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  Menemsha returns home...

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Author Topic:   Menemsha returns home...
Menemsha69 posted 08-17-2009 10:18 AM ET (US)   Profile for Menemsha69   Send Email to Menemsha69  
After having minimal success in landing Lanier Stripers this season, I decided it was time to take the Menemsha back to the waters she knows best. A buddy of mine will soon be laid up for a while in the hospital while recovering from some much needed surgery, and the Red Snapper season is closing early on the Florida Gulf Coast.

All of these factors turned into the perfect excuse to make the 6 hour ride to Panama City, Florida. About 2 weeks ago (sorry for the late post, lightning took out my computer) I loaded the Menemsha up with the necessary saltwater equipment on loan from Joe Morgan- and picked his brains in the process for tips on where and how to find some fun off the Panama City shoreline.

I spent hours loading the Lowrance with reef and wreck coordinates and took the trailer in for new tires and fresh bearing grease.

My Menemsha was originally purchased new in Panama City in 1969, and I understand she was used quite regularly for fishing for many years there before she was trailered to the North Georgia area in the mid 90's. She responded well to her old stomping grounds!

After the obligatory trip to Half Hitch Bait and Tackle, as well as Walmart for an education on the expensive and mandatory equipment now required for reef fishing ($75 for hook remover, bladder de-inflator, flares, etc...) we were ready to fish.

The first morning out was successful, but hot. Calm seas (1-2 foot from the southwest, winds 5-10 mph) provided us the opportunity to troll anywhere from 2-6 miles offshore, the Saltwater ETEC never missed a beat. We gave out before the boat did, 94 degrees at noon was enough! We had a blast landing these Spanish Mackerel:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3322.jpg

On the second morning we watched the thunderstorms roll across the inlet at Shell Island on radar. A couple of hours after sunrise they cleared out, and we launched from the St. Andrews State Park again. It was too windy to hold bottom over the wrecks, so we decided to try our luck with trolling again.
About an hour later thunderheads built up on shore along the beach and lightning was striking onshore. The inlet was the center of the thunderstorm activity and we spent our time trolling further offshore. We took some pics of the action on shore:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3330b.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3329bv.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3329b.jpg

The ETEC didn't seem to mind the weather, I am amazed at how little fuel it burned over three days of trolling and short runs at speed, I spent less than $20 total in fuel for three days of fishing.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3333.jpg

More importantly the ETEC provided us with a peace of mind in questionable weather.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3331.jpg

My buddy's blackberry type device (don't remember the name of it) was crucial to our safety, having instant access to radar provided us with valuble information regarding the movement of each thunderhead, and allowed us to return through the inlet when it had cleared. Had we not returned when we did, we would have been caught up in a really nasty squall that developed shortly after noon.

We picked up few nice fish, and this King Mackerel gave us a run for our money!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3339.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3345b.jpg

On our third day of fishing (still to much wind to hold over a wreck), we spotted several nice Whalers:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3350b.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3355b.jpg

The Panama City Beach shoreline:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3351b.jpg

We landed a few more Mackerel, at one point while trolling I thought I had hung bottom, as the drag was screaming and didn't let up. I told my buddy to circle back around while I pulled in the other lines. The line I thought I had hung up went slack, and then tightened again, and it was on! This guy was quite a fight!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3359.jpg

The best of the bunch:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3370bc.jpg

A few small Spanish:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3326b.jpg

Back at the ramp we were cleaning fish and getting the Menemsha ready to travel, when a close older cousin to my Menemsha showed up:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3366b.jpg

The owner was also from Georgia, this boat was bought new by his grandfather in 1968, and has remained in the family ever since. It got me wondering if we will see a similiar sight 40 years from now with any other brand of boat:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3367b.jpg

It was a much needed "walkabout", always good to get some salt in the air, and some blood on the deck!-k

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3358.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/PCB%20fishing%2009/ IMG_3360.jpg

No Respect posted 08-17-2009 05:21 PM ET (US)     Profile for No Respect  Send Email to No Respect     
Wow those weather pics are really something. Love the Water spout.
Your pictures really take me back.
When I was a kid my parents owned a couple of lots in the Venture Out RV Park right outside St. Andrews St. Park.
We kept a 24" travel trailer there most of the year. We made weekend trips from southeast Alabama to Panama City all summer long.
I'm sure Panama City has changed plenty since the mid sixties when we were there. I can remember My dad going to the local Whaler dealer and very nearly buying a 16' back then. For some reason he never could part with the money.
I'd love to go back and revisit my childhood at St Andrews again and even more I wish I had the chance to do it with my dad in my 1965 Whaler.

