[ezlimitz]

Decided to hit Venice again. Heres the scoop.

I am fishing by myself this trip. Day one I am out working a strong current trying to catch bait next to a rig. This is typical and I have gotten pretty good at it. Drifting by a rig and trying to catch bait requires that one pays attention to what they are doing, at least when alone.

So I catch some bait and to tell you the truth I can't help but feel good about this little feat. I can't tell you how long it took just to learn how and where to catch hardtails. I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I do well with the bait.

Next I am off to a rig called Elf. I basically spend the whole day there. The water is a clean green. Not much on the meter but every once in a while the fish come up and crash. I wait them out. I have a couple hardtails off the back of the boat and after an hour or so the clicker goes off. This is also a very satisfying experience. I think it is important to "stop and let the clicker click". I mean how many times have we all see someone not respect this rule only to lose not only the fish but that all important bait. I mean hey I didn't stop and get a fucking scoop right.

I took someone fishing here once and the dumbass must have lost 5 baits by letting them jump out of his hand, dropping them overboard, not hooking them right, ect. What a fucking dipshit. Spend two hours making bait and then watch someone try and pin a bait on with the bait and hook on the outside of the boat. Dumbass!

Anyway, excuse the rant. The clicker is going off...sort of slowly at first but steady. This is the part when the bait is being eaten. Mr. Yellowfin is not done but merely swimming away with the bait in it's jaws. Then the clicker rips ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ yeah baby. Slip the reel into gear, rod doubles, then the fish takes off again, probably thinking "hey, what the fuck is this shit?"

Now the job of thinking "shit, I should have checked the line" or "I hope that knot holds" or anyone of a number of other things that happen between the time that we get bit to the time that the fish is stuck with the almighty gaff.

This one everything worked and I nailed a nice 60-70 lbr. It wasn't for another hour or so before I had another hook up. I don't remember what exactly happend....oh yeah....it's comming to me. I had one on and then I got bit on the other rod. If this was a 20lb albacore no problem, but it's not. I had no choice but to put the other reel in gear and leave it in the holder. I end up loosing the one I am working and then I realize that the one one the rod in the holder is off too. Shit.

Another hour or so and I get picked up again. Yeah baby. This time I let the clicker do it's thing, let the fish do his thing, then I do my thing. Flip it into gear and game on. A short while later another fatty on the hook.

Done with day on.

Hey, how bout some pics you say??? Ok.

The first couple are of the sunset, Richard and Clarke, and then a couple of me with some fish I caught today.

Richard and Clarke were here last trip and the sunset is here everyday. Oh so special.

On day two I caught the fish that you see in the last picture. I fished all over the gulf today and I didn't catch a fish 'till about 4pm. Then it came to live and I caught all four of these fish, all by myself, yeah baby.

You should have seem me getting my ass kicked trying to gaff a couple of these guys. Must of looked pretty funny to the sportfisher trolling around the rig. Well maybe not to funny, then didn't catch anything. Oh well.

Tomorrow is day three and I am fried. I think I will try from some "snappa" or maybe some grouper.

Hope you liked the report.

Terry