How Many Do You Need?

April, 2016

This last weekend in April was the "Rock-the-Dock" tournament in Panacea, Florida.

There is a significant weather front coming through Friday night, but the weekend is supposed to be beautiful.  I start prepping the boat as it starts to drizzle.

By the time Mike arrives Friday evening, it is raining pretty hard.  Rain is always pleasant with beer:

I thought long and hard about entering the fishing tournament.  I mean, there is a LOT of fanfare associated with it.  You get a chance to walk across the stage while some guy yells out your name on a megaphone; sometimes the news media is there; and the size of your fish is called out to whomever is listening.  If you're lucky, you get to say your name.   You can take pictures on the stage, whatever. Its only a few hundred dollars to enter.  You could even WIN a few hundred.

But sssshhhh, be quiet.  I still suck at offshore fishing so I decided to pass on the tournament this year.  I hope everyone in the tournament had a great time.

Someone saw me at the dock and said, "Hey Capt'n Hook, if you aren't in the tournament, then why are you even here?"
I replied (not sarcastically), "Well, last time I checked, this was still the marina where my boat is stored and I still have the right to fish with my friends on the weekend, right?"
They shrugged and walked away.

It's Saturday morning. Partly cloudy.  On the boat today are:  Sam, SJ, Gene, Jackson, Mike, Jim and Me.

The forecast is calling for almost perfect weather for the entire weekend:  Sunny, no chance of rain, and very little wind.  From a fishing/boating perspective, it is ideal.  So after spending a quality night together in the Shack (NOT drinking beer by the fire, btw), we all head out Saturday morning.  Our goal is "S" Tower. S Tower is a long way from Panacea.  About 50 nautical miles (one way).  At 40 knots, it takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there, but we are excited to fish hard this weekend.

We arrive without getting too beat up from the wind.  All in all, not too bad of a run.  My back is only a little sore.  We start fishing; Gene in his new designer fishing clothes; smelling like cologne and fresh cut flowers:

There are a few boats here 50 miles offshore.  A couple of them are drifting across something called the "Exxon Template".  I'm not sure why they call it that, but I do know that it is a series of sunken barges right next to this old Air Force Tower.  As we arrive, one of the boats, a Contender, seems to be catching a fish.  So, we watch.  This boat is not far from us, maybe 50 yards; sometimes closer. We continue to watch as this boat catches one big,  AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after AmberJack after.

Okay, you get the picture.  They are catching a LOT of f**king AmberJack - RIGHT NEXT TO US!. What do we catch?  Not a damn thing.  They are using some type of weird jig and what we think are live pinfish. So we start using the weirdest jigs we have on board and our own live pinfish.  Still nothing.  Come on, really?  AmberJack typically love live pinfish!

We have two boys on our boat. One of the boys (not saying which one) turns to me and says for the umpteenth time, "Look Mr. Marc, that boat is doubled up AGAIN!".  I turn to him and say, "Even though I am not your father, if you say that to me again, I am going to whoop your ass".  He quietly returns to fishing.....

He knows I am kidding, but it is safe to say that sometimes, I can get a little irritated.  And believe it or not, I have a very minor competitive streak.  I do find fishing very relaxing, but I find a LOT of things, in general, irritating. Like not catching fish when the boat next to me is killing it.

Anyway, after about an hour of watching them catch 15-20 huge, frickin AmberJack, I decide, for some odd reason, to leave this particular spot.  We head to a new waypoint that is far from the Contender but still near the tower.  We start catching lots of Lane and Vermilion Snapper (and large Red Snapper I might add). We can't keep the large red snapper (of course), but we do keep the other species.  The boys start having fun again catching fish.  ALL snapper species are excellent to eat.  SJ even catches a TriggerFish, which is rather an unusual fish to catch.  We can't keep him either (of course):

And I must say, SJ was on "fire" all day.  That boy had the magic fishing touch!  Sorry Jackson, but he got you on this trip.

I'm always happy when a father and son get to spend quality time together on my boat:

Hey Jim - how many times did we catch the engines and wrap fishing line around them -- Jim?  Well, I'm not sure, but it was definitely more than once. I'm not saying Jim isn't as limber as Sam, but thank you Sam, for stepping out and being good crew.  Since we do it on almost every trip, we are becoming experts and removing line from engine propellers.

