Luck Of The Draw...

Brad and his daughter Lexi got out with me yesterday for a day of grouper fishing in the bay. On the water, Lexi's stock has been rising lately. She had a great day on trout a few weekends ago with her Dad and Captain Todd Foucher, so this week it was time to step it up a notch and try to hook up with some bigger fish.

We got set up on some different structure and soaked belly hooked threadfins for most of the day. At the end of the bite we had plenty of bigger fish break us off, but also caught mackeral, bluefish, numerous short gags, a couple close one's we threw back, and one keeper gag. Not a record haul, but fun nonetheless, and Lexi got to battle quite a few fish herself. When she felt how hard the gags pulled she was afraid they were going to pull her in. 

On our last attempt, we put a few flat lines out which got attention from mackeral, and then one serious drag screamer we had mistaken for a shark until we saw the big silver flash down below. Kingfish! And a big one at that. Brad gaffed the fish and we called it a day...needed to get that baby on ice!

Smoker Kingfish...

Brad and Lexi with a keeper gag..