Fishing Log

Dec. 7, 2001 - Croakers everywhere at Foxtrot Pier, with pickups on almost every cast, using white, 1/4 oz. jighead and bodies, with pink soft plastic twisty tails.  Filled a plastic grocery bag with some very large fish and tossed the rest.  Also spotted a large school of roe mullet swimming in the cove, and a large manatee.

Dec. 8, 2001 - More, even bigger croakers today at Foxtrot, taken during lunch on the incoming tide.  Gave an impressive mess away. Left my big castnet in our conex box on the pier

Conex box

Dec. 11, 2001 - Threw my 10 ft. cast net for the first time this year, from Foxtrot, with amazing results.  I had been seeing large schools of mullet this week while jigging for croakers.  I made one cast today and it took three people to pull the net up and over the seawall.  I didn't have time enough to count, measure, or weigh the catch, but it was astonishing.  Thought I was going to lose the net.  Too bad we didn't have a crane on the pier to help with the lift.

  

Fishing Log

Nov. 1, 2001 - Caught a 15 inch yellow mouth trout and two flounder.  One flounder was 15 inches long, the other was 22 inches, all taken on live finger mullet at the fishing dock on the rip-rap, no weights recorded.  Bait was plentiful but the action was slow.  The moon was full last night.

Nov. 2, 2001 - Caught a 20 inch, 3 pound flounder, same method and place as above.

Nov. 27, 2001 - Caught and kept 5 good croakers during lunch, all about 17 inches.  Also caught and released a flounder taken on a jig at the west end notch of Charlie-2 Pier.

Nov. 28, 2001 - While waiting to cast off lines on a berthing barge (between C-1 and C-2), I hooked a 16 in. yellow mouth trout on an old jig and got some free ice from the Ribault Club.  Sautéed the fish in olive oil, white wine and sour orange juice, with dill weed and lemon pepper.  Two thumbs up from Kathy.

Nov. 30, 2001, Friday - Managed to land an 18 inch trout taken at western notch of C-2, on the incoming tide, without a landing net.  A strong fish that made several nice runs, stripping drag.  Fish was hooked on a white jig with a red head and a pink tail.

  

Fishing Log

Oct. 10, 2001 - I hadn't even tried to fish in base since the Twin Towers came down in New York, Sept. 11. Everything changed that day and  base security has been in overdrive.  Today I caught two 17 inch flounder on live finger mullet from the fishing dock on the rip-rap at the end of Charlie Pier.  Seems like the Islamic terrorists love to time their attacks to ruin flounder season on the base: Oct. 23, 1983 - The US Marine barracks in Beirut was bombed; Sept. 24, 1984 - The US Embassy in Beirut was bombed; Oct. 20, 2000 - The USS Cole is attacked in Aden; And the Twin Towers in NYC were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.

Oct. 12, 2001 - Caught 5 flounder on finger mullet from the rip-rap dock, all between 17 and 18 inches, except one 15 inch flounder that I gave away.  Also caught a 4 ft. conger eel that I sold to an Asian at the fish house for $5.00.

Oct. 18, 2001 - Caught 3 flounder from the rip-rap dock on finger mullet.  Kept two: one was just over 17 inches and one was over 20 inches. I gave away the 3rd fish (14 or 15 inches) and stuffed the biggest fish with shrimp and crabmeat for Allen Tilley's 60 yr. birthday party.

Oct. 23, 2001 - 5 more flounder from the dock on the rip-rap, the largest was between 21 and 22 inches long and weighed 3.75 pounds.

Oct. 24, 2001 - Took a 20 to 21 inch flounder, again at the rip-rap.  Live bait was scarce today. 

Fishing Log

June 3, 2001 - Released a small flounder taken at C-2-E.

July 5, 2001 - Caught a medium sized Spanish mackerel last week, several small sea bass, and several small sand perch at C-2-W.  Released everything but the mackerel which I took over to my Dad's house, along with a bread bag full of big, white shrimp tails which I got in exchange for some electrical work I did for neighbors, Richard and Patty Yows (shrimpers).

