FISHING SATURDAY, 7/25/09
I started the day off bright and early by rising at 7:00 AM and hitting the road by 7:30 AM. I had packed some sandwiches the night before due to a bad habit of not eating when I fish all day; plus I had even prepared my gear and bait! After a quick stop at Starbucks for some wake-up-juice, and a long stop at Sabalo Boating Center due to chatting with Captain Steve Baglio, I arrive at the marina. Horizon Dreams is gently pulled from her bed in a nice warehouse dry dock, and like a freshly wakened puppy is eager to go out!
After loading all the ice, food, drinks, bait, oil, fuel, and gear, Horizon Dreams refuses to start! Unfortunately, a key piece of the ignition system is missing:
A little bit of a setback to drive home and back, but the missing part is retrieved, installed, and the engine brought to life!
The frustrating part about having to backtrack for the keys is that last night’s preparations have been for naught, as they were done with the express purpose of getting on the water as early as possible! Oh well, no big deal and there is still a whole day ahead.
Cast off the lines, push away from the dock, keep an eye out for the resident manatee, and away we go!
The water in the Intercoastal is glassy this morning!
Some nice real estate off the starboard side!
And a view of the back of Sand Key off the port side.
Getting close to downtown Clearwater means it's time to turn 90 degrees to the east – now heading directly towards the Gulf of Mexico via Clearwater Pass.
Entering the pass we have clear skies and a beautiful view of Sand Key buildings
The Sand Key Bridge is an excellent place to fish when the weather kicks up the seas on the ocean, though all I have ever managed to catch here are catfish. Not the tasty kind, either... More like the spiny, venomous kind!
After passing under the bridge, we see the first clear view of the horizon. But wait, what is that in the distance?
OH NO! PIRATES!!!
For some reason trash seems to abound in Clearwater Pass. The two most likely reasons are that 1, this area is a popular drinking and partying spot, and 2, this pass is the only link between the Intercoastal and the Gulf of Mexico, turning it into a giant drain as the tides change. Regardless of the reason for the ever present trash, after 2 short stops and 2 quick dips of the net this plastic bottle and styrofoam cup are removed from the ecosystem and on the way to a recycle bin and trash can!
Looking back out on the horizon, it appears that the pirate ship has disappeared! It turns out that it is now directly to the starboard! While firing a warning shot to keep them at a distance is very tempting, the local tourism board tends to frown on that (as well as the local cops, judges, juries, etc)!
The original plan was to head out to the deeper, bluer water about 15+ miles from shore. But, while not too choppy, the swells are a little bigger than anticipated. The result is that any faster than 18-19 mph is causing the boat to catch some air. Normally not a big deal, but due to the missing keys, I'm a bit behind schedule and anxious to start fishing. So the first spot is about 4 miles offshore in the green water.
The last time I was out (two weeks ago), I caught my first grouper! Unfortunately, he was undersized and only about 12" long. I then continued to catch several more, all in the 10-15" range. Today starts off no different, and I immediately catch 3 small red grouper. I don't feel like wasting the whole day on these guys, so I decide heck with it and pull the anchor to head further offshore. However, when I pull the anchor, something feels funny about it. I can't explain, but it just felt different then usual. When I got the anchor up, it had a substance on both the anchor and the chain that seemed awfully similar to cephalopod ink. With octopi being common in the area, I can't help but wonder if there was one clinging to my anchor? (In the next picture, you can see the inky stuff at the tip of my finger's shadow)
As the water is getting bluer, a flock of birds appears, and they are diving for bait! I stop to observe and see some splashing. However, the culprits of the splashing are a pack of dolphins. When these guys show up, the fishing usually isn't too good. Think of it like trying to feed deer when there are a bunch of wolves running around. So I leave with nothing but a video for my trouble. (Click the video to play, but be warned, I didn't get to close as I didn't want to interrupt them; therefore there isn't really much to see other than a few splashes. On the other hand, it isn't a very long video.)