Got a Good Fishing Story?

[chilerelleno]

No worries...just the tarpon were lockjawed that day....we had a banner day on our targeted species...limits of big red snapper, mangroves, and grouper. Also had 2 lemonfish boated....lost the third.

Tell me more about the Mangroves and Cobes.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Love the gold oyster shell medal...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Also had 2 lemonfish boated....lost the third.

Cobia is one of the best tasting fish in the ocean. Our limit is 1/person or 3/boat and must be 36" FL in state waters...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I have so many fishing stories, it's hard to pick one, but here's a crazy one...

A couple of years ago a friend and I were spot-locked bottom fishing in about 50'. We had 7 rods out when the 1st rod bent down. I grabbed it and the fish immediately took off and jerked the rod out of my hands. I was upset that I had lost a combo, but didn't have long to think about it as every other rod got bit almost at once. We had caught 5 in a row when the last rod got hit. My friend grabbed the rod and was fighting the fish and as it came up, he said he was wrapped up in another rod. Only problem was that there were no more rods out. I grabbed the line he had wrapped up in and yes, it was the rod that I had lost. We got the rod back AND the fish...

 

[clifish]

It is on my bucket list to catch a huge tarpon.....preferably on a fly rod. Been a dream since I was a kid.

When I was a kid my aunt's condo had a small lake that had small tarpon in it, I landed a few in the 20-30" range. When we were in Islamorada - FL keys several years ago the charter we took out went into shallow waters. Last float of the day and my rod was hit. I swear the tarpon jumped 6' out of the water and still did not get all the way out. I fought it for a while and it eventually took so much line out and broke off. They are a tough fish to sink the hook into and even tougher to land.

 

[gmc2003]

When I was a kid my aunt's condo had a small lake that had small tarpon in it, I landed a few in the 20-30" range. When we were in Islamorada - FL keys several years ago the charter we took out went into shallow waters. Last float of the day and my rod was hit. I swear the tarpon jumped 6' out of the water and still did not get all the way out. I fought it for a while and it eventually took so much line out and broke off. They are a tough fish to sink the hook into and even tougher to land.

Feed it lead weights. That should slow them down.

Chris

 

[fltsfshr]

I've caught lots of small tarpon (under 50#) on a fly rod. Biggest fly rod I have is a 12w. I usually use a 9w. Here's a pic I shot a couple weeks ago. 3 kinds of sharks and some tarpon all waiting for someone to throw them dinner. This was in Islamorada during lobster season.

 

[clifish]

I've caught lots of small tarpon (under 50#) on a fly rod. Biggest fly rod I have is a 12w. I usually use a 9w. Here's a pic I shot a couple weeks ago. 3 kinds of sharks and some tarpon all waiting for someone to throw them dinner. This was in Islamorada during lobster season.View attachment 645217View attachment 645218

where was that? I have been to a couple bars and restaurants there that had them lining up like that.

 

[zwiller]

Live on Sandusky Bay so I have a few but nothing as cool as you Ocean guys. Landed some BIG carp at young age. Standard story here are days when the bite is on and catching double headers of perch on a crappie rig. Fave fishing story is not mine but love telling it. Lake Erie is unique that the US Canadian border runs through it. No bouys or ANYTHING marking it. Group of Dad's friends head out and end up drifting in Canadian waters. Patrol catches them and proceeds to throw the book at them. Bunch of serious offenses, looking at jail, big fines, etc. This is WAY before GPS or cell phones. They called my Dad for help as his brother is a judge. My Dad was laughing... There were NOT. They made it out unscathed but had to hire lawyers to do it. Due to this invisible border, we were a big part of the bootlegging of Canadian whiskey during prohibition. Sorta funny as some "historians" here think we were a part of the underground railroad as many houses here have trap doors, tunnels connecting houses, and stuff like that. They fail to realize these houses were built in 1920's not 1820's. LOL

 

[civilsmoker]

No fishing stories..... only hunting flying fish stories .... LOL

 

[indaswamp]

We got the rod back AND the fish...

Dad had that happen to him, but he got his rod back the next day....
We were fishing one particular rig where we actually got oout onto the rig and were fishing in the center of the rig legs under the platform catching large speckled trout 3-5#. It was a hot day...not much wind. Dad had just landed one about 5# and had returned from putting it in the boat ice chest. Dropped his bait back down and immediately got bit. When he went to set the hook, the rod shot out of his hands like a sling shot from either fish slime or sweaty hands. fish just pulled it down.

Net day-first fish of the day was a 7# trout and the line from his rod was in the fishes mouth. He got the fish and his rod back.

 

[Bearcarver]

Biggest Fish I ever caught:
Hawaii, February, 1970.
Length---9' 4 1/2".
Weight---241 pounds.

This was in my younger skinnier days, not too long after sweating a lot
in the Jungles of Southeast Asia.
I went from Vietnam to a year in Hawaii, and we chartered a boat
for the 3 of us & our wives. The other 2 guys did most of the drinking,
and I did most of the reeling. So I did the cranking for the Marlin
& the Mahi Mahi in the picture, and one of the small 15/20 lb Tunas.
We had to quit at noon, and come in, because the boat didn't have
a cooler big enough for that Marlin. We had an Army blanket over it,
and dumped a bucket of Ocean water on it every few minutes, until we got back to the docks.

Bear

 

[clifish]

Biggest Fish I ever caught:
Hawaii, February, 1970.
Length---9' 4 1/2".
Weight---241 pounds.

This was in my younger skinnier days, not too long after sweating a lot
in the Jungles of Southeast Asia.
I went from Vietnam to a year in Hawaii, and we chartered a boat
for the 3 of us & our wives. The other 2 guys did most of the drinking,
and I did most of the reeling. So I did the cranking for the Marlin
& the Mahi Mahi in the picture, and one of the small 15/20 lb Tunas.
We had to quit at noon, and come in, because the boat didn't have
a cooler big enough for that Marlin. We had an Army blanket over it,
and dumped a bucket of Ocean water on it every few minutes, until we got back to the docks.

Bear

View attachment 645222

Sexy shorts...lol

 

[fltsfshr]

where was that? I have been to a couple bars and restaurants there that had them lining up like that.

That was while we were having lunch at Lazy Days in Islamorada. Go look under the docks at Bud and Marys Tarpon know when the charter boats come in and gather in front of the cleaning table.