A nice mix today with the Christie family on board and it turned out to be a beautiful day. Leaving from Pete's Pier Marina, we had a little bit of fog to contend with, but it soon cleared. We picked up a fine keeper trout to start the day, but I was anxious to get offshore. The ledges and scattered rocks produced once again. Sevral hefty sheepshead, grunts and keeper sized gag grouper filled out the morning. The action was great and I thank you all for the excellent time. Here's Grayson and Todd with a fine father and son catch... Capt. Dan

We went deep today to the 30ft range and it was truly amazing. Skip, Chuck and Dave were my guests for their annual winter sheepshead trip and they definitely had the weather for it. I've been so anxious to check some of my deeper high profile rocks offshore and today was the day to do it. Me and the guys headed West, anchored down and it was "ON". It's been a fantastic sheepshead season and today really raised the bar on big fish. We kept a two angler limit and released close to twenty other hefty sheepshead. Several grunts, grouper and a trigger fish were our other species and a what a great day we had. I thank you all for the fun time and congratulations on an outstanding catch... Capt. Dan

The weather was in our favor today and wow, what a beautiful day. Rick was my solo guest for the day and you couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions. Leaving from Pete's Pier Marina, we experienced a little morning fog to the sheepshead grounds but it soon cleared. The gulf has cooled to a very chilly 51 degrees and the bite was non existent until the tide turned to go out. With the warmer inshore waters running out and the sun warming the gulf a degree a two, it turned the sheepshead on. Rick and I had some good action on various ledges and rock piles for the afternoon, plus a gag grouper or two. A fine catch of sheepshead ended the day and I thank you for the fun time... Capt. Dan

You couldn't have ordered any better weather for us today and my good client Chuck had a great day. We shoved off from Pete's Pier Marina just before 8am and made our way out. On the way to sheepshead grounds, we made a few cast on a bar and caught a couple trout to get the day started. We left the trout and made our way offshore to the 20ft range, anchored up and began bringing in sheepshead and some short lived grouper battles. Good quality sized sheepshead were coming on board and a grouper break offs here and there, but Chuck turned a beautiful gag on 10lb test for a quick photo. The bonito were around as well and we caught a couple to give the drags on the shimano 2500 saros a work out. A picture perfect day and plenty of action - I thank you for the great time... Capt. Dan

What a beautiful day and very comfortable conditions for today's team out of Crystal River. Bill and Karen were my guests for the day and they had a blast. The wind swapped out of the NE for us and allowed for much more favorable conditions for going offshore. Today, we agreed to leave the trout alone and target what ever else we could find. Red fish were our first order of business and from free lining shrimp around the oyster bars, to sight fishing them in the creeks, we caught quite a few. Two of them were mid slot fish, while the others were the typical winter "rat" reds. Next, we were offshore bound to anchor down on some sheepshead. Well... we eventually got in to them after about thirty grouper break offs. The gags were beating the sheepshead to the shrimp. (Yes, there's still no shortage of keeper gags inshore). The sheep's started coming over the gunnel and a fine catch of them ended our day. I thank you both for the fun time and look forward as always to our next trip... Capt. Dan

I'm sad to say, today was the last day of the 2013 gag grouper season for our area and was it ever great. Just about every charter produced limits of quality keeper gags and throughout the five months of the open season, only a very few short fish were caught. As many of you know, shallow water grouper is one of my passions and I take a lot of pride to produce for all of you great clients. I seldom go past the 25ft range and trolling is my favorite method to target them, with casting plugs and bottom fishing following. With the new limits, fuel prices and fewer anglers on the water, the gag grouper stocks have rebounded very, very well. I don't know what the 2014 gag grouper season will bring, but when the dates are posted, I'll let you all know. To end the season, my wife and I did another fun day and we caught some quality fish in 7ft range casting plugs. F18 Rapala's were the magic lures and we get to enjoy some fresh grouper in the coming weeks. I thank each of you that fished with me this season and look forward to next years memories... Capt. Dan

It has been a tradition the last couple years for my wife and I to have a couple fun days at the end of the grouper season and put a couple fillets in the freezer for the family. Tomorrow is the last day of the 2013 gag grouper season and with today''s great catch, it's sad to see it end. Well, today was chilly to say the least, but the gags were on fire. Becky and I left from Pete's Pier just after 8am and fished the shallow rocks. We threw plugs on just a couple spots and by 9:15am we had our four fish limit. We caught and released a few others trolling, just to check out a couple areas for tomorrow and called it a day. Always fun to see the Mrs.'s get almost pulled in the water, but she does a fine job turning them. Here's Becky with a nice pair of Crystal River shallow water grouper.. Capt. Dan

The fog was offshore today folks and it was here to stay. From just West of Shell Island on out, we were in it. However, I had the Buttermore family on board and it didn't slow us down (just the boat ride). Today's charter began jigging up an excellent limit of trout on MirrOlure Lil' Johns and the action was steady. The guys reached their fifteen fish limit and we were off to the grouper grounds. The grouper bite took a little while to get going, but we rotated several locations and six beautiful gags eventually came on board. The silver mullet color was the magic plug for us today and I can't thank you all enough for the great time. Congratulations on a terrific catch and I look forward to our next charter... Capt. Dan

Finally, a decent weather day to get a day of work in. I've cancelled almost a week of charters due to the conditions, but today we were able to get a good one in. I had the pleasure of having the Worthington family on board and the guys did great on the trout. We were loaded with glow DOA cal shad tail jigs and bourbon colored MirrOlure Lil' Johns and the trout were on. The team put 18 keepers on ice and we also caught and released over 20 red fish. All the reds were small, but fun none the same. A keeper grouper made it's way in to the box for the ride home and we called it a day. Thank you all for the great day and congratulations on a fine catch... Capt. Dan

I believe this was the last nice day we are going to have for a while. The marine forecast over the next few days is not looking good, so we'll see what happens. Anyway, today trip was a fun day with some old friends Gene and Mike and we found the gags. From trolling the ledges to casting on the shallow rock, the grouper were ready. We covered several of my older numbers I haven't been to in a while and it was absolutely gorgeous offshore. We pulled in a fine limit of grouper and headed to the hill just before noon. Thank you guys for a great day and always look forward to next time. Here's Gene with the first gag on the day... Capt. Dan