Here are videos of some unexpected catches this week. One is a Mobula Ray, also known as a "Devil Ray," which is in the same family as the larger Manta Rays. This one was big enough and put up a tremendous fight, to be battled and caught solo by a 13 year old. I didn't count but I can tell you this thing jumped 15 if not 20 times during the fight, put on a spectacular aerial performance and remained hooked up. Smaller but still of note was a surprise bluefish which I aptly call a "Saltwater Piranha." These chompers will take every opportunity to bite you, and they don't bite just once, but usually in series. My fingers hurt just typing about it. You'll want to keep yours clear of a bluefish's mouth at all times. Check out the video where I mention the nickname "Piranha" and the angler suddenly decides *not* to hold the fish.

Weather conditions were near optimal, with temps in the high 60s to start (at 7am) and low to mid 70s by the end of the morning. A decent breeze from the south kept us comfortable, although a couple times it gusted well in the 20s but not bad for the spots we picked. Had a real nice family from TN on board today with a couple teenage baseball players looking for some excitement. It took some patience, but they were finally rewarded with some great action from several bonnethead sharks and a NICE bull redfish. While we don’t expect bull reds every trip, we’re always hoping for them this time of year. This one put up a great fight and swam away strong after a quick photo shoot. These are seriously trophy fish, and we’re lucky to have them around. That’s why the “keeper” size limit is between 15-23 inches, allowing the mature adults to keep growing for a highly sustainable fishery. Certain times of the tidal cycle present the best opportunity for bull reds (combined with specific locations) so if this is something you’d like to go for, please let us know and we might suggest adjusting your trip timing to the most ideal range.

Picked up our first shark of the season, a bonnehtead. These are the smallest member of the hammerhead family, reaching lengths of about 4-5 ft, and ours today was a young female at about 3 ft. Probably our favorite inshore shark, put up a good fight on light tackle and they usually smile for a photo, a crowd pleaser for sure!