Liverpool angler scores a Grand Slam while fishing in the Keys

Anglers Bernard and Paul Pielow are visiting Islamorada this week. They come to the Keys to fish a couple times a year. This past Thursday we castnetted live mullet and headed towards Cape Sable to catch some big fish. The request was for some sore arms and hopefully a Goliath Grouper.


I brought along the Fox Trek XT Boat Rods with EOS conventional reels loaded up with 65lb Horizon Braid line. And a few lighter rods including the Sailfish 8' Trek with a Diablo 750 spinnng reel and a couple Permit Trek rods fitted with Diablo 550 reels.

Paul and Bernard caught and released 5 Goliath Groupers
using EOS Fox reels and XT Trek Boat Rods

As we started fishing the Nurse Sharks found us first. Then a couple of large Stingrays. But then the Goliaths started biting. The boys managed 5 to the boat for release. One was around 130 lbs. In between Paul caught a beauty of a Snook on a live mullet.

Goliath Grouper mug shot

Big snook for Paul using a
Diablo 750 spinning reel and Sailfish Trek rod

We tried another channel which had been full of Tarpon last week and Paul caught and released an estimated 65lber. Lots of jumps and a great battle on the Permit Trek/Diablo 550 combo. Now Paul had two out of 3 species.

looking at Paul battle this Tarpon the Permit Trek rod does
not look like a 4 piece travel rod. Fantastic piece of kit

Gulping air to battle on

Paul uses the Diablo 550 paired with a
Permit Trek rod to catch a 60lb Tarpon

We needed a Redfish. It was dead low tide so I headed to a spot where the fish would be off the flats and holding waiting for the tide to turn. In 30 minutes of fishing Bernard kept getting the Redfish. He caught 4 before Paul finally caught his. A west coast Florida Grand Slam or what we call a backcountry slam was had by Paul. A notarized form will be submitted to the IGFA and Paul will recieve a very nice award!   Congrads Paul.

Bernard Pielow with a nice Redfish

Paul Pielow caught this Redfish to
complete a West Florida Grand Slam.

The next day we fished some creeks but the recent heavy rains had shut the fishing down. We ran back towards Islamorada and fished the channels with live pilchards hoping for a Tarpon. We did see a few rolling but had to settle for a nice Red Grouper for dinner. Bernard caught the grouper on a Bonefish Trek/Diablo 350 combo with 10lb Horizon braid. I was pretty impressed as the fish rocked up 2 times and Bernard waited him out and got him to the cooler. Made a great dinner. After that we chummed with live pilchards and a mob of Crevalle Jacks in the 5 to 10lb range found us and provided some great action.

Bernard Pielow with a great light t
ackle catch of a Red Grouper

Crevalle Jacks came to our live pilchard chum

Captain Skip Nielsen