Nice job, Mike on the red Snapper.  Sorry, we can't keep that species either (of course):

Nice job also Mike on the red grouper.  Sorry, we can't keep him either (of course)

We eventually head back to S Tower looking, again, for large AmberJack, but it just isn't meant to be. The Contender is still catching them though.  We head home for our long drive.

The nice thing about the Crack Shack is that it is soooo close to the marina - within walking distance. That night, I fried up and broiled the snapper with fresh lemon and mango.  We ate fresh fish next to the fire and talked about the day; my irritation greatly diminished by now.  Funny how beer has that effect.

Here is SJ enjoying a "ring and hook" game on the back porch:

Oh, and speaking of the Shack,  I recently had some trees removed and some rock delivered.  Just for kicks, here is a reminder of how it looked when we bought it, and what it looks like now:

But I digress..  This is a fishing blog, not HGTV.

We all went to bed relatively early cause we had another LONG day of fishing ahead of us.

I often wonder why I love fishing so much.  Being fifty miles offshore is not for everyone.  It is challenging and physically exhausting.  Like I have said before though, I think it is the mystery of it all.  I do love nature and all that beautiful water.  I simply love it out here; irritated or not.  Besides, it is impossible to beat the camaraderie:

Sunday morning - 6 am.  Jackson doesn't get out of bed.  Now THAT is unusual!  When that boy doesn't get out of bed to fish; something is not right in the world!  He has a fever - and he is pretty pissed off that he has a fever.  His fever explains this photo of him from yesterday:

Jackson, bless his heart, felt pretty miserable on the boat as the day progressed, but he wasn't about to tell his Dad.  Jim, on the other hand feels just fine, he is just old and must nap often.

Gene makes the right call and takes Jackson to the doctor instead of back out on the water.  So we lose two fishermen on Sunday.  Don't worry Jackson, you didn't miss much. Let me explain:

Beautiful day on Sunday, I have to admit.

Today, we are headed to "O" Tower.  It is about 30 miles offshore, so definitely not as far as "S" Tower.  We arrive and start fishing for AmberJack.  Within just a few minutes, this happens:

Mike and SJ get doubled-up on AmberJack.  "Cool", we are thinking.   Would have been even cooler if some kid on another boat nearby would have said, "Look Dad, that Capt'n Hook boat is doubled-up!  They must really know what they are doing!" :-)

First stop.  Two AmberJack.  This is starting off to be a great day.  It is only 9 a.m.  Unfortunately, the Jacks are too small, FWC increased their size this year, (of course) and have to go back in. We keep fishing, and fishing, and fishing, and fishing, and fishing, and fishing.  Nothing.  Not a blasted thing! Not even a nibble!  For many HOURS! Nothing.

We leave Federal waters and head to State Waters.  Okay, we do manage to catch a King, but it isn't really that large, and honestly, we kind of catch him by mistake. We KEEP him, although there is probably some regulation, that we are 4.8 miles from a navigation buoy, 2.4 miles from some unmarked nuclear restricted area, and .739 hours from a full moon equinox meaning that the King, based upon triangulation, is illegal based upon Sierra Club regulations.

But I digress...

Here is Mike (sometime during the day) looking nice in his designer fishing ensemble.  (For the record, he didn't look quite as fashionable, or smell as good as Gene on Friday):

We may not catch a lot of fish, but we look DAMN good not doing it.  We are, without a doubt, the best-dressed geeks offshore.

Anyway, we put five lines out and troll for the next two hours in State Waters seeking gag grouper. Nothing. We head back to "O" Tower (Federal Waters) and try, one last time, to find large AmberJack.  Nothing.

Mike does hook into something very big (probably AmberJack or Cobia) with a jig right next to the tower, but as luck would have it, the jig hook bends.  Typical for this weekend.  Mike's turn to go get irritated. :-)

So, all day goes by and we return with one (1) fish!  Sad, just sad.  So like I said Jackson.  You didn't miss much.  Besides, you know we will head out again soon.  I hope you are feeling better my friend.

