St.Augy Hoo 1-30-11

Went out of St. Augustine yesterday and ran out to the ledge to try and troll up some Hoo. Let me tell ya when they aint biting they aint biting. High speeded for 4 hours and not even a sniff. Then the VHF came alive one guy says he caught a BFT on a bally and while he was talking to another guy he gets another hook-up with a Hoo and says he'll be right back, the radio stays silent for 10 min. and he comes back on saying hes got a 60lb. in the box, his buddy he was talking to asked about where he was and right after the guy says where he is at he gets hooked up again.

Okay, we immediately switch over to skirted ballys, couple up top a couple on planers and we start heading that way, 20 min. later we can see in the horizon that a fleet of boats obviously heard the same and the area became a parking lot, but we heading in anyway.

While making our way there we hear another guy talking and reporting he spoted some porpoise and went up to them so his charter could take some pics and spotted YFT following them and right after they sounded, I can't attest to this but its what I heard.

Anyway we finally make it in the area and all of a sudden this guy starts screaming and cussing on the radio, apparently he was hooked up with a hoo and this other boat came in behind him and cut all his lines and the one with the hoo, he was extremely pissed. I can only imagine the rage this guy was feeling, I think I might of wanted to bust a cap in his ass.

Well by now we have all pretty much taken turns at the wheel, the bean bags, and a case of beer. Had listened to all the chatter of what everyone has caught, seems everyone is hooked up except us, we where just bull-shitin and getting drunk when all of a sudden I just happen to turn around and notice that one of the reels that was hooked to a planer is getting pulled drag and I immediately jump on it, this reel is a wench its the old Penn 50W single speed it looks like a barrel on a rod, I guess everyone thought I was joking when I yelled fish-on and their like you sure, I quit reeling and the rod tip bends about 10 inches, now everyone is like o'shit and the boat comes alive , I'm reeling, John is pulling in the planer and Mr. Charlie is clearing the other planer, then Johns son(Charlie) wants some of the action and wants to reel, he gives it a try and can't even turn the handle, like I said single speed, I tell him let me get him alittle closer and you can reel him up, we get to where we can see color and charlie gets 4 turns on the reel and I grab the reel and Charlie and back us up and John gets him first shot with the gaff. Man, we got the stink off the boat.

It was a long day, up at 3AM., 2 hour ride to the ramp, 1 1/2 ride to the ledge, trolled all day, but we got rewarded for our efforts. Well heres a pic of me and Charlie with the Hoo and then me and John back at the ramp.