First Tortugas trip this year

[firehuntfish]

Here are a few pics from my first trip in the Dry Tortugas this year. We usually try and plan our trips from May through August to catch the calm summer weather... LOL... That didn't work out so well.... The forecast for 1-3' seas, sunshine, and a gentle southeast breeze was replaced with 6-8' seas, rain squalls, and wind blowing to 25 knots. It was a sloppy mess, and tough conditions to bottom fish. Still, if you were willing to grind it out through the weather, there was some nice fish to be caught.

The highlight of my trip was the chance to spend some time with my nephew who is a fanatical hunter and fisherman. We caught a dozen big mutton snappers, 8 nice groupers, and a big assortment of other snapper and grouper species to round out the catch. The big fish on the boat was a 40 lb. Black Grouper that my nephew caught. It was the pool winner, but my nephew didn't even cut in his favorite uncle in on his winnings.

I also caught a mangrove snapper that weighed 9 lbs. For those of you familiar with mangroves, that is a monster! Hopefully, it will be better weather for next month's trip. Genuine red snappers will be open.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Looks awesome! I must make it there one day, passed on a trip there two years ago with a hot blonde because my hot redhead would have not been impressed! Lol

 

[Ridgewalker]

I had no idea mangrove snappers got anywhere near that big!
Wow! There's some fine eating there!

 

[Rob404]

After living in the Middle Keys and being a Sous Chef in Restaurant all I can say is YUM

 

[firehuntfish]

After living in the Middle Keys and being a Sous Chef in Restaurant all I can say is YUM

Rob404,

Do you have a good recipe for key lime butter sauce that you would like to share??

 

[billc]

very nice one of these days I am going saltwater fishing.

 

[gillettehunter]

How about a AH group fishing trip? Looks like a lot of fun and a lot of very good eating! Congrats. Bruce

 

[Ridgewalker]

Not sure my old stomach could handle 6-8' seas, although I have been caught out in 2-3' with a 22 knot headwind in my kayak! It was exhausting! I was young then at only 65.

 

[CAustin]

You guys caught some big ones!

 

[Rob404]

Rob404,

Do you have a good recipe for key lime butter sauce that you would like to share??

It's been a while,Let me do some scrounging, but if I remember a White wine reduction with Butter, Shallots, Fresh Garlic, Key Lime and Zest would work in a pinch.
I used a compound Butter with the same ingredients (refrigerated) added to fish at service time, I used to fish the Flats on the Gulf side off of Marathon or take a Head Boat(the Marathon Lady) to fish the Reefs oceanside for Yellow Tail and Grunts

 

[Rob404]

How about a AH group fishing trip? Looks like a lot of fun and a lot of very good eating! Congrats. Bruce

I used to drink in some great shitholes in Marathon.

 

[Ragman]

Awesome! Some day I'm gonna go saltwater fishing!

 

[firehuntfish]

It's been a while,Let me do some scrounging, but if I remember a White wine reduction with Butter, Shallots, Fresh Garlic, Key Lime and Zest would work in a pinch.
I used a compound Butter with the same ingredients (refrigerated) added to fish at service time, I used to fish the Flats on the Gulf side off of Marathon or take a Head Boat(the Marathon Lady) to fish the Reefs oceanside for Yellow Tail and Grunts

Sounds wonderful... Thanks! I will try it out.

I used to drink in some great shitholes in Marathon.

LMFAO! I've probably been in 1 or 2 of those myself...

 

[firehuntfish]

How about a AH group fishing trip? Looks like a lot of fun and a lot of very good eating! Congrats. Bruce

Now that would be a hoot! We can do it. The group I go with is a private charter. They go once a month all year long. I usually opt for the calm months of summer. The boat is 100' steel hull with a chef, bunks and cold a/c.... Getting your fish back home would be the challenge though...

 

[Rob404]

I let my girlfriend go fishing with some pals of mine and all she came back with was a Red Snapper

 

[Rob404]

Sounds wonderful... Thanks! I will try it out.



LMFAO! I've probably been in 1 or 2 of those myself...

I walked in a bar called DJs Dog house to get a little hair of the dog one morning and there was a girl sitting there with a heater in one hand a Budweiser in the other and a baby on the Tit,,only in the Keys

 

[cpr0312]

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

 

[firehuntfish]

I walked in a bar called DJs Dog house to get a little hair of the dog one morning and there was a girl sitting there with a heater in one hand a Budweiser in the other and a baby on the Tit,,only in the Keys

LOL... Yep, that's the Keys... It hasn't changed in that regard...