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Alabama
Gulf Coast Fishing: Getaway Charters Captain Don McPherson |
Continued From Page 1 Within minutes, I saw red snapper, white snapper, vermillion snapper, triggerfish and scamp come in the boat. Just as I turned my head, I heard Bryan, my deckhand, yell,” Pull off , pull off”. I knew we had a big grouper hooked. Joe kept saying, “It won’t reel.” We had heard this many times before, and we knew the drill. I eased the boat in and out of gear slowly as we attempted to pull this big fish out of the rock bottom. The rod was bowed and the drag slipped slightly. Joe was finally able to get a few turns on the reel handle. This fish was slowly coming up. After what seemed to be several minutes, but was really a much shorter time, the big gag grouper popped up on top of the water. Bryan made a swing with the gaff and it was in the boat. Wow. We put this fish on our scales and it topped out at 43 pounds. A great start. We continued on and boated three more grouper, all weighing in the range of 15 - 20 pounds. Several nice scamp also came into the boat. We then traveled on to the next spot and continued catching a nice variety of fish with several red snapper added to the mix. The big bait rod was bowed over again. It first appeared to be a grouper and then we decided it must be a shark. It just did not want to come up. This poor guy was on his knees fighting this fish and was about ready to give up. All of his buddies kept cheering him on. Finally, this big fish surfaced several yards behind the boat. Wow, a giant amberjack. Bryan grabbed the big gaff and made a swing and it was in the boat. There was yelling and celebrating on the back deck of the Getaway. This big amberjack was later weighed at the dock and topped the scales at 71lbs. We were on our way in with everyone talking about
the great day of fishing and who caught the largest fish. There was
plenty of laughing and joking as everyone enjoyed a cool drink. At
the surprise of many of the guys on the back deck, the high speed
trolling reel begin to sing. Bryan yelled, “Fish on, fish on.” I
slowed down to an idle to keep a tight line as the next angler strapped
on the fighting belt and began to reel. The fight was on as this
fish was pulling off drag. I knew it had to be a big wahoo. After
a good fight, the fish appeared behind the boat, with the brilliant
stripes glowing.” Wahooooooo,
“I screamed. The wahoo appeared to weigh approximately 30 pounds.
What an awesome day. We were off to the dock with some tired but
very happy anglers. I cannot tell you this happens every day, but
we do experience many similar deepwater trips. As you can see from
this 12 hour deepwater experience, you do not catch only grouper,
but a nice variety of fish. The grouper may take the bait swiftly or he may just slowly take it and swim away. If you think you feel a fish on the end of your line, do not wait. Slowly reel until your rod begins to bow. As it bows harder, pick up your pace and reel a bit faster. You should never rush or make quick jerks or motions with your rod. Be steady, firm and never stop cranking. Many anglers like to pump and reel, but I will always advise you not to do so. All you need is just steady reeling. We often use large weights and every time you lift and drop your rod, you increase the chance of getting slack in the line and losing the fish. Also remember that anytime you are fishing in deep water for grouper, you may catch big red snapper, amberjack, vermillion snapper, white snapper or triggerfish. On your next fishing trip to the Alabama Gulf Coast, why not try some grouper fishing along with our very popular red snapper fishing ? Remember, the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico holds a huge variety of fish and your next bite could produce a big Alabama Gulf Coast grouper. I also forgot to mention that most all of these deepwater fish are awesome tasting and can be prepared many ways. There are several restaurants in the area that I would recommend to prepare your fresh catch for an enjoyable dining experience for you and your group. Come experience the fun, the sun, the bite and the fight. Captain Don McPherson
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