OT: Deep Sea Fishing

Charlie tuna

I fish the back country now, but years ago i used to fish offshore..  Like night fishing for swordfish.  Swordfish steaks are great on the egg !!!  Cook them like they were a rare steak !

Here's one 453 pounds caught on 50 pound test line  -- took two hours  --- 12 foot - one inch

Central_Bama_Egger

That is freak in awesome. You guys have it all figured out. I go down abt 2-3 times a year. Wish I lived there

bccomstock

Bham_egger said:

I go fishing in Orange Beach several times a year. I am extremely lucky in that my in-laws have a condo and a 19' center console! IMHO, sheepshead are excellent eating if you want to take the time to get though the tough scales and gill plate. An electric filet knife is almost a must. They are excellent fried, and when nothing else is hitting in the dead of winter, they are a great treat. By far, my favorite inshore fish to catch and eat is redfish (blackened). But they can be more difficult to find in the slot size this time of year. If I were to make a suggestion, I would avoid the party boats and opt for an inshore charter. Since the snapper are so regulated, all the party boats target now are Vermillion Snapper which are tasty, but rarely get bigger than 2-3 lbs. In April and May inshore, you can target Redfish, Speckled Trout, Sheepies, and Flounder, and possibly Spanish Mackerel. I would go during those months or even into June for the best chance at those species. Fall is by far the best for Redfish. You have a much better chance of bringing home a good bag of fish on an inshore trip and you can customize it based on what you want to target. I have also been on several overnight offshore Tuna trips to the oil rigs. That is a whole different ball game! There is nothing like seeing a school of 100 lb Tuna skying around a deep water oil rig! On those trips we have caught up to 180 lb Yellowfin Tuna, baskets full of Blackfin Tuna, Amberjack upwards of 70 lbs, as well as various bottom fish. As well as a chance at Blue and White Marlin. The boat we charter is roughly $6000 for a 36 hour trip, leaving on Friday night and returning Sunday afternoon. That cost for us is split 10 ways. I have been 5 years in a row, but am taking this year off and using the funds to build a covered home for my egg. Anyway, sorry for being so long winded, but I LOVE saltwater fishing!

Good post.. And thanks for the suggestion on the inshore charter.. We've thought about doing one but never have.. Any idea what they run?

shtgunal3

Most of the time you can get inshore trips for somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 an hour and they will alow 4-6 people depending on the size of the boat. The gulf is much warmer (water temp) than on the east coast and you can catch some sort of fish just about year round.

shtgunal3

Anybody ever do red snapper on the egg? I have a lot (see my profile pic) and would like to try on the egg.

Central_Bama_Egger

I love snapper. Would you plank it?

yzzi

Sheepshead = good.

shtgunal3

@Central_Bama_Egger I have no idea. The skin has been removed from the fillets so I would guess yes. The only way I have ever done them is battered and fried. I have some huge fillets as you can probably tell.

Bham_egger

I have had Red Snapper on an egg. We were limited on supplies, so we doused them with butter and generously coated with Cavender's on some and Tony's on others. Egg was around 300-350 direct. Came out great, with charred grill marks on the outside, flakey and juicy on the inside. Also did some "on the half shell" that were excellent as well. I won't say how fresh, but they were about as fresh as you can get!

Bham_egger

I haven't chartered an inshore trip in quite a while, but if I remember correctly it was somewhere around $400 for 6 hours, which is split depending on how many people you have, as shtgun stated usually around 4 people. I wouldn't want to go on an inshore trip with more than 3.

Central_Bama_Egger

Well, I'm hoping to get a trip up like I said in April or May. I'd rather go offshore, but from what nice seen inshore looks really fun too.

sola

Central_Bama_Egger said:

"Camp"???

Yes. Spend alot of time there. 25x40 5 room shack/house in the marsh. Hunt ducks, fish & throw the boys in tha bayou out there. It's based inshore. Catch bass, redfish & specks anywhere from off the dock to traveling a few miles to different spots. About a 15 minute boat ride to the gulf. Shoot mangroves & lemons at the close rigs. Travel 30/40 miles out & catch everything in the gulf.

