Dry Tortugas 07 - The Prelude
I still have 2 weeks to go until my fishing trip to the Dry Tortugas and I can't take it anymore. For those that don't know, every year around this time, myself and a group of guys (mostly Sheri's family) head down to the Keys for some big time Mutton Snapper and Grouper fishing on the Yankee Capts. Years ago we had as many as eight people going but we have recently switched from a 2 day to a 3 day trip and that culled the numbers a bit. That extra day makes a big difference if you get green around the gills and some didn't want to chance it.
On Tuesday, December 4th I'll hit the road and head on up to Deland, Fl. Yes, I know that's going north to go south but that's where I meet up with the gang. We'll hang out for a while and catch up on things then it's off to bed for the early drive. We strive for 8 am but something usually happens but fortunately we have some buffer in our schedule. Oops, I can't forget our wake up call, Roberts Bloody Mary's with his secret mix recipe.
The first portion of the trip is pretty monotonous, long straight highway, a few pit stops and maybe lunch in Miami (can't remember the BBQ joint we've been eating at recently). The excitement usually kicks in once we blow through Homestead and hit the Keys, it's still a long way to go but the scenery is better, well, there is a long stretch of Key Largo (I think I hear Bertie Higgins) that's a bunch of strip malls and tourist traps but that goes pretty quick. 
When we arrive in Islamorada our vacation is officially under way. That's where we hit the "World Wide Sportsman", a gigantic offshoot of Bass Pro Shops that specializes in salt water angling. This place is huge! Like kids in a candy store we pillage the racks for everything we need (and want) for the trip then head up to the Zane Grey lounge for some refreshments and possibly a cigar during a magnificent sunset. The bar sits on the second floor with a huge balcony overlooking a marina and the Florida Bay (that's gulf side). A few time's our visit has corresponded with fising tournaments and we can add people watching to our list of activities. (I got Wade Bogg's autograph there a few years back).
The home stretch, nothing between us and the boat now but a few more bridges and a stop for bait and dinner. Last year was our first experience with the profession of "Bait Boat Captain". Sheri dug through the web and found us a guy that would catch us all the bait we needed. This gentlemen lives on a barge off of Key West and, well, catches bait. Might not seem like a great gig but the bait du jour is Goggle Eyes and these babies go for $3 apiece!(We cut them in thirds so it's not as bad) I hear the reason they are so expensive is that they are also the bait of choice for the sailfishing crowd and I guess they have more cash than us bottom feeders. Talk about convenient, the bait guy pulled up to the dock directly behind the site of our usual pre-trip meal...... ...The Half-Shell Raw Bar.Great open air resteraunt, right on the docks that specializes in Florida cuisine, though I opt for the well done burger since I'm going to be off-shore for three days (see reason why there's only four of us this year).
From their website:
Set in the heart of the Historic Seaport at the Key West Bight, the Half Shell Raw Bar is an authentic Key West fish house. Once a shrimp packing building, it has stayed true to its blue-collar harbor front heritage. Fancy folks looking for fancy stuff will have to look elsewhere. No carpet on the floors. No expensive art on the walls. No air conditioning, for that matter.
We made it! All we need to do now is unload our fishing poles (+/- 8), our 100 qt. coolers, tackle boxes, blankets pillows.........ok, done. The fun part is getting the coolers loaded down with food, bait and ice up to the second deck. Anyway, now we can get our bunks ready.
With this being a "limited load trip" it makes it a lot easier stowing our stuff. The below decks are very dark, very cold and very inviting. Warning......don't go down for "a quick nap" without someone designated to wake you up. I could sleep for days down there. Unfortunately this area also has some tomblike qualities if you happen to be one of those presupposed to sea sickness. Anyway, I digress. This is where we'll be for the next 4-6 hours as we head out to the fishing ground, approximately 70 miles west of Key West.
But first, midship on the main deck is the cabin, restrooms and galley where our cook Renata(pictured) takes great care of us. On the three day last year, one night she cooked up some awesome black beans and rice. You can definitely eat out here when you're fishing non-stop and a hot meal is a great change from what you might have in your cooler. One treat you don't get that often is fresh out of the water, yellowtail snapper ceviche, Uncle Robert's specialty. What you do is filet up some severely fresh snapper, chunk it up and toss it in a container with LOTS of lime juice and an assortment of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, jalapeno's, etc....basically whatever you'd like.
Then you just seal it, wait a few hours and voila, dig in! The citric acid in the lime "cooks" the fish and trust me, it is awesome! Hopefully, with the right bait and the right tides and the right moon phase and the right fishing holes and the right hooks and the right way I'm holding my tongue and the right fishing shirt on and right side of the boat and right line...............we should be in the fish by now! Here's some shot's I snagged off of their website:
OK, now we're beat down and we stink, no actually, we STANK! For a small bathroom and one temperature, scalding, the shower feels awesome! I'm not sure what the bunks feel like right about now because I'm usually asleep before my head hits.
Back at the dock it's time for the fish rodeo. Picture 30 guys in a semi-circle with their coolers in front of them. Now picture the deck hands calling out numbers and tossing the fish at everyone, most of the time with nothing but net! It's kind of comical but extremely efficient.
We don't bother with any fish cleaning now, just hit the store, pack em down with ice and head for the No Name Pub on, coincidentally, No Name Key. It bills itself as "A Nice Place...If You Can Find It". I'm talking some incredible pizza here, son. The complete history of the pub is on their site but here's an interesting tidbit: It started out as a general store/bait and tackleshop then an addition was added to the front which eventually became the Pub. For a while to attract business the second floor was converted into a brothel.
Another interesting feature is the thousands of dollar bills all over the walls left by tourist over the years. One more thing, to get to the pub you first drive through the back roads of Big Pine Key, great for spotting Key Deer, but be careful, they take protecting theses critters seriously! They're the size of a big (well not so big) dog. I saw a "buck" once and it looked like the Grinch's dog with antlers strung to it's head. But seriously, keep your eyes open for them and DO NOT speed anywhere on this Key, they are on the look out and will pull you over.
That's the end of the tale for now, stay tuned for a report from the actual trip (just typing this was pretty honkin cool).
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