Fist off thank you Captain Alan for accepting the (last minute) trip and taking us out on an unforgettable fishing trip for my family.
Lets start with the Good:
The boat and equipment were great. everything was clean and well prepared.
Getting bait was a quick and easy. Captain Alan made sure we have extra bait for our trip.
Captain Alan put us on the fish at all of his spot. We caught everything from Red Snappers, which we threw it all back because we were 1 day too early to keep them. to a ton of under size red grouper and trigger fish. Captain Alan was very knowledgeable in his craft and were teaching my son on the size and regulations on each species of fish. He measured and threw back so many fishes.
My mom and my wife felt bad for making Captain Alan run around the boat unhooking and rebaiting their pole non-stop for hours.
My say this is the best charter trip we have been on!!
Just when the fishing was its peak and we were able to get on the species and size that we were looking for…The Florida Game Warden crash the party and roll up on us on a “Resource check”.
They came on our boat and start checking the fishes that we caught and pulled out a few Vermilion Snappers that we caught saying they are 1/8 to 1/4 of a inch short. Captain Alan try to explain to the female officer that he measure everyone of those fish with the ruler at the bait tank and they all met the size requirements. Captain Alan had thrown back no less than 20-30 Vermilion Snappers that were undersized, and wouldn’t have kept them if they needed ti be thrown back.
after showing the officer that the fish is good on the ruler at the bait tank. One officer say that it is a “plastic” ruler and it can swell and shrink due to the weather😒. While the female office to make sure that she is right literally push and smash the head on the fish on to her metal ruler that she have to show that it was 1/4” of an inch short.
Ultimately Captain Alan got a ticket, we were being harassed, our spot got blown up and the fish stop biting.
Captain Alan try to Salvage the trip by taking us for a few other spot and got us on 2 nice Bqlack Snapper and a shark that were too big for the gear we were using and eventually broke off.
All in all we enjoy the trip. we strongly recommend Captain Alan. The Game Warden should be out there catching poachers and people that disregard the laws and regulations, instead of charter captain that follow the regulations and trying to make a living.