The Dog Days of the summer are almost here! Many things are picking-up and looking-up for us anglers. Last month brought the season opening of the many fish we target offshore the Big Bend Area. Who isn’t “reel” excited about that, but do you want to know what really caught us hook, line, and sinker?? Following that opening, Red Snapper Season thankfully, was reassessed with the positive result that anglers would be allotted more red snapper days in the season! Here at Big Bend Adventures, we specialize in Offshore and Extreme Offshore Charters. The feelings of anticipation and excitement when we leave the beautiful town of Suwannee, and make that 80 to 130-mile run, is almost euphoric. Our clients absolutely love these trips, especially our Extreme Overnight trips, during the Dog Days of the summer! Speaking of heat, I’m sure we would see a vast majority of anglers raise if not one, but both hands, when asked who is ready to bring the heat on these snapper and thin them out a tad?! I know we are plum tickled!!! We had the pleasure last month, during the 3-day season, of one of our clients landing a Mack Daddy Red snapper weighting a hefty 21 pounds. We have had the best luck hooking these well-populated species on squid, cut bait, and believe it or not, they have even smacked our live bait-fish on the way down, to snag a grouper! Unfortunately, we haven’t landed as many grouper and scamps as we usually produce, due to the red snapper’s stealing the show, before the bait even makes it to the bottom. That situation is going to change very soon, and is absolutely awesome, considering how much that is going to minimize the disappointment of catching and releasing a dead fish, that our clients experience. Not to mention, it kicks their “grouper and scamp” game up big time with these overnight trips booked a year in advance, while building the anticipation and holding a competition, either against their self, or within their fishing group on who will land the bigger grouper/scamp. It’s GAME ON once we pick up live bait-fish a few miles out the channel markers, and the next stop isn’t for another 110 miles. The water depth is about 185 to 200 feet and abundant with many species in numbers and size. Here, past the middle grounds, is where we have graduated to great granddaddy fish, these bad boys never fail to disappoint at this depth. It’s nothing, to hook 20 to 30-pound gag, red, grouper, and scamps! What really adds to the excitement, is the bonus of the occasional wahoo, mahi-mahi, and sailfish! After earning our keep here, we usually head back into the Florida Middle Grounds come sunset, to anchor in 80 to 120-foot depth, still using squid, cut and live bait. It’s the perfect “night cap” for the trip, with this time of year being perfect for fishing the middle grounds. Middle grounds are banging with king fish 30 plus pounds, mangrove snapper, 3 to10 pounds, and vermilion snapper out the wazoo!!! It’s nothing to load the box up, legally, with meat. The most always asked question on the trips is, “When and where do we sleep on the boat?” Well, you really don’t when you have fish pretty much jumping in the boat, not to mention all the unexpected bonuses! I hope you were able to gather what you you needed, and don’t hesitate to give us a call and we will “Catch Ya Later!!!”
-Captain David Bickel