grouper, sautee'd in real butter with a little lemonpepper. MMMMM MMMMMM!!!!

[THEFERMANATOR]

I eat my grouper fried only in corn meal. NICE GROUPER! I've never managed to haul one up that big.

[macojoe]

Thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!

I will try it both ways!!

[Blue_Runner]

MJ - that is cool as crap man. Dang ya'll had blast. Sweeeet black grouper. I know you about soiled your draws when you saw that beast!

P.S. Did anybody mate with the deck mate Nichole?
:sun:

[macojoe]

Blue_Runner MJ - that is cool as crap man. Dang ya'll had blast. Sweeeet black grouper. I know you about soiled your draws when you saw that beast!

P.S. Did anybody mate with the deck mate Nichole?

She was all over Henry! And at first Henry was all over her but when the third day came by and she had the same shorts and no shower he said no way!!
I said go for it!! He say NONONO!! HaHaHa!!
She did hug and kiss his face, but he no did it back, said he hated her touch cause of the dirt!
I said you no prize right now either!! Funny stuff!! She was a cute girl and did not belong, wonder what her deal was??

[Blue_Runner]

Photo on the Night Stand
After a long hard day of fishing, Henry and deck mate Nicole head down below to make love. Henry notices a photo of another man on Nicole's nightstand by the forward bunk (along with a noticeably strong stench of fresh tuna permeating from beneath the sheets).
Henry begins to worry. 'Is this your husband?' He nervously asks.

'No, silly,' Nicole replies, snuggling up to him.

'Your boyfriend, then?' He continues.'No, not at all,' She says, nibbling away at his ear.

'Is it your dad or your brother?' He inquires, hoping to be reassured.

'No, no, no! You are so hot when you're jealous!'
She answers.

'Well, who in the hell is he, then?' He demands.

She whispers in his ear 'That's me before the surgery.'

So surprised by this revalation, Henry decides to employ a unique two handed massage on Nicole's adam's apple until she falls into a long, deep sleep....forever.

[macojoe]

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just changed the name to Nichole and sent to Henry!!

[Blue_Runner]

I meant to say Nicole....duh! Shelly was the other chic I was harassing you about....

My memory is starting to fail! :head:

I will edit the above.

[Blue_Runner]

Ok, I edited again and spiced it up a bit just for Henry....you might have to send it to him again.
:butt:

[THEFERMANATOR]

The last time I went out on a charter boat to the TORTUGAS there was a female mate on board. She didn't look like she belonged either, until she came out in her bikini top and had some of the biggest muscles on the boat. I think it's the whole bra burning thing.

[tsubaki]

GREAT POST with the second round of pictures!!
I'm suprised you didn't at least pick up a couple of shirts from Sloppy Joes, Crabby Dicks or some of the other places on the street.
Dang a female mate (did I tell you, you suck?).
You sure pulled a great trip MJ, Great trip!!
:happy::happy:

[Blue_Runner]

Female mates work on Head boats....thats why they call it a Head boat. :sun:

[willy]

Good job MJ, I love that place down there. Shame you did not get to spend some time at some of the clubs, good times happen often.
Congrats on winning the pool there Wind Talker:clap:

[Blue_Runner]

Good job MJ, I love that place down there. Shame you did not get to spend some time at some of the clubs, good times happen often.
Congrats on winning the pool there Wind Talker:clap:
No kidding, that's a fine job on the big fish. Were you using the same bait as everyone else?

[macojoe]

They were all using different stuff, frozen Squid, iced down google eyes, fresh flying fish, fresh Yellow eyes, frozen ballo or something like that?

I was using fresh caught butterflied yellow tail.

[randlemanboater]

About what does it cost for a trip like that MJ? Just the boat part.

[macojoe]

The boat was $410+ Tax, Thats for 3 days.

Its extra for your food, $5+ for breakfast, $5+ for Lunch, $9 for Dinner

Rod rental $10 Hooks, Leaders, and Swivels Free, sinkers $2 each. Hooks suck!! Bring your own!!

Also bring a Spinning out fit to catch bait. Them Yellow Tails are a blast on light gear when you have 2 at a time!


We got a deal of the century on are airline tickets thur Spirit, $180 round trip from Boston to Ft. L

We rented a car and drove the 4 hours to Key West so we can see a lot more! Besides to fly into the Keys was like another $200 added to the bill!

We bought a case of bottled water for the boat and snacks at the store.

Plane & Boat $650, Food on boat $60, Tip for crew $50, My own snacks $20, Dinner before and after the plane $40 ? Gas in car split X3 $15, Car rental?? Buddy paided.

Total $835 - Winning $250 Pool = $585

[randlemanboater]

You can't beat that......enjoy the grouper tonight.