This winter, the weather has not been our friend. We have been forced to cancel too many of our fishing trips because of cold temperatures, windy conditions or rough seas. But, some clients have opted to enjoy an afternoon or sunset cruise. Sure, we would all like to be offshore fishing, but when it isnt safe, getting out in the water is still better than going to the movies. As you can see from the photos, these folks are enjoying a leisurely trip down the ICW and a short run out into the Gulf to watch the sun dip into the sea. An afternoon cruise works well, too. If you have friends or relatives coming to town, a two-hour cruise is a nice way to spend the afternoon together. Give us a call and we can get you out on the water.

Steve and his family braved the chilly weather and did a 3/4 day trip with Jose and I last week. They are from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, so a little cold doesn't bother them too much. With a 3/4 day trip, we are able to go a bit farther offshore and fish some deeper waters which gives us a better chance at a variety of bottom fish. We came in with a nice fish box of good-sized gray snapper and sent them off to dinner with some really good-eating fish. We fished in 70 ft. of water about 20 miles offshore on good limestone bottom which produced many too-small red grouper, a gag and a scamp. we also caught several good-sized triggerfish, but they are out of season, so back they went. The triggerfish are great fighters and even out of season, they are fun to catch. The wind and seas were light on the day we were out, so we were in shirtsleeves after lunch. All considered, a good day on the water!

On Saturday, Jan. 7, we ventured out to one of the local artificial reefs and trolled around just to see if there might be anything still hanging around. Sure enough, we tied into a double-header hook-up on the second pass. Bonita are a fun catch because they really fight hard and are a good size to deal with; they are not much on the table, although i understand that if prepared right, they can be good. We caught three nice one in two passes, then the bite cooled, so we went off to bottom fish near by.