The only thing that made me feel slightly better is that I spoke, upon our return, with numerous people on the dock Sunday afternoon, and nobody, and I mean nobody who came in to Rock Landing Marina, caught ANYTHING on Sunday.  Everyone agreed that it was one of the worst fishing days they have experienced in a long time.... Meanwhile, I hear on the megaphone on the stage that the biggest grouper caught was 20 pounds.  20 pounds, really!!!  In State Waters!!  Near Panacea? Really?   You know how big that is?  In State Waters?  When nobody caught anything?  Really?   Here is an example:

And I think the largest King was like 200 pounds.  Well, not really, but whatever.... Shucks, I am sooooo upset that we didn't enter this "local" tournament.  

But I digress.

Monday night, Terri, Delaney and I ate the $750.00 (based on actual cost) King for dinner.  I savored every bite.  I believe in eating what I catch - which isn't difficult all things considered.  It was very tasty, btw:

Oh, I know you are asking yourself, what's up with this post's title?  "How many do you need?" Well, okay, you probably aren't asking yourself that cause you just don't care.  But I'll tell you anyway:

Recently, someone sold me a few rigs so I was able to add to my "limited" offshore rig collection. Fishermen often wonder if they have enough rigs to get the job done.  Well, apparently, I do not.  I need more!  I'm sure you (and my wife) will agree that if I had had more rigs, surely we would have caught more fish:

In closing, let me say (type) this:  I realize that I am truly blessed to get an opportunity to spend an entire weekend on a boat, fishing offshore with my close friends.  I thank God for giving us the opportunity to return, once again, safely.  So even though I get irritated easily (my nature), know that I never take fishing, or the fishing experience, for granted.  I am truly grateful for the depth of enjoyment that it gives me.

Thank you everyone for reading and thank you guys for fishing with me. 

Captain Marc Paul

Big Red

Good afternoon everyone.

If you know me at all, you know I don't really care for February - especially from a fishing perspective.  Almost always, without fail, February is cold, rainy, windy, nasty, and nasty (even in Florida).  Once again, I used "nasty" twice on purpose.  If only the month was as colorful as the graphic I have used here for February.

But God (or St. Peter, the fisherman), must be feeling kindly towards fisherman, because this is the forecast for the weekend - in mid-February:

Really?  75 degrees, little wind and sunny skies all weekend?  Okay, gentleman, I'll take that.  So I sent out an email to everyone I know and said, "Let's fish".  Okay, I also used some profanity at the end of that sentence, but it was in a loving way.

Many people were busy, but a few were not.  So for the weekend, we have Charlie, Jim, Gene, Action Jackson, and Coco (my dog) - and me.

Coco has been on some fishing trips with us before, but it has been freshwater - not saltwater.  I'm not exactly sure how she will handle being offshore.  At the moment though, she looks pretty excited to be getting away from our other crazy dog Midnight:

Now the "high" may be 75 degrees, but at 9 a.m. (or should I say, 9:30 a.m.  cause we had a "Gene" delay.  If you hang with Gene, you will encounter these often).  However, before I trash Gene too much, he just fixed all my electronics, so the only reason we are going at all is due to him.  I tell myself that while I am "patiently" waiting.  It isn't helping.  

We leave the dock.  It is still about 50 degrees.  On the water, that number is more like 45 degrees, and with the wind hitting you at 40 MPH, it feels more like 35 degrees heading out.  I'm not sure who is giving more comfort to whom, the dog or Gene:

As usual, Action Jackson likes to take the co-pilot seat next to me.  I think I am going to teach that boy how to be a Captain soon.  He sure doesn't need any tutelage on fishing - he is pretty amazing at that:

Specifically, we are seeking "Red" Grouper.  They are about the only species open in Federal waters. Red grouper are known to live near "S" tower.  That particular tower is about 50 miles away.  If you have been on an offshore boat in moderate waves, you will understand that that is a long way. Regardless, that is where we are determined to go.  100 feet of water, 50 miles offshore - in February.

We arrive and just drift near the tower.  We drop lines.  Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.  Not even a fricking nibble.

Have I mentioned that I am not a patient man?  I quickly return to: "February sucks".

