A Legendary Experience

What an epic trip to the Dry Tortugas! The fishing here is incredible right now, with a wide variety of catches. Those two black groupers in the middle of the photo may not look it, but the one on the right weighs 71 pounds, and the other is 41 pounds. Two high-quality fish to top the box, along with plenty of mutton snapper, mahi-mahi, red grouper, scamp grouper, yelloweye snapper, and more fish that we released. It doesn’t get much better than this!

A big shout-out to @rhodanmarine and @abyssbattery for keeping our boat locked in place. These GPS anchors are game-changers for bottom fishing in the #DryTortugas!

#fishing #Fun #Outdoors #BigFish #Seafood #Boats #ocean ...

The King of the Reef lives up to its name! 👑🐟
When the call came for the Last Drop, we went all in. After sending every big bait we had to the bottom, it became a waiting game. Ten minutes passed, and then—a solid thump on one rod! It was game on! A fierce tug-of-war ensued: this Black Grouper battled to reach the rocks below, while we fought to reel it toward the boat. This fish was powerful, but our determination proved stronger. The moment it broke the surface, the excitement was electric! What an incredible way to cap off another unforgettable Dry Tortugas adventure!

#fishing #fun #wow #bigfish #wildlife #underwater #outdoors #travel ...

If at first, you don’t succeed Reel down and lift again!!!

On the first drop on this black grouper, she was ready and clearly had the advantage and after a powerhouse run, broke us off in the Reef. 15 minutes later, she was clearly unfazed and ready to have another go but our angler was ready this time and got on it hard right out of the gate.

Anyone that has sought out and landed a big black grouper on light tackle knows the drill all too well.

With your rod pointed in the down position and with all your might, You Reel down every inch of line you can.

Once you can’t get any more in, now you’re ready for the first of several powerful lifts and reel downs to turn that fish hopefully just enough to keep her head, pointed away from her chosen rock of safety to swim under.

She wins the first of these battles and gets you in the rock anyways. Now you back off and let her think she got away with full slack. After what seems like an eternity (1-2 minutes usually) go back to step 1 and suck up every ounce of line you just gave her and give her hell.

Now you got her coming, but how bad is your leader frayed? Are the sharks onto us? It’s that touchy spot that you want to keep that pressure constant and smooth so we don’t pull a hook or break her off but not so slow that the the sharks have time to have their way with you.

After this fish hit the surface, all the evidence of the story presented itself with both hooks and leaders present in her mouth.

Usually an angler only gets a couple shots per day at quality fish like this one. It’s a game of hero or zero where only the best anglers usually have a chance to win. The prize is well worth the price and but as for the ones that get away, those are the ones that haunt us and make us come back over and over again. This is Fishing at its finest and an addiction from most of us that started at childhood. How old were you when you first caught the bug that haunt you in your sleep and keeps bringing you back?
#addiction #takemymoney #monster #fishing ...

Captain Ralph Delph 1940-2016

Ralph, a founding member of the Miami Sportfishing Club, is a two-time “Master Angler” of the prestigious Miami Metropolitan South Florida Tournament (MET) and holds the record for guiding more “Master Anglers” than any other captain in MET history. As a pioneer and innovator in light tackle sport fishing, his expertise helped clients achieve an impressive 293 I.G.F.A. certified world records, earning him the I.G.F.A. Lifetime Achievement Award and the prestigious Tomi Gifford award. His passion for fishing took him across the globe, from pole to pole, and throughout the western hemisphere. Renowned in the industry for his unwavering dedication to excellence, Ralph’s influence extended far beyond fishing and hunting. His ambition for success inspired others in all areas of life, guiding them on their journeys to reach their highest potential. Those of us that knew him will forever be better for it and have a debt of gratitude for all that we learned from him. He really was a true master angler, and a fisher of men. #legend #mentor #pioneer #goat ...

You know it’s going to be a good day when the first drop of the trip brings in a monster Mutton Snapper. These larger Muttons fight incredibly hard. The first thing this fish did was swim around some structure and got the weight tangled into the bottom. Luckily, we were able to pull it out and land this fish! Not a bad way to start the trip! Not to mention, this was his first Mutton Snapper ever!

#Fishing #Fish #Seafood #Fun #Outdoors #OnTheWater #Boat #Ocean #saltwaterfishing ...

One of the coolest fish out there, the African Pompano. These fish have some of the most crazy colors. Not only that, they tend to swim in schools and fight extremely hard. One of the best indicators that you have hooked into one is when they make their initial run, it is extremely long in a horizontal distance. They don’t really care so much as to stay near the bottom as they do to just cover ground. It’s always a treat when we get on these amazing fish

#Fishing #Boats #Wild #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Outdoors ...