Grand Cay Bahamas

Sweet.

Brief report today.
A few lobster,2 hogfish, 1 big trigger and a strawberry. Rounded out with with several flag yellowtail.
Dinner and Breakfast for tomorrow caught before 11:00 am. They left the yellowtail in a frenzy, Just trying to feed 7.
They were playing with the sharks and tarpon on the dock a few minutes ago. Having a freaking blast.
Captain hired a local for tomorrow, going to try to concentrate on the crawfish.
Kinda tough to concentrate with so many options.

That sounds delicious

Conch is great! But the islands populations are hurting. Some populations around tourists centers have declined more than 90%.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/04/06/overfishings-threaten-conch-bahamas-seafood/11617402002/

Can't remember what area in the islands. Read an article a couple of years ago about a conch farm operation.

Sounds like a great time!

Around the major population areas I am sure there has been a decline from 30 years ago but they are still plentiful enough in the south even though they may have declined also. Nothing stays the same when there is a market for a resource.

Home safe! They had a long day.
I just got done skinning and vacc sealing everything that they were able to bring back. (Hog fish, lobster, strawberry, yt and mangoes)
Not a whole bunch but, I sealed everything in smaller packs so everyone can take what they want tomorrow.
Giving the kid a break tonight, they gotta meet up and scrub the boat in the morning. He( and everyone else)is dog tired.
They apparently let a group of guys in a 19 contender (😳)ride their trough all the way to Jupiter. They had a major electrical fire yesterday and had only patched it up enough to get the motor running. No electronics.
Captain that my kid was with slowed wayyy down, took care of them and guided them into Jupiter.( and then had to run the beach to FPI.)
I’ll work him for pics tomorrow.

I’ve never done the crossing but there is no way in hell I’d do it in a 19ft boat.

I don't know why everyone thinks a 19' boat is too small to make a crossing. We used to do it all the time in 20' Seacrafts, and occasionally in a Bonefisher or Redfisher with no buddy boat. It's only 25 miles till you are halfway and then you are heading to land. On the Gulf, we regularly run 50 miles to fish and there is no other land till you hit Texas or Mexico. Yes, you have to watch the weather closely, but crossing in a 19' boat is very do-able It all depends upon the Captain and his/her experience and skill.

I have a little bit of skill on the water and I'm not going across without a buddy boat in a 19' but to each their own. It's just not prudent. The ocean is unforgiving.

Y'all crack me up.
Jack (pressure point) is one of the more "salty" members of this forum. And has more sea time then 95% of you.
AND if you took the time to read what he BOLDED, you might understand what he was saying.

Which is basically DON'T BE A DUMBASS

While that may be true, I'm a 1%er among the 5%ers. I can guarantee that!

It's still a foolish move to roll over to the Bahamas in a 19ft boat without a buddy boat. That's just a plain fact. Can it be done? Absolutely. Is it wise to do, even if you're a retired CO from the USS Ronald Reagan? Nope.

Correct, but it's not something that a average kid should be reading about and attempting because someone said it's possible. Hell, it's possible to float from Cuba to Florida on a log too, but most prudent people wouldn't try it unless they were that desperate.

A couple young boys were lost out front a few years ago on a calm day in a maintained boat. I think they went out often, but it only takes one wrong, small thing to start a string of events that can lead to a catastrophic ending.