Trip was WYLD
This past week I had the pleasure of fishing with Captain Garrett and Captain Laramy of Fishing Florida Charters out of Crystal River.
This was actually my fourth trip with them this year, and once again, they made it one to remember. I was lucky enough to be joined by my good friends Ricky and Derek for the day. The plan was to target some Gag Grouper before the season closed and see what else we could find after that. We left the dock at 3:30 a.m. and made the long run out to deeper water to jig. This trip was a bit different—we were testing out some gear and really focusing on using the new WYLD jig.
Anyone who knows me knows I usually bring around 80 pounds of jigs, even for just a day trip. So committing to only one or two for the entire day was unusual for me, but I stuck to the plan. Unfortunately, the day didn’t start great. During a bathroom break on the way out, I somehow managed to knock my phone out of my pocket. My heart sank as I watched it flutter to the bottom, screen still lit up like it was waving goodbye. That was going to cost me at least a grand. I tried to sleep off the frustration, thinking maybe the day could only go up from there and thankfully, I was right.
After a 3.5-hour run on the Freeman, we pulled up to our first spot. All three of us started off with the 220g WYLD. Within the first minute of dropping, I got bit and landed the first Gag Grouper of the day. It went straight in the box.
Not long after, Derek hooked up with a big one. He did an awesome job fighting it and landed his personal best, a 30-pound Gag on the jig. Pictures don’t quite do those fish justice. Not to be outdone, Ricky hooked up next and put another quality gag in the boat. By 10 a.m., we had already reached our gag limit for the day. With plenty of time left, we decided to hop around a bit and see what else was out there.
We picked off some Scamp Grouper and Amberjack, catching double jacks on the jig more than once. Around 1 p.m., we moved in to shallower water and that’s when things got wild. As soon as we got to the area, we were all hooked up. Jacks, Grouper, Snapper, Kingfish, you name it we were catching like crazy.
I had tied on the 120g WYLD, and I was getting hit on the drop nearly every time. At one point, I was just talking to the captains with the jig hanging in the water, and a 40-pound Amberjack crushed it with nothing but boat movement to give it action.
Ricky got two really nice Kingfish, both easily over the 20-pound mark. From around 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., we caught more fish than we knew what to do with. It was nonstop.
I know this might sound like a sales pitch for the WYLD, but it really was just that good. I know any jig can have its day, but this one fished better than I could’ve expected. This was my first time really putting it through its paces, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else it can do.
Till next time
Chad
