I know what’s for lunch when they come. As usual, we went out Saturday and started with catching our Mingo’s, Triggers and stuff and moved offshore for some Amberjacks. As we went out farther the current got pretty strong on a few holes we stopped on and I heard some of the other captain’s complaining about how hard it was to hold up on the spot. I started to fear the worst for fishing in the deeper water we were headed for, however I noticed a huge tide line on the horizon a mile or so out in front of me and figured I was going to stop just beyond the line.

To my surprise we passed over the line about 500 yards and rounded up on the hole and I darn near ran slam off of the hole thinking it was like it was on the last hole. Thank goodness it was dead still. Cool! What a relief, I won’t have to fight the current or massive tangles in the deep water. After checking the spot we stopped on and catching some big Mingo’s and several huge Triggerfish we went on out for some Amberjacks.

I wish I could say they just jumped in the boat but that isn’t what happened. We had to work for them. Maybe that current wasn’t moving on top but something had them spooked a little. We caught a few here and there and ended up hitting one really good hole by luck in the end. I know you’re thinking, “He was saving that one till last” but I wasn’t. I’d rather be lucky than good on a day like that. All’s well that ends well. We had a great trip when it was over; I just had to work a little harder.

We met at the dock around 6:45 a.m. and left out around 7:00. After some coffee and donuts we were on our way. We only had six hours for our trip so we hurried out to the fishing grounds and before we started fishing we said a prayer…  From the first drop the fish were biting two at a time. Reverend Lloyd even caught two at a time. We didn’t have to move but one time to a different hole a few hundred yards away and they were biting again good.

Then it happened, first one then another and we had two Sharks on at one time. After fighting the one for around 15 minutes or so the line parted. However, the line on the other was as strong as our faith and we fought him for around 25 minutes until we got him up alongside the boat were everyone could see and get a good picture and then we released him to live another day. We resumed our fishing for what little time was left and then headed back to the dock.

It was a very good trip and I think everyone enjoyed it, maybe with the exception of a few who let’s just say took full advantage and then some of their sea sick patch’s, no names mentioned but, Amen.

We arrived with anticipation and excitement of what was to happen next. It certainly didn’t disappoint. As soon as the lines were in the water we were on. A small Black Fin Tuna and then another, and then another and another. After a few laps around the rig we saw what we came for, the Big Yellow Fin Tuna busting the water on top just out from the rig a little and heading right to us. As the tension built up we crossed over the school of fish and all eyes were on the lines. “Fish On, right rigger!” then “Fish on Left rigger!” OH Yea! They were biting! We fished into the night, jigging next to the rigs as the seas built to 6-8 feet. We got up the next morning around 3:30 a.m. and started it all over again. Before it was over we had 4 Yellow Fin Tuna, 25 Black Fin Tuna, over 40 head of Scamp, around 180 head of Jumbo Mingo’s and 24 Amberjacks Totaling a little over 2,000 lbs. Wow!

They brought up Yellow-edge Grouper, Snowy Grouper, Scamp and to my huge surprise some of the most Monster-size Mingos we’ve ever caught. No kidding. They were 5-6 pounds a piece.

So I told them to grab the two hook bottom rigs and drop them for some Scamp right there on the same spot. Sure enough we caught a few but it wasn’t what I knew we could do so we moved to our third hole of the day which was even deeper than the last, now we are in 290 – 310 feet of water.  As I rode down to the next spot I was remembering the last time we fished there last season and it dawned on me that we caught some deep water Grouper there. I told the deck hands to get ready for some of those and we’ll try it. When we got there every one was baited up and ready to drop. You have to be ready to drop when I tell you, especially in the deeper water like this because it’s sort of like precision bombing, everybody has to go down at the same time to avoid tangles and to assure you hit the target. We dropped and it didn’t take long to see we hit the target good. Everyone got fish on and I knew we made the right decision. They brought up Yellow-edge Grouper, Snowy Grouper, Scamp and to my huge surprise some of the most Monster-size Mingos we’ve ever caught. No kidding. They were 5-6 pounds a piece. It was a good thing the deck hands used up some of the other b-liners we had for live bait earlier because I would have died to have to throw those back. That’s when I realized it was time to go home. Three stops and we put the mash down on them. It doesn’t get any better. I can’t wait till next week when we go on our first overnight Tuna trip. The reports are great offshore and there are plenty of nice fish, we’ll check it out.

