[aofisher]

This year, I celebrated my birthday much like any other year: a low key celebration the Friday before, then I am off for a week for or two for fishing. I got the usual presents: 3 shirts. I went fishing in Kansas as usual. The only trip out of the ordinary this year was my trip to the Florida keys with my father in law and a couple of friends. I am 45 now. None of my parents made it past 90, so I am guessing that I am more than half way through my journey. Hopefully, there is still a good third left...

 

[aofisher]

We did 2 trips with Best Bet Sport Fishing. The first trip was a inshore trip to the reefs. We caught some yellow tail snappers, blue runners, a jack fish, and a blue parrot fish. I almost got a picture of the parrot fish before it slipped out of my friends hands. We also hooked into a tarpon and 3 sharks (had two sharks on at one time).

 

[aofisher]

Trip # 2 was a deep sea trip. We mostly caught small black fin tunas, but we also got 3 mahi-mahis.

 

[aofisher]

Did some shore fishing by ourselves on the last day.

 

[hobiecat]

Happy Birthday! AO. It looks like you had a ton of fun.

 

[Bionic Man]

Happy Birthday! Looks like you have had some great trips!

 

[ghostman]

HBDAO!

 

[redleader]

Nice Snook, not sure about those Tuna heads, lol.

 

[Zman]

Happy birthday Linh!!! Looks like it was a great one. I fished "outback" in the Keys a couple of Thanksgivings ago...wanted to do May when the Tarpon were in...

 

[albow]

Looks like you are doing it right. :thumb:

 

[aofisher]

Thanks, folks!

Every time I go to Florida, I am reminded that anglers down there heavily favor bait fishing. I am partial to jerkbaits. A lot of people give me plenty of hints that "that **** don't work." The captain was telling me that artificials don't work there. There was reason why they don't use that stuff. After he said that, I caught a jack, a barracuda, and a couple of hogfish. The skipper said he couldn't believe I was catching hogfish on that. The next day, the skipper threw one of our rods with one of my lures tied on. We caught one of the mahi-mahis on that, and as many tunas as we caught on the other squid lures they were using. There's definitely times and places where bait is a must. For other occasions, I enjoy throwing lures.

 

[aofisher]

Nice Snook, not sure about those Tuna heads, lol.

Ha! It was for the sake of a friend back in Colorado. He had seen a TV show about a chef whose specialty was grilled tuna heads. I was fulfilling his dream for him. My thoughts on the tuna heads: it's OK. It would probably taste better if it slow cooked until the meat just falls apart. I tried the eyeball and it's very gooey. Too much gelatin in those giant eyeballs...

 

[pistoldog]

Happy BD AO, hope you got some good shirts!

Great pics here too by the way.

 

[slayerfish]

45? Freekin kid- SMH

 

[Dakota]

Happy Birthday. Those are some slabs!

 

[aofisher]

45? Freekin kid- SMH

Hey, I was an early bloomer. Hung out with "kids" old enough to legally buy liquor in the US since I was 14. I'm at least a 50 biologically.

 

[hobiecat]

AO, The last two years in Florida, I caught snook, tarpon, bass, warheads, gar, Peacock Bass and Red tail cats. All caught on the only bait I brought with me. 3/8ths jigs and 4 inch white Sassy shads. Mind you it was all canal fishing. Everyone I saw fishing was using bait. Met a couple guys out on the highway between Naples and Miami. Great guys. Spent a day fishing with them along the Tamiami canal as they showed me their spots. By the end of the day...They were fishing Sassy Shads instead of bait.

 

[hobiecat]

Friends from Miami

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk

 

[aofisher]

AO, The last two years in Florida, I caught snook, tarpon, bass, warheads, gar, Peacock Bass and Red tail cats. All caught on the only bait I brought with me. 3/8ths jigs and 4 inch white Sassy shads. Mind you it was all canal fishing. Everyone I saw fishing was using bait. Met a couple guys out on the highway between Naples and Miami. Great guys. Spent a day fishing with them along the Tamiami canal as they showed me their spots. By the end of the day...They were fishing Sassy Shads instead of bait.

That's cool! I think the bait thing is a combination of ingrained habits and the fact that bait can be almost free (if you catch it yourself).

 

[Oyey]

First off, Happy birthday, buddy! I hope you have a very very nice second half! Next, would you mind telling me what hat that is your father in law is wearing? Looks lightweight with a good neck cover! I need that hat! I am a lover of good hats.

I hope you have a good year, AO!