# Records Are Made To Be Annihilated-Inshore 7/10/08



## HaMm3r

Mentally exhausted, physically tired and literally ten pounds lighter, I returned from a grueling nine day business trip to Georgia, where despite a half-day respite on the Fourth (see the report here), the team put in many twenty hour plus days.







 







After sleeping for nearly fourteen hours straight







, I decided I wanted to reward myself for a job well done, and Mosquito Lagoon sounded like just the thing for it.







 So, I gave my friend Wayne a call, since he’d been asking me to accompany him on a charter for some time.
The next morning, Wayne and I met with Captain Bob Fisher and headed out toward an angry scarlet glow on the eastern horizon. Each of us had slept only a few hours the night before, which is not uncommon prior to an outing, as the anticipation of the next day’s fishing often makes sleep elusive.  







But with the Yamaha purring quietly behind Bob’s Mitzi skiff, we slid across the smooth surface and watched as the sky and our spirits brightened.

























In due time, we came off plane and began rigging for the early morning bite. Live mullet were the baits of choice and within seconds of my first cast, the unfortunate fingerling’s life ended in a freight train-like assault that threatened to spool my reel.  







After several powerful runs and revolutions around the boat, the fish came into view and my jaw dropped.  







The first fish of the day, and it had slaughtered my old personal best red by eighteen inches. Needless to say, I was stoked!

























Wayne and I landed four more of these amazing brutes,







each one as exciting and challenging as its predecessor, before Bob suggested we try to find some big gator trout. Secretly, Wayne and I were glad for the change of pace, as certain muscles were protesting the repeated abuse.







So, out came the lighter tackle and off we went.

















































































For the next thirty minutes we moved from spot to spot, catching a respectable trout here and there, but Bob and Wayne insisted they weren’t the quality fish we were looking for.







Personally, I was happy with all of them, since even the smallest were larger than most of those I’d caught back home.







Then, as we drifted a stretch of shoreline, I got thumped hard!







If this was a trout it was a world record, but it turned out to be another monster redfish that put on a great fight on the lighter spinning gear.

















Wayne and I both landed big trout after big trout, including these 26 inch twins that broke another of my personal best records.







Wayne managed the big speck of the day at 27 inches, but he didn’t want a picture since he’d caught bigger before.

























In the midst of all the trout activity, Wayne hooked into two more bull reds and I managed one other.  







Then, as I was reeling in a bait to re-cast, we heard an unusual slapping sound that repeated two or three times. In the crystal clear water, we saw a trout chasing my backward swimming mullet and missing again and again. I quickly dropped the tip, slowed my retrieve and the trout nailed it!  
































































Several of these trout and at least two of the reds were caught in extremely intense sight-fishing situations, and there were a lot of breathless, focused moments watching wakes or fins draw close and then explode on our baits. Each of these were followed by outbursts of laughter, back-slapping and high-fives amongst the three of us.







Even more amazing was when I watched a huge red creep up on my struggling mullet, only to have a trout dart in and snag it first.







 However, the red would have none of it and engulfed the trout!







 Only my attempt to set the hook on the red saved that 24 inch speck, as I yanked it right out of the red’s gaping maw in the process.  







Amidst laughter and disbelief, I landed and released that trout to fight another day, despite being severely scaled on both flanks.









Eventually the bait ran out and it was time to head home. As we idled away from shore, our audience of birds seemed reluctant to leave, perhaps hoping we’d return for an encore.







Rest assured, I’ll be returning for a repeat performance some day soon, as this was one of the best charters I have ever been on!
























Tally for the day;
9 Redfish – 36” to 50”
40-ish Trout – 15” to 27”


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## tom_in_orl

Holy crap that is an epic day. Nice job.


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## iMacattack

Great report!


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## deerfly

wow, I'm wore slap out just lookin'd at the pic's.  

too bad ABS posted them chic's on the same day or you'd have the hero thread for the season here.


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## redgheenoe

Great day! Now get back to work! ;D


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## backwaterbandits

WTG Huge reds and big trout    What a day! Congrats


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## galleta_loco

Bada bing! you [smiley=bitchslap.gif] them reds [smiley=eyepopping.gif]


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## St._Sophie_Girl

AWESOME!!!! I had to pick my chin up off the floor.... Veryyyy nice!!!! [smiley=1-beer-german.gif]


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## phishphood

Wow!!

And I thought I had a pretty good day today.


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## OhNoMrBill

[smiley=1-thumbsup1.gif] Unreal. What ever Captn Fisher is charging it's not enough. Great report, but where do you go from there [smiley=shrug.gif]


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## Un-shore

holy huge a** reds Batman!


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## HaMm3r

> Holy crap that is an epic day. Nice job.


Epic...that is the perfect word for it. Thanks! 



> Great report!


Appreciate that. 



> wow, I'm wore slap out just lookin'd at the pic's.


Took me three days to fully recuperate. 



> Great day! Now get back to work! ;D


  ;D



> WTG Huge reds and big trout  What a day! Congrats


It was worth every penny. 



> Bada bing! you [smiley=bitchslap.gif] them reds [smiley=eyepopping.gif]


It was a mutual beating...they kicked my butt too. ;D



> AWESOME!!!! I had to pick my chin up off the floor.... Veryyyy nice!!!! [smiley=1-beer-german.gif]


Thanks Sophie. 



> Wow!! And I thought I had a pretty good day today.


Well, if it makes you feel any better, I had to pay a guide to catch these fish. Not quite the same sense of accomplishment as doing it yourself. 



> [smiley=1-thumbsup1.gif] Unreal. What ever Captn Fisher is charging it's not enough. Great report, but where do you go from there [smiley=shrug.gif]


Trust me...it's enough.  Well worth it though. 



> holy huge a** reds Batman!


That's about what I said early that morning. ;D


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## Big_Fish

very nice I want some


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## HaMm3r

> very nice I want some


I hear ya...I want some more! ;D In fact, I was eyeing my disassembled trailer earlier, and I'm thinking it might be time to rebuild it for a road trip.  

I'd like to replace the tires, springs and bearings though, so I need a good source for parts.


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## phishphood

> very nice I want some
> 
> 
> 
> I hear ya...I want some more! ;D In fact, I was eyeing my disassembled trailer earlier, and I'm thinking it might be time to rebuild it for a road trip.
> 
> I'd like to replace the tires, springs and bearings though, so I need a good source for parts.
Click to expand...

I gotta boat, trailer, and open seat.(hint, hint)


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## Brett

Mosquito Lagoon, the best entertainment for your dollar in Central Florida, I don't care what the mouse says


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## fisherfsu

BTW - He puts his clients on fish like this all the time. I'm lucky enough to get to go for free.


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## tom_in_orl

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like your a lucky guy. Post some pics from your outings from time to time.


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## Apollobeachsam

Epic trip!! congrats!


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