The Emerald Spirit was getting some improvements and out of the water for 52 days painting the bottom and re-doing the decks. We also put new railing all around the boat with rod holders and a place for your weights. It looks awesome and we’ll have some photos up shortly. As soon as we got in the water we did a small test run out for some Cobia for a couple of hours and saw 2 Cobia, both with other things on there mind. Then we got to go out the other day on a one-day tournament to benefit Capt. Mo Schavers who owns Mo Fishin Bait and Tackle Shop in Orange Beach, Alabama, There was a one-day tournament with half of the money generated going towards some hospital bills he had incurred so we gladly entered.

We left the dock around 6:00 a.m. and returned around 6:00 p.m. We left out of Terry Cove, through the Orange Beach Pass and fished all the way to the other side of Pensacola Beach, Florida’s fishing pier. (Yep, we’re licensed in both Alabama and Florida so we can go that way!) On the way down there we saw 2 fish that were real nervous and wouldn’t bite. Then a couple of hours later we saw another fish who was a little more interested than the first two but still not hungry. Finally we saw a good fish around 45 or 50 pounds and he was more interested in our baits than all of the other but still wouldn’t eat any thing we threw at him. We did see another fish later, but he was like the rest, not interested.

The weather was great, the sun was popping in and out of the clouds most of the day but we had a great time. I hear there are a bunch more Cobia headed this way and we will get to see soon. First we have a little getting ready for our annual United States Coast Guard (USCG) Inspection. After that you’ll be hearing from us again, hopefully with a better report about how many we put in the box.

We are very pleased to announce we have moved both of our boats to the beautiful Sportsman Marina at 27844 Canal Road in Orange Beach, Alabama 36561. We are less than 10 minutes from the Gulf. Sportsman Marina is cleaner, parking closer to the boats, nice dock store with sandwiches, drinks and supplies available for your fishing trip, award winning restaurant, Shipp’s Harbour Grill, to cook your fresh catch, and with a friendlier, more professional atmosphere.

The Gulf of Mexico is clean, clear and ready to fish. Since we didn’t fish last year, the fish are there in record numbers just waiting to be caught this coming year. Our captains and crew are professionals at every level.

Grouper season is closed from February 1 through March 31 and opens April 1. Red Snapper season opens as usual on June 1 and runs until the National Marine Fisheries closes it, an anticipated 50 days or so. The Gulf Council and National Marine Fisheries are discussing a two month closure of Amberjack in June and July but there is no final ruling on this as yet. With the abundance of fish in the Gulf of Mexico, we still anticipate a great season regardless of the decisions made by the Council or National Marine Fisheries.

As you may have noticed, we have not increased our prices in the last two years, however, as you may have seen at the fuel stations, fuel is on the rise and we have no control over those prices. They will, however, directly affect our pricing this year since fuel is our greatest expense.

Remember to call before April 1st for early season discounts on booking your trip.

We are looking forward to a great season. Look at our websites at www.FishOrangeBeach.Net and www.FishEmeraldSpirit.Com for more detailed information or give us a call at 888-558-3889 to schedule your trip today.

Saturday we started off catching some White Snappers, Triggers, Mingo’s and some Real Nice Amberjacks.  Some were in the 60-70 pound range.  We did troll out and back but the water is still so cold that we didn’t get a bite.  After catching some AJ’s we went on out to the deep water rigs starting with the Petronius. We arrived about an hour before dark and put the Ballyhoo out on the slow trollers and pulled around the rig. Right off jump street, we got a double hook up. Two Black Fin Tuna.  I told my deck hand Eric to pull the lines in and let us try some jigging if they were going to bite this good. He already had the poles out and rigged up so we pulled up to the rig and started jigging. We caught a few kind of hit and miss and decided to go on out to the next rig offshore, (the Marlin) and try it for some Yellow Fin Tuna before it got too late. After high Speed trolling out there it was dark when we arrived so we tried jigging even though I didn’t see any fish on the fathometer. No luck, they just weren’t there. So, we hauled butt down to the next rig (Ram Powell) to see if they were there. The report I got from another captain just the week before was that this was the only place they did any good. So with high hopes we pulled up to the rig and made a pass around it to see what we could see on the fathometer. Nothing! Not a single dot on the meter. No bait on top or fish below. At this point I made an executive decision and decided to go all the way back up to the first rig we left, the Petronius, where they were biting.  We used this time to enjoy the Extra Large Filet Mignon that our customers from Birmingham, AL brought with them along with all the fixin’s from there restaurant. It didn’t last long, as a matter of fact if one of my deck hands hadn’t brought me a few small pieces I wouldn’t have gotten any, it went so fast. After we returned back up to the first rig, we jigged some more and caught several more Black Fin Tuna. However, everyone was spent by then, especially after that good meal. So we pulled out from the rig, dropped a squid over for a sword fish and caught forty winks.  We woke up around 5:00 a.m. and returned back to the rig after having some coffee where we resumed jigging and ended up catching several more fish.  By now the weather was absolutely beautiful. We fished our way back to the dock that evening and celebrated what a great trip we had.

