Red Hot Summertime Action

Stanley McJunkin can't stay away. He was here 4 weeks ago with his daughters. This past week he brought along good friend and business partner Tower. Stanley says its McJunkin Luck, I do know that no one else that I fish on a regular basis with gets so many calm days and hungry fish days to boot.

On day one we ran into a big school of mullet first thing. After spending a half hour or so throwing the castnet we had a 2 day supply of live and fresh dead mullet for bait. We felt good about catching with a start like this. First stop was light tackle for Mangrove Snapper. Fresh fish dinnners are part of the experience around here. While getting our limit of snapper on Bonefish Trek rods and Diablo 350 spinning reels, a school of pilchards showed up in the chum line. Well out comes the net again and now we are really ready for some action.

We moved over to East Cape Sable and looked for Tarpon but had no sightings. We anchored on a spot that I had fished with Stanley last year and rigged two spinning rods with 50lb leader, small lead weights, and 3/0 circle hooks and began casting. Using slow retrieve I was hoping for Tarpon but Seatrout were biting. Tower and Stanley released a dozen or so before small Blacktip Sharks became a nuisance. This was Towers first trip to the keys and he was somewhat new to saltwater fishing. Everything we did amazed him. Now I rigged up the Boat XT rod, EOS 50 Trolling Reel combo. This travel ready rod and reel combo was designed by Fox Sport Fishing to handle everything from Blue Marlin to big Sharks. It is impressive to use and I have never broken the XT on a fish. Well Tower caught a big Lemon Shark then a Bull Shark. And was just a little worn out. So now the tide was incoming and having had a decent Tarpon bite the day before on the incoming tide we made our move. I did mention to Stanley that it might be a good tide to catch something.. really big. So while Tower fished for a Tarpon, Stanley fished the bottom with the XT combo.

Lemon Sharks have jagged rows of teeth

Tower hooked a lively Spinner Shark around 100lbs that put on a great jumping show and was dumping his spool. Meanwhile Stanley hooked up a solid bottom dweller that would hardly budge at first. Then it took off. I pulled the anchor and gave chase. Tower finally had his leader part and we concentrated on whatever Stanley had on. Also a big thunderstorm was brewing and heading our way. Lightning was getting my attention and I said you have 5 minute to land your fish and we have to leave.

Tower gave the XT Boat rod EOS 30 combo a workout in 3 days of fishing

Stanley spent a solid hour battling a huge Sawfish on the Fox sport fishing
Boat XT rod travel rod. 
This rod can travel anywhere

That was incentive for Stanley. He gave it is all and the Boat XT rod helped him land an incredible Sawfish. aka Mud Marlin. This fish was close to 15 feet long. It took an hour to land. Congrats on a lifetime catch Stanley McJunkin. After that we raced across Florida Bay and arrived at Long Key Point to try for Tarpon. We were doing a 12 hour day. Another storm grew and we moved up to Channel 2. Our live mullet would not produce a strike but after seeing a few Tarpon feeding I switch to live crab baits and we went 3 for 3 on 100lb plus Tarpon. Tower caught his first ever 2 Tarpons.

Tower battles his first ever Tarpon on a sunset trip

Stanley just had to  bill his mud marlin. not recommended...

the ray like pectoral fins give the Sawfish incredible leverage.
The Fox sport fishing travel series Boat XT rod delivers rod strength

Day 2`was flat calm and again we headed towards Cape Sable. We started the day with Tower and Stanley each releasing a Tarpon before the sharks took over and yet another storm made us move. I took us to a spot miles out in the Gulf of Mexico where we had a blast throwing topwater plugs and jigs at schools of Crevalle Jacks and Bluefish. We even hooked a Cobia and of course more Sharks. Sharks love the summertime.

Crevalle Jack on a bucktail jig using
the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Well the skies cleared and we got back to where we had been in the morning. It had really slicked off and Tarpon were free-jumping and rolling all over the place. It was game on for 3 frenzied hours. Using Fox Sport Fishing Sailfish Trek Travel rods fitted with Diablo 750 spinning reels the guys released 9 more Tarpon making it 11 for the day. A day to be remembered.

Tower on top using the 8 foot Sailfish Trek and
Stanley below using the 7 foot Tarpon Spinning rod,
both fitted with Diablo 750

Stanley tames a crab eating Tarpon with the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

Stanley admires 1 of 11 released this afternoon.
All were caught on Fox Sport Fishing travel rods fitted
with Diablo 750 spinning reel

a little rain on the lens but this is Towers' second ever Tarpon
and was caught on the 8 foot 5 piece Sailfish Trek/Diablo 750

Hammerhead caught by Tower on the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

Tower caught a Hammerhead Shark.
Western Florida Bay is a nursery for Greater Hammerheads.
The large females come thru in late spring

it was crazy fishing for 4 hours.
The Tarpon were free jumping and rolling everywhere. and hungry

Stanley looks back at Tower's Tarpon while fighting a Tarpon of his own.
note the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo. 2 doubles were released

Day 3 for a change of pace we headed way out to one of the Gulf Wrecks. There we wrestled with Goliath Groupers and Bull Sharks. Again we used the invincible Boat XT rod fitted with Fox Sport Fishing EOS reels. We All got a workout. As the tide slowed we headed back in towards the Cape. Stopping at a creek mouth Stanley landed a nice Red fish and several Snook. Now all he needed was a Tarpon for a West Coast Florida Grand Slam. Thinking after yesterday this would be the easy part we headed over to the Tarpon grounds. Well not to be. Small Black tip sharks were swarming. We could not get a bait in the water for over a minute. We could see some Tarpon rolling.

Tower released 2 Bullsharks

Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo was used on this Red fish

Tower thought he had this Goliath beat but
with one powerful flick of its tail back down it went and rocked up.

Tower used the Boatrod XT fitted with an EOS 50 Trolling reel and
100lb mono to literally pull this Goliath free of the bottom

I just had to do a little field testing.
The XT Boat rod fitted with the Fox EOS 50 is a
combo that I believe can catch just about anything

Stanley used one of my Tarpon flies on a Permit Trek to
get past the sharks to catch this Tarpon completing a
Back country Grand slam!

Tower with a beautiful Seatrout on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

I had an idea and it worked out. Using a Permit Trek spinning rod and Diablo 550 spinning reel I tied on one of my home made Tarpon flies. I added a small bit of lead to make it castable. On his 3rd cast Stanley got his Tarpon. What a way to end a great 3 day fishing trip.

Captain Skip Nielsen