Charlie tuna

I fish in the Gulf - Florida Panhandle  ------  Quite-Peaceful-Beautiful-------  Plenty of Redfish(blackened) and Sea Trout on light tackle, all on artificial baits

Central_Bama_Egger

Charlie tuna said:

I fish in the Gulf - Florida Panhandle  ------  Quite-Peaceful-Beautiful-------  Plenty of Redfish(blackened) and Sea Trout on light tackle, all on artificial baits

Now that sounds fun.

sola

Charlie, leave the redfish on the half shell ( fillet & leave scales on). Put him scale side down on the egg, direct 350-400. And baste him however you like. Multiple options, Italian dressing, butter & Tony's, BBQ sauce, options are endless. You'll never eat it blackened again.

burr_baby33

Somehow I knew eggheads would also be fishermen. I don't get to the southern waters much anymore, last trip there was Venice, Louisiana which is pretty fabulous for tuna. I mostly fish freshwater, Lake Cumberland in Kentucky for stripers (one p). My saltwater fishing these past years has been trips to various lodges in offshore Alaska. Fishing there is just fabulous. This September will be my 14th Alaska trip.

Charlie tuna

With the redfish's heavy coat of scales i can see this working fine, i don't think anything very over powering can be used since redfish is a very lean fish and mild tasting..  But i'll try it, thanks for the tip...

Central_Bama_Egger

Y'all have me hungry for some fisheees

Charlie tuna

[img]http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo112/2728charlietuna/Ecofina-March2012043.jpg[/img]

Let me send you a few fillets !!  Go for it, cook it up !!

Central_Bama_Egger

Dat be nice.

sola

Charlie tuna said:

With the redfish's heavy coat of scales i can see this working fine, i don't think anything very over powering can be used since redfish is a very lean fish and mild tasting..  But i'll try it, thanks for the tip...

I literally catch hundreds of redfish. This is the only way I cook them anymore. Can't mess it up.

Charlie tuna

sola said:

With the redfish's heavy coat of scales i can see this working fine, i don't think anything very over powering can be used since redfish is a very lean fish and mild tasting..  But i'll try it, thanks for the tip...

I literally catch hundreds of redfish. This is the only way I cook them anymore. Can't mess it up.

 

So what do you season the redfish with ??

sola

I wash & dry the filet. Season it with Tony's. then baste it as it cooks. I baste it with Italian dressing. People use all sorts of concoctions. I pull it off when the edges of the skin starts to burn & curl. Meat will be white & beautiful all the way through.

Don't think you'll be disappointed.

Charlie tuna

You cut the bones out of the fillet  -- center bones?

sola

I cut it the rib bones. There's usually two or three center bones left. Kids get the thin tail half. Momma & me get the good thicker meat.

ClayWhite88

Well guys I guess its time for some shameless self promoting! I manage the booking and run a few charters in the Perdido Key/Pensacola area of Florida! We are getting into the time of year of GREAT fishing! We have inshore/nearshore bay boats and a nice 30' offshore boat that we take up to 6 anglers out on. If anyone is ever in the area its always nice to meet and wish with a fellow Egg Head!

If you do Facebook check us out at Hot Spots Charters or our website http://www.hotspotscharters.com . 

Clay White

Hot Spots Charters

850-912-9523

Central_Bama_Egger

@claywhite88 great website. I have it bookmarked and maybe we can take you up on one or the other. I'm interested in both. I think it'd be fun for a group of eggers to get together and fish......... And drink. And eat........ And maybe, drink.

nolenut19

I'm always in grew up in Perdido and Ft Morgan.

Central_Bama_Egger

My plans are, with permission from SWMBO, to head that way in April or May. Prior to school letting out. Might as well go ahead an plan don't you think?

ClayWhite88

Central_Bama_Egger said:

My plans are, with permission from SWMBO, to head that way in April or May. Prior to school letting out. Might as well go ahead an plan don't you think?

Always good to book ahead of time for anything down here. A lot of hotels and condos will take a little off if you book ahead of time a bit. And always good to book charter trips in advance in case something pops up or a date changes or something.

But either way. Can't beat the weather or fishing in April and may!