Now the Cobia are running and we are tying on our ling lures. We have Cost Guard Inspection on Monday and right after that, I’M GONE! Check with me next week to get the whole story on the Cobia Run!

Yesterday we had a small group of people, almost not enough to go out. Thankfully we did and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect, the seas were calm and the fish are biting like crazy. Yesterday, we had a 6 hour trip with 14 people on a “Walk On” trip on our big boat the 65 foot Bonner, Emerald Spirit. The temperature outside was around 68 in the morning and moved up to around 72 during the day it seemed. We generally ride for about 1 ½ hours out and fish for a little over two hours and then return to the dock after a full 6 hours. Even though it’s still early in the season we did catch a couple of King Mackerels on our last trip down deep on a regular two hook rig for bottom fish. That means they are here but just not up in the water column around the surface yet because of the water temperature is still so cold. Even still we did put out our trolling lines on the way out and on the way in. No bites yet; any day now! As usual the bottom fish were biting great and we caught lots of Vermillion Snapper(Mingo’s), White Snapper, Trigger Fish, Lane Snapper and even though they are still closed Red Snapper that we properly vent and release back. There are more Red Snapper out there than ever before and continue to get bigger and multiply tremendously. We expect a season like never before with huge Red Snappers on every trip in season.

We are going out on a two day trip this weekend and I’ll have a first hand report to give you when I get back. Check back Monday to see what all we caught!

Just in the middle of working on this we got a phone call to run a trip with 45 people from the Navy ROTC for a 4 hour trip. Needless to say, we were glad to go out for our first trip of the season even though it was a bit cool. The temperature was in the mid 50’s in the morning but warmed right up to a 67 or 68 during the day. With the wind blowing out of the northwest around 15 to 20 knots the clear sky’s and warm sunshine was a welcome sight. We left the dock around 11:30 and returned around 3:45, your average 4 hour trip. We traveled for around 45 minutes before we came to our first fishing spot. We used our basic two hook rig with a #4 circle hook. These are small wire hooks with a real sharp point that virtually do all of the work for you. They will catch anything from a pin fish, Mingo snapper, White Snapper, Triggerfish to a Red fish or a Bonito. Some of the inshore guides use them for Sheephead, Flounder, Pompano and Trout.

On our trip we caught White Snapper, Trigger fish, Mingo (Vermillion) Snapper, Red Fish, Red Snapper (we had to throw them back, closed season till June 1). We had a great trip and the people really had a great time. Lots of these guys had never been deep sea fishing ever before. That’s what the beauty of the 4 hour trip is, a chance for those who have never done this to get out and experience what it’s like to be out in the Gulf of Mexico and let the deck hands teach them how to use the equipment and catch fish. It’s all about enjoying your time fishing together with friends and making good memories you can tell your kids about for years to come.

By Pat Peterson

ORANGE BEACH, Alabama – Orange Beach charter boat captain George Pfieffer says if the federal government shortens this year’s red snapper season, he could be forced to find another way to make a living.

CALL NOW FOR AN IMMEDIATE DISCOUNT – 888.558.3889

“In between both of my boats, I’ll probably lose somewhere between 150 to 250 thousand dollars,” says Pfieffer. “We’ve lost a lot of business due to the economy and with the red snapper season being shortened, that’s compounded the problem.”

Federal regulators want to cut the red snapper season from 74 days to between 51 and 60 days. The feds say the cut would help stabilize the red snapper population many believe was over-fished last year. But recreational boat captains say that information is inaccurate.

“Snapper is not an issue,” says Tom Steber, owner of Zeke’s Landing Marina in Orange Beach. “There’s probably 25 times more snapper out there than there’s ever been.”

“It doesn’t just affect the fishermen,” says Pfieffer. “It affects the whole community. Hotels, motels, restaurants, everybody. Billions of dollars up and down the coast are lost due to economic impact and the cutback of snapper.”

Federal officials could make a decision on whether or not to shorten the season later this week.