July 5, 2001 - Caught some trash fish and small flounder, but nothing for the table.

July 20, 2001 - Still just trash fish and small flounder, but no fish for the table.  Sold a few ribbon fish to Rusty at B&M Bait and Tackle @ $2.00 each (for kingfish baits).

July 25, 2001 - Yesterday I spotted a 6 to 8 foot tarpon resting idly in Foxtrot Cove, just below the surface of the water, a few short feet from the seawall where I was standing.  It was amazing, I could see every scale on his back.  Big barracudas, manatees, and large sea turtles are a common sight in the Navy basin, but the size of that tarpon took my breath away.

July 26, 2001 - Wind SSW - Snagged a respectable size (17 inch) flounder working a jig along the bottom at C-2-West, then raided the ice machine at North Florida Shipyards for a bucket of ice.  Took the fish to a dinner party hosted by the Caroline and Richard Forbis.

August 13, 2001 - I've been releasing small flounder and trash fish all week, but during the first of the outgoing tide today, I caught an 18 inch and a 13 inch flounder which I kept.  Stuffed the small flounder with crab meat, green onions and mushrooms, for my mother, and blackened the big fish in curry seasoning for Kathy.

August 16, 2001 - Caught a few ladyfish and a fat 17.5 inch flounder, but got run off by base Security right after I put the flounder on the hill. 

Fishing Log:

May 15, 2001 - High tide at A/B Corner, wind out of the SE.  Hooked a large lady fish and several jacks and blues, with many of cut-offs near the surface.

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 - Small spring flounder are back in the basin.  Lost or threw back several potato chip flounder before and after work.  Kept one 14 incher.  All fish were hooked at Fox Cove on jigs.May 23, 2001 - Kept one 18 inch yellow mouth trout, taken at C-2-W on a jig.

May 24, 2001 - Caught a 19 inch flounder at C-2-W on a jig.  Stuffed and baked it as a covered dish for Tyler Greenwell's party.  

May 25, 2001 - 14 to 15 inch yellow mouth trout taken on a jig at high tide, at C-2-W.  Wind ENE.

May 28, 2001 - 14 inch croaker taken on a jig at high tide, at B/C Corner.

May 29, 2001 - At the top of an incoming tide during my lunch break, I took a 15 inch flounder on a jig at Foxtrot Cove.  

May 30, 2001 - Landed a 20 inch flounder at C-1/C-2 notch.  Both fish taken on a 3/8 oz. jig head and a clear 'Christmas tree' soft plastic twisty tail body.  Broke my rod, but gave the fish to sister Connie - a happy girl.

May 31, 2001 - Kept a 15 inch flounder and a croaker taken on jigs during high tide, at C-1/C-2 notch.  Put them into a ziplock bag with the fish I caught May 28 & 29, to marinate in a curry lime juice mix. 

Fish Log

March 30, 2001 - Hooked 2 small bluefish at Charlie-1-East, before work, and released both.  I'm surprised I haven't caught more yellow mouth trout yet this year.  Should be catching coolers full of them by now.

April 11, 2001 - Caught a blue and a jack at C-1-E, during my lunch break.  Released both fish.

April 12, 2001 - Hooked and released more bluefish.

April 15, 2001, Easter Sunday - Fast action on the surface using (and losing) many soft plastic jigs: 1 small flounder, 2 nice Spanish mackerel, a pompano, a jack, a blue, and many cut-offs by who knows what.

April 27, 2001 - I took 3 very nice yellow mouth trout (all 17 inches or more) on jigs, during an incoming tide, at Charlie-2-West, just before lunch.  The second trout hit so hard, I thought I'd hooked the large jack which followed the trout up to the surface.  Gave 2 of the trout to Jessica.

Sunday, April 29, 2001 - Hooked a bluefish on a jig, just before high tide, at C-2-W.  Gave it away.

Monday, April 30, 2001 - Picked up and released a blue and a jack at C-2-West just after lunch, before high tide.  Also hooked something big under a submerged cable (also @ C-2-W).  It pulled off a good 20 feet of line before it broke off.  A redfish ??