[bobdu11]

Well....got up saturday morning to go out for some quick Sail Fish Catch and release, however, with the wind blowing 30 plus knots and forecast to pick up as the day went on, my Dad decided to call it and not go.......to make up for it, we have planned and are executing a February Florida Keys trip to Key Islamorda. I have been fishing down there this time of the year and it is a fantastic time. Not only is the weather outstanding, the Sailfish are jumping, the Blackfin Tuna are pulling and the Wahoo are shredding !.....Going feb 12 - 16th, can't wait....

Looked in my Backyard last night when we got home and saw a hint of the white stuff, guess we got our first dusting of the year, hopefully it's the last !.....Bob

P.S. My high school buddy (42 years old) finally married his high school sweetheart, unreal man...and for a wedding present I invited him on the Keys trip in February, wife said cool, but told him he would be gone during Valentines day so he better leave her something really nice !

[skinnys-kid]

Islamorada...you gotta love it!! I've never been, but would love to go. Mike and I have talked about going there. We're thinking about pushing our Florida trip to April, hoping for less winds and more fish. I'll talk to you about that at the Meet and Greet to get your opinion.

I hope you brought some warm FL weather with you!!

See you Thursday!!

--Don

PS...I watched Spanish Fly yesterday and it was the episode where Jose takes delivery of his new boat...that boat is sweet!! When do you gets your new ride???

[bobdu11]

Lemme tell you about April in the Palm Beaches....I actually caught my largest Dolphin in April...about 1.5 miles off the Kennedy Compound (you know where that's at right ?, make a right out of Lake Worth Inlet). Big Dolphin and still some lingering sails that time of year. The schoolies are still a bit south but you will have plenty of action. If you hit the full moon right in April, you will absolutely kill the KingFish that time of the year, more King Mackeral than you can imagine (go at night on the full moon, about 2 miles off the beach between Lake Worth Inlet and Jupiter Inlet, right off what we used to call Double Roads, believe it's called Jupiter bluffs or Juno dunes or something now. If you feel froggy and decide to make the Long Run out to the Gulf, should be between 8 and 10 miles that time of year (lol), Marlin and Wahoo are moving up from the Bahama's and you can really do well, especially if you can find some drifting rafts or palm trees out there.....

On another note, This was the first time I went home since Hurricane Wilma. The destruction was unreal, worst I've seen in dam near 30 years of living down there. We drove up US1 from Juno to Stuart for the boat show and man, all the trees are dead, broken or just plain gone. They still are having problems with the lights down there and power is on inn one area and still off/sketchy in others. Really bad....You can tell it was the backside of the storm that got them from the way all the trees are blown, straight east to west from when the backside of the eye got offshore....

Anywho, gotta go check progress on my new boat, should have it in time to fish this weekend (keeping fingers crossed)....later....Bob....Still Think'n

[Mega Bite]

Islamarada is nice,take your sunscreen,we had the sunroof open when we were trailering a boat down there.I got sunburn on my head so bad I had to skip a day of fishing.Thats why I always wear a hat now!Ask Fin Fever how red my forehead got I felt like a real tourron!

[skinnys-kid]

Thanks Bob!! I heard on the news that there is a major shortage of builders and skilled labor down there. So bad that I think the state is putting out money to train people. Might be my chnace to make the move?!?!?

[Mega Bite]

If I didnt have kids I would be down there right now.

[RECOVERY]

We fished Marathon for 2 wks March of 2004 the wind were still blowing that time of year. An excelent Captain out of Marathon is Jack Carlson -TWO CONCHS He's
in all the saltwater mags realy great guide and guy But he books up fast He does
offshore and Gulf trips
Also did Valintines day Tarpon fishing with him about 8-9 yrs ago.
Hey Don are you in the trades???
Ive Done Bathrooms and Kitchens for the past 20 yrs.

[skinnys-kid]

Hey Don are you in the trades???
Ive  Done  Bathrooms and Kitchens for the past 20 yrs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don,
My brother has a general services company. We do decks, poolhouses, room remodels, etc. I've worked with him for the last year and a half. I saw that news report about Florida's shortage of labor, and thought there might be a chance to live and fish in Florida...oh and work!!