A couple of weeks ago Mike and I ran a group trip for the Tampa Bay Lighting and all of our hockey dudes had a great time. Well this week I had the pleasure of fishing Bubba Kennedy and his son Quinn, and Clay Roffer, both equipment managers for the Lightning, one day and then the next Lightning right wing Adam Hall and his father in-law Albert from South Africa. Clay’s last name may seem familiar to some of you off shore fishermen; his dad is founder/creator of the Roffer’s Report, which is sea temp and current info in real time to locate exactly where the big boys are.
On first trip with Bubba, Quinn, and Clay we ran out about 20 miles or so and were catching Greater Amberjack and Bonita, when all of a sudden my mate Stephen Doughty, shouted COBIA. Yours truly flipped a crab over and game on. There was another cobia with that one only slightly smaller, but he was more interested in what had his buddy by the snout than the other crab we were offering up. Bubba quickly brought the fish to the boat; Stephen gaffed it, and bam in the box. Just after that bam the permit showed up. My pal Captain Glenn Taylor was there on a charter with us, we both pulled anchor and started to drift fish and it was “Katie Bar The Door”, it was permit galore. The next day, we met Adam Hall and father in-law Albert and ran 55 miles for some mangrove snapper, it was pretty sloppy with a confused sea with waves 2-3 coming from the west and south in no particular pattern, fun, but the new 29’Yellowfin made short work of it. I had called Glenn and arranged to meet him there to team up on the snapper, but he had company, uninvited follow him the 55 miles, and well the snapper thing it weren’t happenin’. We ran a farther and game on. Large Mango’s, Greater Amberjack, Lesser Amberjack, Bonita, Huge Gag Grouper (not in season because there aren’t any), Scamp Grouper, and Black Fin Tuna. Just a great couple of days with some of the areas greatest guys, not to mention world class athletes and community icons…so thanks fella’s it was wonderful.
Be sure to tune in on Saturday mornings at 6:30 on News Channel 8 WFLA for The Reel Animals Fishing Show and listen to Captain Mike on 970 AM WFLA from 6-9 am on Reel Animals Saturday. Call in on Saturday’s to WFLA 970 for Reel Animal’s Saturday and Sunday’s to WDAE 620 AM The Sports Animal for the T.A. Mahoney Reel Animals Fishing Show to win some cool fish gear from 7-9 am. Also visit our website at www.reelanimalsfishingteam.com and friend us on face book or call 1-866-GAMEFISH to book your fishing trip of a lifetime and until next week, “Do yourself a favor and take a kid fishin’."
