The Edge - Jupiter, Florida
(561)746-0032
Part 2
July 22-25, 1999
How we could beat the first day was beyond me...but it was a time for speedsters on light gear. We're talking Screaming reels. George had taken us out a few miles out to deeper water, where the water is turqouise, absolutely gin clear, and full of life. The bait that we had netted earlier were put to the test. As you throw out the bait, they have no place to hide but right under your boat...hint, hint! So you throw your chum out and bring the prey to you. When their little beedy eyes see the live bait they hang right to the boat, bonita to 15lbs.
Now it's time for a little fun! Yours truly took hand fulls of spearing with my bait in the mix, tossed them in at the same time and let them drift with the rest of the chum slick. Just let your line drift at the same speed and watch your line tighten up, close your reel and nail that hot rod. Now watch your reel empty out as it sings through the water setting it on fire! God, I love this kind of fishing. This sort of fishing will test your skills. If you don't, your tight line will go bing pop and the tuna will be on its way to Mexico on the express. I landed some of these neon blue mini tuna on speed. One after another, just couldn't get enough of the action.
Now as for "crazy" Alberto, he whips out his brand, spanking new Goldberg special fly rod and puts that little baby to work. Captain George had those fish in a nice bail right off the back of the boat as Al tossed his fly.
To be honest about matters, they were not taking. The fly he was tossing looked like a perfect match, but those speedsters were not going for it. So Al decided to scale down in size big time that, as we say, was the ticket to the show. He was on in a heart beat. The first one hit with such force it popped his line before he could even react. Alberto tied on another nice one too tasty to be tossed out, but this time he had their number. And what a great fight he had, for at least 15 minutes and in it came at least 12 lbs, no bragging. Al was stoked, so out with a nice long sweet cast and on again. He was smiling from ear to ear and having a blast.
Where is Mike during all of this action? Where do you think, below filming the whole scenario play by play. Well, things don't always go smoothly . Mike surfaced and asked us to please keep the tuna door open. He was having a little company below of a toothy persuasion...and no it wasn't a lawyer, but close. A big brown shark over 200 lbs. and on the feed. This definitely brought one idea to my mind...where's the big rod and reel and let's toss mister sharky some lunch. Well he wasn't interested, and the fish slowed down, so off we went to another spot.
There we trolled some live bait over for some jumbo baracuda on light spinning gear, what a blast! Those puppies can sure get air born. They were those new Michael Jordan air sneakers pumped to the max. So we tangled with them until the cuda's lost interest.
I could have called it a day right there and then, but George said it's time to get some special bait and go for some trophy snook. Translation, grunts is a fish snook hate. It's not a pretty sight. The snook will take them out in a heart beat over any other bait. And we purchased a few dozen or so and put those puppies to work. When we got in position right outside Jupiter's Inlet, George gave us the riot act on how to hook these fish with this bait. You really have to lay into them with a vengence. No sorta-kinda-hooking. Set the hook with feeling. Okay, the first line I had out I totally blew it. I thought I had set the hook well. George looked at me side ways. I said "okay, okay this time, no games." So as my line got sucked up I set that hook so hard I almost fell on my butt and I was on to a beautiful snook. Mom would have been proud!
Stay tuned for the conclusion of "Snook Doggy Dog"