grouperjim
Well-known member
Larry and i started out at the crack of dawn. headed out 54 miles to the first spot on the gas pipeline.......another boat had already beat us there.....not much luck. then out another 16 miles to a set of fw springs......argh....another boat.....not much luck. then another 20 miles up the coast and a nice grouper, a mango, red porgies, and beeliners. hooked a jewfish (goliath grouper) 3 times but he didn't want to play nice. then back towards egmont key 30 miles for some nice bottom late afternoon bite that was not cooperating.
now after 7pm we again checked the wx which was now moving offshore in our direction due to the seabreeze letting up (usually pushes the wx inland away from the coast). so there we were caught 28 mi out with "our pants down" trying to decide what to do.......completly closed out.
assessing our situation, we decided that we either wait and drive into it in the dark (hope for improvement) or take what we had and drive into it in the daylight. we chose the latter. Larry was impressed, the 23 took the 4-6' storm seas very well on plane at 22 mph with minimal pounding.....only when the water fell out from under us. an occasional rogue would wash up and over the top of the PH. the boat was solid with no creaks or groans.....just a nice solid thud.....never a worry except for the lightning. lightning was popping around us as well as hail nearby. we hit the inlet at JP right at twilight.
a good test....FWIW the 150 icey tek cooler with the added diamond tread to the bottom corners never moved an inch.
now after 7pm we again checked the wx which was now moving offshore in our direction due to the seabreeze letting up (usually pushes the wx inland away from the coast). so there we were caught 28 mi out with "our pants down" trying to decide what to do.......completly closed out.
assessing our situation, we decided that we either wait and drive into it in the dark (hope for improvement) or take what we had and drive into it in the daylight. we chose the latter. Larry was impressed, the 23 took the 4-6' storm seas very well on plane at 22 mph with minimal pounding.....only when the water fell out from under us. an occasional rogue would wash up and over the top of the PH. the boat was solid with no creaks or groans.....just a nice solid thud.....never a worry except for the lightning. lightning was popping around us as well as hail nearby. we hit the inlet at JP right at twilight.
a good test....FWIW the 150 icey tek cooler with the added diamond tread to the bottom corners never moved an inch.
