nice setup, your loaded for bear now !

300th reply!!!!!!.........

any you guys know anything about Solo Jigging rods from Stingray? Price is almost too good - $79

yep, getting excited now...

in a couple of weeks i am going to start a coversation to see who would be in to do a couple of group meals while on the boat... ^_^

Sarge .... I was thinking the same thing but I think we would have better participation if this was done via email instead of here.

Some folks on the trip don't participate here.

Bobby

good idea Bobby, i will use the email sent out by Willie to get it started...

just bought a PENN Battle 8000 as a backup to my Cabo PT, nice feeling reel... i hope the drag is as good as people are saying...

40+ days and counting down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never having been on a true offshore trip, I am wondering just how deep of water will we be fishing? To me anything over 5' 8" is deep.

In Willie's first post Falcon is mentioned and the water is about 400' deep there. Maybe a little less.

I imagine we will fish depths as shallow as 200' though.

I would guess 200-450' for the trip will be target depths.

I hope the big grouper and lane snapper are home when we get there, i can feel the muscle burn already from dragging a big grouper up from 450'

On another note:
I just put 350 yards 65lb braid on my new Penn Battle and did some drag tests and i must say that the drag is very smooth, now if it will hold up under some tuna runs i will be a very happy camper...now i just need to decide on whether to get a jigging pole for it or a popping rod...

i just sent this via email... please respond to email but feel free to add comments here as well if you want...thanks

Hello everyone, I would like to start a discussion about doing a group meal/meals while out on the trip. I know from past trips it�s nice to have a nice hot meal while out on these instead of slurping beans from a can for 36 hours. I would like to open it up to suggestions from the old pros going on this trip as well as any ideas from the new offshore trippers as well. Here are some ideas to start us off.



Dinner Saturday night and/or breakfast Sunday morning.
Volunteers to bring something.
Volunteers to cook and help prep sides.
This is totally voluntary but once you commit to doing something please be prepared to follow thru�thanks
also if you don�t want to be part of the joint meal please just let me know so I can adjust the # of portions we are going to put together�thanks


I will start by saying I will be bringing a big thing of mashed potatoes and kielbasa/link sausage to put on the grill and I will help cook the evening meal�



Here is a list of items that might be good to bring, feel free to add to it if I miss something:



hamburgers (bring the ones where the patties are already formed)
hot dogs
sausage links
cheese slices
breakfast sausage (if decided to do breakfast as well)
Eggs (if decided to do breakfast as well)
tortillas (if decided to do breakfast as well)
hamburger buns
hot dog buns
Potato salad
macaroni salad
chips
dips
pickles
tomatoes
onion
Salsa
ketchup
mustard
mayo
salt + pepper
paper plates
paper towels
sporks
everyone will supply their own drinks of course� ^_^


I can�t wait to get out there and have some fun and haul in some tasty bottom dwellers� MMMMMmmmmm, MMMMMmmmmm!!!!

DL, don't think any water from the dock to the furthest spot will be less than 5'8", so wade fishing is not an option.

Our basic suggestion to F.W. as to run towards Falcon about 65 miles or so out from port.
We suggested stopping at any deep water shrimpboats they come across and look for tuna and other big'uns like dorado, ling, wahoo, etc. Run and gun style, if there's no "good" fish within a few minutes move on.

Basic ideal is to hit a a number of deep places like wrecks, rigs, rocks, etc as well as any shrimpboats on the way out to the destination and deep drop/ drift bait behind the shrimpboats, then spend the night at Falcon or another palce and deep drop, chum, etc for fish at whatever location ya'll end up. If they is other structure fairly close by for the night fishing they may move to it during the night if fishing is slow at the first night spot.

After sunrise, the ideal is to repeat the same steps, hopefully at different structures and shrimpboats and work the way back to the dock that evening.
Straight run to Falcon will be about 4-6 hours on the S.C. so plenty of time to stop and fish other structure and shrimpboats on the way out.

As mentioned, doubt if any water fished will be less than 150'-200' and as deep as 400'+.
Captain and TxGriz will discuss the options in more detail and TxG wil give the group the idea of what is planned on the way out.

Couple of things, our orginal idea on where, how, and what to fish is not set, the captain will provide a more detailed paln, our ideal was our thoughts, captain may do something a lot different than what we talked about, but they know folks are wanting to deep drop a bunch on this trip.
Also, just because the water is 400' doesn't mean you have to fish that deep, lots of fish are higher up on stucture, not always on the bottom.

Whatever way the actual fishing works out, the group is going to have a great time and lot of big fish are going to be caught.

willie , how much higher up on structure ? i guess what i'm asking is the standard beer can i have on my cane pole going to have enough line or do i need to go tall boy ?