Captain Judy Helmey
Miss Judy Charters
"Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956!"
124 Palmetto Drive
Savannah, Georgia 31410
912 897 4921 or 912 897 3460 fax
www.missjudycharters.com
August 25, 2008
Happy Fish Day!
Saltwater inshore, offshore, blue water fishing report, Freshies Suggestions, and "Little Miss Judy's story! Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
Send your fishing questions directly to Captain Judy fishjudy2@aol.com
Little Miss Judy Believe It or Not!
Wreck Grouper Like Socks!
The first time I ever met a wreck grouper was in a crate, which was packed with ice. There were dozens of what was called in the commercial fisherman's world "100 pound boxes." I had stopped by to see Frank Mathews and he said, "come look at these big fish!" This was during the early eighties. At this time not many people myself included were familiar with this grouper looking fish. I knew I had never caught one before. I also knew that even if I had hooked one up I probably couldn't have landed it. The reason being is these fish preferred structure in 300 feet plus water. So therefore since I didn't fish these depths my chances weren't very good for a hook up in the first place.
However, I will admit that while fishing in around 210 feet of water we hooked something on the bottom that was the strongest pull I have ever seen offered up from a hooked up bottom fish. So therefore I just might have hooked one up, but the when the freight train left the station it do so on the "wide open!" Our nickname for a grouper was "freight train pulling fish!"
The wreck grouper have the biggest set of eyes I have ever seen on a fish. Their eye size doesn't match their body. A hundred pound fish had the saucer size eyes. As I looked at all of these stacked up boxes in the back of the truck I couldn't believe my eyes. Hundred pound boxes hold 100 pounds of fish. With that being said, "most boxes have only one fish and others only had two!" Frank said, "Some of the single fish weight more than 100 pounds!"
The other day (August 2008) I had a retired commercial fisherman on my boat. I never really got his name I just called him "Commercial Man!" It was nice having someone on board that knew so much about fishing. On this particular day we caught about six large amberjack, which all weighted in at over 30 pound each. We also landed some nice grouper and an assortment of bottom fish. I watched "Commercial Man" as he fish and I could tell he was "In the knowing about fish!"
At any rate, we started talking about his favorite bottom fish to catch and out of his mouth came "wreck grouper." He offered up a little of his knowledge and he had my complete attention. The best bait was squid. I had to ask, "whole or cut up?" Commercial Man replied, "all I did was load my 10/0 hooks up with the most bait I could and dropped it down to the bottom!" The fish did the rest of the work, which was inhaling and trying to get back to the ledge. He wasn't using a rod and reel set up. According to "Commercial Man" they were using hydraulic reel set up, which was attached directly to the boat. These large fish even pulled drag on this wrench set up!
As we talked he shared one of a "commercial fisherman's secrets." They would take about 50 pounds of squid out at a time to start the thawing process. As they thawed liquid lined the bottom of the bait tub. They threw socks in the tub, which absorbed the squid's liquid. Now the socks smelled and even looked like big pieces of squid. Before "Commercial Man" could speak I already knew what he was going in to say. He said, "The socks were used as bait and they were less expensive than the real stuff!" Now you know the rest of the story!
Thanks for reading!
Captain Judy