Gulf Snapper

[Tums]

Went fishing for 2 days (april 21 & 22) at the opening of Federal Red Snapper season in the Gulf. We ran through fog out to the 20 fathom mark and started dropping whole squid on 10/0 hooks hunting big snapper. The first day we caught the limit of eight with the largest reaching 29# and 5 of the 8 where over 15# (2 over 20#). Day 2 we returned to the same place in rougher seas and caught our limit again of smaller fish. We also snagged a few black snapper along the way. Both days combined produced over 200# of snapper between Doc & I. Here are a few pics of our catch.

 

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

tums
cant remember if i asked what brand radar you have and if you get a chance could you post a pic of of how you mounted to t-top
thanks
robert

 

[Tums]

tums
cant remember if i asked what brand radar you have and if you get a chance could you post a pic of of how you mounted to t-top
thanks
robert

I have the JRC 1500MKii. I had a piece of aluminum welded into the TTOP (Can be seen in the pictures below Top dead center) to mount the radar on. I fed the cable through the L/rear of the Console into the TTop stand pipe. From there I ran it up the pipe and exited out the top of the pipe through the top itself. My extra cable is in the console rolled up. I used a metal whole saw to cut an elongated hole in the pipe leg so I could feed the cable up without having to remove the end. I put rubber washers in the holes extra space to keep from having anything cut into the cable.

YW
Tums

 

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

thanks for photo. i have plate welded all the way across that area so i can strand on to with lookout installed i will av to position radar behind midway point but the plate will be the same as your install. torn between furuno 1630 and the jrc 1500
GGC

 

[Tums]

thanks for photo. i have plate welded all the way across that area so i can strand on to with lookout installed i will av to position radar behind midway point but the plate will be the same as your install. torn between furuno 1630 and the jrc 1500
GGC

YW. Either way you go you will find it to be a great thing to have. On opening Snapper day the Fog where I was at had cut visability to a few hundred feet. I left the dock over an hour after some boats that I passed 3 to 4 miles down the intercostal. I watched them on the radar motoring at slow troll speeds weaving side to side trying to find their bearings in the fog. As soon as I passed they where motoring up lining up in my wake trying to follow me out. I went 30 miles in the fog that morning before it broke. The trip would have been a bust without the radar since I was running almost 50 miles out from the dock.
Good luck and tight lines.
Tums

 

[Mattitude]

**** Tums, them are some big snapper!!! Wish we would've run into them at last year's TBOT.

 

[Tums]

**** Tums, them are some big snapper!!! Wish we would've run into them at last year's TBOT.

Yea, the weather leading up to the TBOT was bad and made for some terrible fishing. I really hated the way the fishing conditions turned out for people that made that trip. I wish they would have got to experience some of the good side of GOM fishing.
BTW OFFshore Boater told me over the phone they boated a 28# red snapper the other day also.
Tight Lines
Tums

 

[Fishin' DC's]

That's the way a fish box should look...full. Congratulations on the good fishing. We've had no luck for any weekend trips lately due to frontal systems passing through every dad blamed weekend for the past 6 weeks. .

 

[Mattitude]

Well Tums, y'all really hyped up the fishin' down there and me and Dave just couldn't wait to bring in all the fish. I'm hoping to make it down there again sometime and really experience the fishing down there...espically after talking to Dave when he came back from the academy. I finally got my boat, so at least now I have a little more freedom on where and when to fish.

 

[Tums]

DC I am with ya on that, we where hit by another severe storm with hail, 60 mph winds & a Tornado (not on ground) this morning. April seems to get worse ever year. I did manage to squeeze in 2 good days of fishing this month LOL.

Matt, I would like to say we made the mistake of getting the fisherman hyped up about fishing here (instead of hyping up the fishing) . Anyway I feel bad about people that traveled to the event and the fishing turned bad along with the weather. That is one of the reasons I decided not to participate in organizing anything again like that. I know how good the fishing is here and was really bothered by the way the fishing turned out for the TBOT2. Especially after I talked about how good the fishing was here. Dave got a chance to experience some of our decent near shore fishing. That place where we got the groupers from on Daves visit is only about 6 miles from the pass in 50 foot of water. Let me know when you want to go and we will get together and try and get you in to some of those good fishing experiences down here.

 

[k9reno]

Tums
I still had a great time even with the poor weather. Got to meet you guy and play with my boat. Although it would have been great to snag onto some of them monster groupers I just enjoyed catching any fish.. Even up here I fish to fish usually release. My brother had such a good time he has already said that if I get the boat to NC this yr he will pay the hotel bill. So I am going to make my reservations real soon. Matt maybe this time I will have a real gaff instead of the baby wanta be gaff I have.

 

[Mattitude]

Tums, the weather is no one's fault...and that is why they call it fishin' and not necessarily catchin' I might have to take you up on your invite sometime in the future.

 

[Mattitude]

Dick, I'll return the favor and take you out on my boat for a day. I'm looking to try some spots out of Southport, so maybe we can get on some good fish.