I fished S Tower twice during the summer so I actually had a few waypoints of my own.  So we headed to one of them and started catching some small lane snapper.  Those are pretty tasty (and legal) so they went into the box.  We also caught some red snapper.  Those are very tasty also, but they have to go back into the water as I really don't want to pay the exorbitant fines associated with returning to the dock with a species that isn't open.  Here are a few though:

The 4th is actually a "Gag" Grouper.  Can't keep those either.  Sorry Charlie.  Okay, I apologize for that last sentence, but you just knew that I had to use it once in this blog.

Charlie is an excellent fisherman.  He knows a LOT of techniques and tricks that I don't.  It is really the only reason I took him. :-)  I learned a great deal from him this trip.  Anyway, he convinced me to "back" the boat into a spot, not approach the waypoint with the bow.  I didn't believe him at first, but I tried it.  Now I'm not exactly saying it's easy, but it is easier than going bow first into the wind.  It is kind of like a video game:

The little red fish on the left is Waypoint #1, the red fish on the right is Waypoint #2, the dotted black line is the linear line I am trying to stay on.  The boat is facing 5 degrees; the red line.  The green line at 30 degrees is the "drift" of the boat.  Factoring in the wind coming in at 90 degrees, the 4 ft waves, the current which is hitting me at 115 degrees, a 5000 pound boat with five guys on it, and the position of the tower 2 miles away, it all becomes quite easy to keep the boat on that damn dotted black line, right?  Wrong.  Man that is difficult.  I wish I had studied harder in geometry.  But I gotta say, after some practice I did get better at it, even in relatively rough seas.  NO anchoring!!  Wow, just not having to drop the anchor in 100 feet of water saves a ridiculous amount of time and effort.  Thank you Charlie, once again, for that advice. And thanks again Gene for my improved electronics - whatever we did. 

See the blue and red stuff near the bottom?  Those are fish, and that is what I am trying to keep us over.  Of course just because there are fish there, doesn't mean they are feeding.  It is still February:

But anyway, enough about navigation, you read (or at least scan) this blog for pictures of FISH - I know.

So while I am doing my best to keep the boat stationary, I hear some grunting on the port side.  It is Action Jackson.  He has something big on the line.  His pole is bent over (a lot!).  He is old enough now to catch fish unassisted.  Another crewmember will assist with the gaffing of course, but the fight is his to bear alone.  He either catches the fish, or he loses it - by himself.  It takes him about 10 minutes, throughout which I hear more and louder grunting.  I chuckle in my chair.  It is moment's like this where I simply love fishing - even if the pole isn't in my hands.  What kind of fish is it? Don't know, but we DO know it is big and even though he is struggling like hell, I know he is loving every minute of it.

Okay, here it is:

I'm pretty sure the fish's head is bigger than Jackson's.

Nice fish Jackson, do it again.  But he doesn't, his Dad does:

Showoff.  You just can't let your boy have all the glory can you.

Jackson, have I told you how awesome you look in that Capt'n Hook shirt?

Gene loses a big one so I'm pretty sure we would have had another large RED if the line hadn't broke. Honestly, I'm just happy we are catching anything cause fishing in February ain't for sissies.

Jim, what are you doing back there?  Oh yeah, you DID catch the motor.  Alright, yes, that was my fault, but the Big Katuna is quiet this day.  And my sincere apologies Jimbo, I forgot to get a picture of you for today's blog.  Trust me everyone - he WAS on the boat!  I promise I will do better next time.

It is a long drive back so we head in.  The ride back in is chilly also.  I think Gene (pretty sure that is Gene) has found a comfortable and warm spot at the stern:

Why do I fish?  Well, there are LOTS of reasons.  It is beautiful out here; when the sun shines the sea looks like an infinity of diamonds; I really enjoy my friends; I love the mystery of it all; I appreciate and respect the riskiness of the sport; and I NEVER get tired of turning around and seeing this amazing view:

So one last photo to end the day.  Nice BIG RED Action Jackson.  You are the man!

Thank you to my friends who were able to join me on this rare February trip.  As the weather warms, maybe more of you can attend.  I would enjoy your company.

Captain Marc Paul

El Nino? - I'm a fan

Lots of crazy weather going on these days.  Snakes washing up on the California shore; hurricanes in January in the extreme North Atlantic. Apparently, it is because of El Nino. (Sorry, I can't find that little tilda over the "n" on my keyboard).  Whatever is going on - it is December 31st in Tallahassee and 85 degrees.  I'm down with that.  Definitely some crazy stuff going on around the globe though.

