# Another epic, EPIC Floater Trip! (Dec 11-12/14)



## bjd76 (Jan 12, 2008)

Talk about a â€œDecember to Rememberâ€! The weatherman had been teasing us for 6 weeksâ€¦calls for 2s and week ahead and then the day before changes it to 3-5s or worse. Weâ€™ve had crew lined up for at least 3 potential trips and each time the window blows up a day or two before. Curtis had been hanging in there for all of them and he finally got his chance. Along with the birthday boy, Luke (reeltime2luke), and Lee (Bull) we headed out of Bridge Bait at about noon. We were met with sloppy 2s and headed out at about 28mph.

Headed straight to the Floaters to explore the report of â€œ100#ers dancing in the boat lightsâ€ but got sidetracked by a 150ft by 50ft weed mat a little over a 100 miles out. As water was just under 72 degrees, decided to see if any mahi were home. It took some coaxing but a chicken came out, then Curtis burns a blue jig and a 20# bull hits it. A couple of jumps and we get him in the box. One more chicken for me and we headed to the Floater.

Get to the Floater at about 5:15pm and started looking for marks on the sounder but not many at all showing up. Started seeing some blow ups and then a couple ticked off YFT going airborne after bait! Out go the poppers and soon Luke is hooked up, then Lee, then Curtis. Lukeâ€™s 90#er goes in the box, followed by Leeâ€™s 80#er, and Curtis is still fighting hisâ€¦ Another run and then we get her to color. Big fish and foul hooked in the side! Curtis works to get her boat side, we gaff her, and a 100#+ fish in the boat. Rinse down the blood and start popping. I get hooked up followed shortly by Lee. We both get fish to the boat, gaffed, and my and Lee's 60#ers in the box. 

I start throwing again and see a small fish nail the popper, goes down, she gets free, but then another strike while still under water (a popper). Feel the shaking like a bft that canâ€™t pull the drag - but then all helk breaks loose! Fish heads deep and across/under the bow. All I can do is hold on and keep rod/line off the gunnel. I must have been frozen for about 30 seconds like that while she peeled line. Fight her boat side (and Iâ€™m calling it a 100#er) goes in the box! Just a tad smaller than Curtisâ€™.

Meanwhile Curtis gets another massive strike and fights her for about 20 minutes to color. We see something large underneath â€" is that the tuna? Then we see a tail splash, line screaming out, and then nothing â€" line was cut. Pretty sure it was a Mako chasing another 100# tuna to the surface and cut the line while in pursuit.

I hook up another 90+ yft and we get her in the box. The box has been rearranged 3 times now to make room and is very full. Maybe we can squeeze one more in there? Lee gets hooked up, fights her to the boat, and box is full.

It is only 7 pm! We switch to barbless hooks on poppers and continue popping (to release) while Luke and Lee try to jig some bft for chunk. Nothing on the barbless poppers and no bftâ€¦at all, all night! I switch to chunking using old yft and mahi fishing cleaning scraps (see Oct 25 report!). Get a run on a mahi chunk, set drag and settle in for a fight. It was a weird fight. Just felt like dead weight and it did not take another run. Thought it was a big shark the way it fought (or not) but bring her to color and itâ€™s a 90# yft! Plenty of fish in the box and will never cull yft - cut her loose at the hook and off she goes! 

A few more passes on the chunk and Curtis puts a 25# mahi in the box. It turns out we could fit a skinny one in there after all!

Slow boated in at 930pm and cleaning fish and the boat by 830. Learned that was Curtisâ€™ first yft so a heart eating ceremony was performed (see photo). 

He took the largest and smallest yft home and they weighed in at 100# and 60#s! Our calibrated eyeballs were right on!

I think all 8 YFT caught on poppers (OTI Komodo (lg) tequila sunrise color for me and Tuna Hunter (wahoo color) for Luke). Curtisâ€™ hook up/loss might have been on an Orca? Not sure about Leeâ€™s popperâ€¦

Well, I bought a Go Pro and took it but I was too busy and too excited to turn it on during the action sequences! Got a lot of criticism for that, lol. Iâ€™ll see what I did get and try to figure out how to edit and post to Youtube, one of these daysâ€¦

Check out the bilge color in the one group photo!

Tight lines and Happy Holidays to all. Fishing is terrible at the Floaters! Do not go out there.J


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## Captn C (May 21, 2004)

Dang nice report/trip!


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## jashlyfenton (Apr 21, 2012)

Nothing but nice!! We went all the way to Venice last weekend, and only caught a bonehead, and a yellowtail snapper...


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## LaserLine (May 1, 2011)

Great report. Nice bilge color.


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## trapper67 (Mar 23, 2011)

SIMPLY AWESOME!!!! Huge congrats !!!


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## Flight Cancelled (Jul 7, 2010)

Awesome trip as always kickin ourself for not getting out there


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## snapperlicious (Aug 11, 2009)

Nice job!


