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Date: Cat Daddy Bobcat
Title: March 27
Date: 28 Mar 2005
Time: 12:00:57 -0500
Bobcat’s Big Fish Frustrated Robert (Bobcat) Reinsberg moved from the starboard bow to the port stern. He told everyone he had just lost two “big” fish in a row. I never saw any of the action, but I saw the end results when the fish took him back to its hidey hole leaving him pulling a tight line to nowhereville. He tried waiting it out but after many maddening minutes, he broke the line off. Now, honestly, I’ve heard of the big one that got away numerous times. I’ve also seen the big one, that was rocked down, with a little luck, swim out of its hidey hole and come to the boat as a four pound red grouper with scuff marks around its head. But Bobcat had fished with me several times and I knew he could distinguish between a little “big one” and the genuine article. We were fishing over a deepwater wreck. The action was steady but the majority of the fish were undersized grouper or red snapper which were out of season. It was getting late in the day and everybody was having fun. There was no need to move the boat. It was a hoot just listening to the ham hock the guys were tossing around. Tom Idoyaga was still recanting about the goliath grouper that brought him and big Steve to their knees, literally. Others were reliving the light tackle amberjack events. It had been an active day on the water. “Oh my, got one” Bobcat blew out. Judging by the bend in his rod it was a healthy fish. Struggle up a little bit. Struggle up a little bit. Then line would slowly peel off the reel. The rod thumped when the line came off. Amberjack was the general consensus. Amberjack have a distinct fighting pattern. Pull hard, then pull harder, then the hard surges begin to break the anglers’ will power. Bobcat maintained his composure, kept the line tight all the while fighting like an animal. The guys gave him a little room but wrote him off as an amberjack wrestler. Now that day, Jay ‘I have no power’ was living in big fish glory. He had reeled in both the largest grouper and the largest amberjack. He was thinking he was going to finally out live the ‘no power’ label he earned when he mistakenly handed his rod to me, on a previous outing, stating he was hung on the bottom. When I got the pole the line thumped, the rod bucked down and I reeled in a ten pound gag grouper after saying, out loud, “you’re not hung on the bottom, you’ve got a fish”. The guys have rode him like a donkey since that shamed event. The guys work together, so there was no relief for Jay. Any and every excuse and someone was letting the ‘No power, no power’ chant to his ears. Guys are no more than over sized children. I peeped over the side when it seemed Bobcats’ fish was close. Down deep in the blue I could see a large shape. As it came up I was expecting to see a flash of silver from the sun banking off the side of the amberjack. That didn’t happen. No sun splash. A large brown figure that kept getting bigger as it came up. Small jewfish? I maintained a low tone when I told Bobcat it was a grouper. In a moment, the fish came to within gaff range and nervously stuck it bringing it aboard to the hoops and hollers of every guy on the boat. It was high fives, hugs and silent moments of admiration just gazing at a huge gag grouper. “I’ve been wanting this forever and I finally got one” Bobcat sighed. Someone asked “Jay, what do you think about that?” Jay had flopped himself on a bean bag on the bow. He was shaking his head when he said “I knew it wouldn’t last”. On the ride in, Bobcat was either opening the cooler lid to delight in his accomplishment or reliving it turn by reel turn as if the rest of us weren’t there when it was happening. The fish weighed in at twenty four and a half pounds. That’s a super large grouper for the area we fish. It would have weighed eight pounds more than the grouper that won the Steinhatchee fishing tournament a couple of weeks ago. Way to go Bobcat! You raised the bar for the 2005 fishing season. When the weather permits, grouper fishing is awesome. Bottom fishing with any bait is producing some fine catches in 45 to 68 feet of water. Furthermore, last Thursday I trolled to put 15 nice grouper in the cooler to help fulfill our limit. We were trolling in 62-66 feet of water using red head, tequila sunrise and orange/black Stretch 30’s. Usually, it took less than ten minutes for one of the four rods to buck down on a grouper. It is exciting to catch fish and do it on new bottom. Trolling is a powerful tool for giving you a chance at finding a new honey hole. The majority of my fishing spots were found trolling. I have so many numbers where the sonar machine would give no indication that the bottom there would hold grouper. If you’re a die hard bottom fishermen, refuse to try trolling for grouper, it’s like taking bullets out of your gun. Trout are whacking grubs and plugs in the three foot zone on the flats. Keep the boat in that zone and you’re sure to come in with a nice catch of fish. Some of the fish have been in the six pound range. You know, the big wallowing girls that make you’re heart stop and get you up so early in the morning to have a chance at one. Thanks for reading. Take care of yourself and your tackle. Capt. B There is certainly something in angling…that seems to produce a gentleness of spirit, and a pure serenity of mind. WASHINGTON IRVING (C. 1820)