Yes, it is New Year's Eve - the end of 2015.  I am in Panacea because our new Panacea shack neighbors (they own nice houses on stilts, btw) invited us to a New Year's Party tonight.  We appreciate the invitation as we didn't have any plans.

Nick was nice enough to come up from Clearwater to visit and hang with us for New Years.  He, of course, brought his boys:  Lucas, Dylan, and Casey.  Like I said, it is about 85 degrees outside - On December 31!  When I woke up, I checked the weather - 80% chance of rain with thunderstorms. Damn, I really wanted to take the boat the boys out on the boat - even if it was only for a short ride.

Because of the impending inclement weather, I take them to the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab - which is in Panacea, and as it turns out, right down the street from the shack; so we walk there.  You probably have never been, but it really is a neat place and a wonderful place to take children because they get to touch many of the marine animals that live there.  We stay for an hour or so - take a couple of pictures:

The sun comes out.  Okay, that does it, I'm taking the boat out.  The heck with the "impending" weather.

The marina puts the boat in the water.  Here we go:

We get about a mile offshore and the fog becomes ridiculous / redonkulous.  Last year, there would have been absolutely no way that I would have navigated through this.  I mean really, I can't see more than 30 feet past the bow.  But I learned this / last year to trust my electronics, and besides, my intention is only to head to Rotary Reef about 8 miles offshore.  I now consider eight miles "inshore" fishing.  :-).  If I get lost in the fog, I just have to head North on my return.

About 20 minutes later, we arrive at the reef.  And God decides to work with us as the fog pushes back to about a half-mile visibility.  I must admit, I haven't ever caught much at this reef because it is only about 25 feet deep - and well-fished by everyone.  Some small rock bass, and other small fish are usually the standard.  But there are absolutely no other boats out here.  How do I know?  Cause I am using my radar! Works great in the fog.

Anyway, we put a couple of Stretch 30's out and start trolling.  They're called Stretch 30's because they dive to about 30 feet.  About a minute later (no really, it was only about a minute), one of the rigs goes:  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Have I mentioned that I love that sound? But it doesn't last very long. Hmmm.  Nick starts to reel it in and I begin to reel in the other. On the first rig nothing but seaweed. But just as I get my lure close to the boat - WHAM!  I actually SEE something big hit it.  The fish heads downward, so I hand the rig to Casey.  He reels.   This is no rock bass.  A few minutes later, here she is.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but trust me this is a HUGE gag grouper.  I'm guessing about 16-17 pounds.  Holy crap:



I put in a VHF call to the marina:  Gag Grouper, of course, aren't open, so we have to throw him/her back.  It sure was fun though.

 Nice Job Casey.

We put the lines back out.

2-3 minutes later (no really, it is):   zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Definitely not seaweed this time.  The rig goes to Lucas.  A few minutes later:

  15 pound Gag Grouper.  (Lucas)  BAZINGA indeed!

Well heck, let's do that AGAIN!

3-4 minutes later: (no really, it is)

10-12 pound Gag Grouper (Dylan)

I'm pretty sure that the gag grouper KNOW that they can't be kept in State waters.  They, obviously, are very hungry.  As soon as the season opens (April 1, btw), like deer, they will change locations.

But hey, that was fun.  Three big grouper in less than 10 minutes.  Nothing to this fishing stuff, right?!!!


There is still some pretty bad weather lingering just to our North, so Nick and I decide to be safe and head back in.  No problems getting back - thank you GPS!  We couldn't see anything for the entire return trip.





Later in the afternoon, Terri, Cameron and Delaney join us to celebrate New Year's.

We left the boat in the water and drank a few beers as the day turned to night.  I'm not sure how Cameron didn't get in this particular picture.  Perhaps we tend to forget about him now that he is in college.  Sorry Cam, we still love you dude.  Keep studying!



So on the very last day of 2015, I got to fish with one of my best friends and his boys; catch grouper; spend time with my family; party on my boat; watch great fireworks over the water and enjoy quality time with new neighbors and friends. I feel blessed.  Goodbye 2015 - it was fun!



Hello 2016.  Let's get this cold weather behind us.  I'm ready to fish.  You coming with me?

Happy New Year everyone.


Captain Marc Paul