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## Bret (May 21, 2004)

Whacked em again!!! nicely done!!


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## Empty Pockets CC (Feb 18, 2009)

Nice haul boys!


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## stryper (Nov 10, 2008)

Impressive, looks like a SD trip

learn from the wise, you won't live long enough to learn it on your own


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## s2kteg (Jul 14, 2006)

Awesome nice catch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bjd76 (Jan 12, 2008)

*Courtesy of Lee*

Lee added this photo to the mix...


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## GulfCoast1102 (Dec 30, 2013)

The shot of the bloody water coming out the side of the boat is classic! Awesome pics!


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## bingorocks (Oct 30, 2014)

Good Job!!!


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## coastman (Apr 18, 2013)

Heck yeah, awesome blood shots! Nice job!


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## meaux fishing (Feb 6, 2010)

sweet trip


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## cabolew (Aug 12, 2005)

Great report!! Well done!


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## asher (Sep 27, 2011)

Good job guys!


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## BrownieNPadre (Feb 23, 2013)

Nicely done ! What rig did u fish?


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## Joe_S (Jun 24, 2010)

Very nice!

How are you rigging your barbless poppers? J-hooks with the barb filed off?


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## bjd76 (Jan 12, 2008)

Joe_S said:


> Very nice!
> 
> How are you rigging your barbless poppers? J-hooks with the barb filed off?


Exactly. Preferably, I use the OTI lure hooks


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## RonnieS (Jan 1, 2010)

Nice catch crew!!!!!
Bruce, you know that you have ruined Curtis, don't you?
Outstanding !


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## Fin-Atic (Feb 25, 2011)

Nice Job Bruce!! Ive been itching to get out...


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## Anthony C (Jun 20, 2008)

Awesome trip! How you like those new 300's?


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## donaken (Nov 25, 2010)

Mount your GoPro on the T-Top and push record....some good fishing and as always great report!! Congrats, thanks for sharing..


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## Fin-Atic (Feb 25, 2011)

donaken said:


> Mount your GoPro on the T-Top and push record....some good fishing and as always great report!! Congrats, thanks for sharing..


Thanks Ken for the suggestion on the drone...getting it for christmas...my wife loves me!! LOL... Gonna put a Hero4 on it... gonna get some crazy footage next summer (hopefully before then)..


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## hog (May 17, 2006)

Wow!
One of them Trips that only come around a few times.

*Yall Dunn GoouD!*


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## bmtsupra (Jul 19, 2013)

bjd76 said:


> Lee added this photo to the mix...


The bloody bilge pump discharge pic sums up your trip perfectly....EPIC. The fish pics were a bonus for us stuck on land. Congrats on a great haul.


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## Mikeyhunts (Jun 4, 2007)

Awesome Bruce, Luke and Crew!
You guys have become the Yellowfin Floaters Experts!!!!
Congratulations!


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## BayouBonsaiMan (Apr 14, 2009)

Simply Awesome Captain! Thanks for sharing!


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## hillbilly deluxe (Jun 7, 2007)

Never been to the floaters in a small boat where do you put all of the tuna on ice does your fish box hold all of them???? i Know mine wouldn't . Hell of a trip love the bloody bilge water.


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## Lee Brumlow (Jun 21, 2007)

*Wow!!!*

You are the man Bruce!!!!
Jealous.

One of these days, one. . . . of. . . . these. . . . .days!

Lee B

We saw a pretty big shark on Wed, near the shelf. Pic attached.
And, Of course we released the head.


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## Dfennen29 (Feb 3, 2013)

Kinda makes me wanna come home!


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## crawfishking (Apr 23, 2007)

Congrats! Solid fish.


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Nice trip guys!


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## wLeeBull (Oct 22, 2010)

bjd76 said:


> I think all 8 YFT caught on poppers (OTI Komodo (lg) tequila sunrise color for me and Tuna Hunter (wahoo color) for Luke). Curtisâ€™ hook up/loss might have been on an Orca? Not sure about Leeâ€™s popperâ€¦


Great bite. Fast and furious with a couple doubles and a triple??

FYI, I was throwing Heru Cubera 125 and a Hammerhead D Cup.

Thanks again Luke and Bruce.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Freaking awesome !!


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## William Dean Sr. (Jun 30, 2011)

Perfect description of the trip Bruce. It was a blast and I can't wait to do it again. Thanks Bruce and Luke.


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## GWMERCER (Jun 30, 2010)

Nice meat haul


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## RobATX (Apr 5, 2011)

Got there at 5 and a full box by 7.... BOSS. Great report Bruce. I'm glad the weather finally cooperated for you guys. That must have been an adrenaline packed couple of hours!


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## red34 (Jun 2, 2004)

Nice work guys! Glad our poppers and the lure hooks worked out!


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## mredman1 (Feb 4, 2007)

*Trip report*

Fantastic report and photos!

Mike


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## daviddrake2 (Aug 24, 2007)

Glad you guys finally made it out. Spectacular trip and great report.


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