Wednesday, Aug 21 2013

Crystal River Scallops & Gags...

Crystal River scallops and grouper were on the menue today and Jason sr. & jr. did great. I picked up the father and son team at the Plantation on Crystal river and we made our way to the scallop grounds. A low morning outgoing tide were the conditions, so I suggested scalloping on the low tide and it worked out great. The guys had a good bag of scallops by 11am and while they were scalloping, I was filling the live well with pin fish. We iced down the scallops and made our way to the shallow ledges and found a couple grouper. A few shorts, a keeper and a couple big dog break offs got the best of us while we finished out the afternoon and the approching storms encouraged us to call it a day. Thank you both for a fun time and I'll look forward to seeing you next time. Here's Jason jr. with his first keeper grouper... Capt. Dan
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Thursday, Aug 15 2013

Crystal River Reds & Grouper...

An inside and out trip today with Donna, Tony, Merrick and Chris out of Crystal River. I met the gang at Pete's Pier Marina and we ran inside through the creeks to find a couple red fish. We jumped point to point and a pair of nice slot sized red fish and mangrove snapper got our day going. The tide turned to go out around mid morning, so our next stop was to catch a few live pin fish and meet and greet a grouper. The team caught several quality sized pin fish and we soon anchored up and dropped down for a grouper. Merrick caught a beautiful 25" gag, but that was the only one we could turn today. A couple break offs and it was quite slow for the afternoon bite compared to the last couple days. We wrapped it up just before 3pm and I thank you all for the fun time. Here's Donna with a beautiful Crystal River red fish that started the day... Capt. Dan
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Wednesday, Aug 14 2013

Crystal River Grouper Digging...

Dropping on the ledges.... Another fine day out of Crystal River and Dean and Caleb did outstanding. I met the father and son team just before 8am at Pete's Pier Marina and we made our way west. A quick stop on the grass flats to fill the live well with frisky pin fish and we were offshore bound. For the first time is quite a while, anchoring was a bit of a chore. The wind and tide for the most part were going opposite directions, but once the tide over powered the wind - it was fish on. The guys caught a beautiful limit of grouper, released a few others and what a great day Caleb had for a graduation present. I thank you both for a fun time and hope to see you again soon... Capt. Dan
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Great grouper action continues and on today's 1/2 day charter, we found them again. I fished with my good friend Capt. Mark Zorn and we took out his long time friend Louie and grandson Cade. I pretty much fished the same pattern as I have been by dropping large palm sized pin fish on the shallow ledge breaks. We turned most of them today, but a couple got the best of us to keep us coming back. On the second stop, a pair of cobia came crusing by and we landed one just shy of making it to the keeper mark, but young Cade had a great fight with it. We called it a day before noon and I thank you all for the great trip. Here's Louie and Cades upcoming grouper dinners... Capt. Dan
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Saturday, Aug 10 2013

Crystal River Gags...

Same place, same time but we turned them today. Bryan and Rebecca joined me out of Pete's Pier Marina for a day of chasing down some grouper and today we won. With so many break offs yesterday, I was ready to get back after them. We did the usual routine of catching some quality live baits and with a live well full, we made a run to the ledges. Once we anchored up, the pin fish went down and "wham". In short order, we had our four fish limit on a couple quick stops and only two break offs today. The husband and wife team did great and I thank you both for the fun time... Capt. Dan
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Wednesday, Aug 07 2013

Crystal River Sampler....

What a day!!! Grouper, snapper, sea bass, grunts and red fish all by 1pm. I had Bill and Richard on board for today's Crystal River Charter and they had a day to remember. We left from Pete's Pier Marina just after 8am and made our way to the rocks. Great action with snapper, grunts and sea bass on a live shrimp with an 1/8th oz Hank Brown jig head was the bait of choice. With a good catch started, I made a quick stop on a shallow ledge on the way in and the team added a beautiful grouper to the mix. Only one grouper bite for us today, but the tide was running in and just getting right for trying our luck for a red fish or two. Well, the red fish bite was on and three perfect sized reds made thier way on board to top off the day. I thank you both for an excellent time and always look forward to our charters... Capt. Dan
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Break offs, breaks offs, break offs, yes folks that's how our first grouper stop started today out of Crystal River. I had David and Steve on board for a full day Crystal River grouper charter and the guys had some "big" ones on. We left from Pete's Pier Marina just after 8am, caught some quality pinfish and ran to one of my favorite ledges. I anchored up, send down some live baits and WHAM.... Nine breaks offs in a row before we turned the first keeper grouper and I even had mine broke a couple times today. There are some really good sized gags inshore right now and it's tough to turn a 15lb fish in less than 20ft of water. Eventually, we got the best of the grouper, but not before we had some encouters with a goliath grouper or two. It was a really fun time today and you guys did great. Here's Steve and David with some beautiful shallow water gag grouper... Capt. Dan
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Friday, Aug 02 2013

Grouper Fun Trip...

I had the chance today to join my good friend and great new young Captain, Clay Shidler, for an exploring offshore trip. We checked some deep hard bottom areas for red grouper and did well. The action wasn't non stop, but steady and we caught some real nice red grouper. The 50ft range was the hot spot and we fished low profile live bottom areas, as opposed to the larger rock structures that the gag grouper prefer. Spro buck tail jigs and live pin fish were the baits of choice. It was a treat for me to go out a little further than I can in my boat and I thank you for the fun time... Capt. Dan 
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The grouper turned on and they were much more aggressive than yesterdays trip. I had Ron and Dan on board for a fun day out of Crystal River and the guys did great. With very favorable condtions for running offshore, we stuck to the grouper plan and headed West. Filling the live well with insurance, we stopped and caught several dozen palm sized pinfish to have some grouper candy on standby. In a half hours boat ride, we arrived at our destination and in no time, we were hooked up. Live baits were the ticket and several keeper sized gags came aboard, along with cobia and a hefty nurse shark. We caught our limit on two stops and ran back inshore to the 10ft range and added a couple trout to the mix. A really good day of fishing and I thank you both for the fun time... Capt. Dan
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Sunday, Jul 28 2013

Crystal River Late Bite....

It was down to Hail Mary time for me today and I was getting worried if I was going to produce some keepers. Ken, Brad and Larry were on board with me today for a Crystal River grouper charter and we eventually found them. We loaded up and left from Pete's Pier Marina and ran to the flats to fill the live well with pinfish. In a hour we had a great assortment of baits and our next stop, was dropping down for a grouper. Well, it was a very slow start and finally on drop number seven, we found some keepers. There were some break offs and short gags caught, but it definitly took a while for them to cooperate. The guys landed some quality gags and several grunts to make the trip and I thank you all for the fun time... Capt. Dan
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