Thanks for the memories,

Matt

mudmanh41 posted 08-17-2009 08:03 PM ET (US)     Profile for mudmanh41  Send Email to mudmanh41     
Nice fish Kevin. Glad to see someone is catching them.If you ever look at GON (georgia outdoor news)look at the saltwater forum.They are getting a bull redfish trip together for Sept 12,13 to Jekyl.80% sure I am going to make it.

Pat

Menemsha69 posted 08-18-2009 04:28 PM ET (US)     Profile for Menemsha69  Send Email to Menemsha69     
Matt- PC has changed quite a bit since the 90's can't imagine what it was like in the 60's! The State Park is really a nice park, with a great ramp and fish cleaning sink, pretty expensive to launch however.

Pat- Let us know how you do-we expect pictures!-k

No Respect posted 08-19-2009 12:38 PM ET (US)     Profile for No Respect  Send Email to No Respect     
Panama City in the sixties was a great place. The strip was an assortment of small one or two story motels with a few tacky tourist attractions thrown in. Things like a small amusment park, an aquarium, and gator farm. There was a long stretch of coast to the east tward St. Andrews that was largly undeveloped sand dunes with surf grass. Whitest sand I have ever seen. From our place we could walk down the beach to fish the pier in St. Andrews State Park or walk back to the bay with it's small marina. My brother and I would go crabing with hoop nets from the marina docks and sell them to a local for 50 cents each. Those were magical times.

Matt

jmarlo posted 08-19-2009 01:58 PM ET (US)     Profile for jmarlo  Send Email to jmarlo     
Thats a beautiful boat. It reminds me of the first boat my dad had, that I grew up on, and that fostered my love of boating. He had a 16' Glaspar "Sedan", which had a small cabin, with head, walk around gunnels, and an I/O Volvo. Its amazing how much fun and memories you can have on such a small boat from offshore fishing for salmon to water skiing on lakes. Thanks for posting the pictures.
Moose posted 08-19-2009 06:44 PM ET (US)     Profile for Moose  Send Email to Moose     
Great story & photos. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks

floridaskater posted 08-19-2009 07:09 PM ET (US)     Profile for floridaskater  Send Email to floridaskater     
great shots
WT posted 08-19-2009 07:22 PM ET (US)     Profile for WT  Send Email to WT     
Very nice pictures and narrative.

Warren

jmorgan40 posted 08-20-2009 05:47 AM ET (US)     Profile for jmorgan40  Send Email to jmorgan40     
Great photos as always Kevin. Counting the days until I make a trip to Panama City Beach in less than 3 weeks. Should be a fun trip if the weather cooperates. One of my best friends is flying in from NJ with his girlfriend to spend the week fishing with my wife and I. Wish I could of made it down before Red Snapper closed but it has been a busy summer around the house.
erik selis posted 08-20-2009 09:06 AM ET (US)     Profile for erik selis  Send Email to erik selis     
Nice pictures Kevin. Looks like you had a lot of fun. Love your Menemsha with the E-Tec on it.

Erik

Menemsha69 posted 08-22-2009 07:54 AM ET (US)     Profile for Menemsha69  Send Email to Menemsha69     
On day three my buddy hooked into a nice mackerel, and was reeling it in from the stern. We had spotted a dolphin (the mammal) about a half a mile away, he was swimming around another fisherman who was drifting. About 50 yards off the stern of the boat, the dolphin took a bow, he was moving at speed up our wake, and was able to snatch the mackerel before we were able to boat it. We had to break the mackerel off before the dolphin stripped too much line from the reel. Joe had warned me about these guys stealing fish, I guess they've gotten pretty good at it! Joe never told me how to fillet a dolphin, so we had to let it go! I wish I had taken some pics.

On a side note, the PC trip seems to have helped with the Lanier fishing somehow. I fished with Jerry (Nautitauk) yesterday, we marked fish and had a couple of hook-ups! This is one from yesterday:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/ktswhaler15/Fishing%2009/ IMG_3375b.jpg

-k

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