Sports
Nearshore Waters 'Just Stupid' For Local Captain
Capt. Warren Girle hit relatively untouched nearshore waters last week and harvested numerous flounder and sheepshead. He also had to throw back some bruising grouper.
After months of seas too rough to get off the beaches, Capt. Warren Girle hit some nearshore rock piles that had been relatively untouched.
“It was just stupid out there,” Girle said.
Girle said a charter on Wednesday caught at least 35 catch-and-release gag grouper, about 15 of which were keepers from seven to 15 pounds.
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“It almost breaks your heart to throw a 10-pound grouper away,” he said.
Gag grouper are out of season.
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In addition, he reported catching three flounder from three-and-a-half to five pounds.
“(The five-pounder) was an absolute toad,” Girle said. “When I cleaned it it was a inch-and-a-half-thick fillet.”
The full moon sheepshead bite was on as well, but the bite did not come on until about 1 p.m. Girle thinks this is because sheepshead feed all night during the spawn, and so need about eight hours before feeding again.
“And I had to chum like crazy,” Girle said. “It's like when reds feed all night long – I've experience offshore bites like that.”
