You never know unless you go

In fishing, there is a saying, “you never know unless you go.” Well, at least that is what I tell myself when fishing conditions are not optimal.  
 
On Saturday, the offshore marine forecast was not optimal.  At 4 a.m. I called my son Elliott to make the go or no-go decision. After reviewing the most recent forecast data, Elliott said, “You never know unless you go.”
 
We decided to give it a try.
 
At 5:30 a.m. the father and son team of Grant and Trent Gustafson stepped onto the boat. Our plan was to run 50 miles to the Royal Terrace and troll for wahoo. Ocean conditions were surprisingly calm, and we made the run in a little over an hour. Upon arrival at the Terrace, Trent said, “You never know unless you go.” Elliott and I looked at each other and laughed.
 
We deployed a spread of DTX minnow lures and trolled along the edge of the Terrace. This time of year, the offshore bite can be hit or miss. On Saturday, it was a miss. After a couple of hours without a strike, we decided to switch gears and try vertical jigging for grouper and snapper. While the crew switched over from trolling to jigging tackle, I navigated to a likely location we marked when we were trolling.  
 
Upon arrival, the depth finder showed a bunch of fish holding near the bottom. Grant, Trent, and Elliott dropped Shimano 112-gram Flat Fall jigs to the bottom. Grant hooked up with a heavy fish. The ensuing battle was epic. During the long fight, Grant told us this was the first fish he ever hooked on a vertical jig. Everyone was elated when a big grouper came to the boat. An outstanding catch! Especially for Grant’s first fish on a jig.
 
For the next few hours, the action was steady. Barracuda, bonito, amberjack, and vermillion snapper kept things interesting. Our catch was good. The experience was great. For Elliott and me, fishing with another father and son team was truly enjoyable. We hope Grant and Trent feel the same way!
 
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call 843-224-0099.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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