In the Promise Land, persistency pays!

With the full moon, hundreds of fanatic fishermen dash to Bimini for their chance at busting Bahamian bruisers.

By Capt. Larry Berryman
Photos by Capt. Benny Levin

Only the really nutty or truly devoted would schedule time away from work based on the lunar cycle. As it turns out for me, my summer vacations happen to coincide with the full moon. No, I don’t run around barking under tables or frightening the local neighbors, but as the full moon ascends into the evening sky my thoughts are focused on only one thing, mutton snapper.

As the full moon approaches with each passing summer month, mutton snapper congregate in massive numbers to spawn in the jagged reefs surrounding the Islands of the Bahamas. Since Bimini is the closest run from South Florida waters, and the snapper fishing there can be nothing short of spectacular, my close friend Benny and I decided to make the fifty something mile trip for an extended three day excursion.

Mutton snapper are common residents on the reefs and wrecks throughout South Florida, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. These beautiful snapper are easily distinguished by their rosy pink hue and single black spot near the dorsal fin. Muttons can actually be found inshore, on near coastal reefs and wrecks, and in deep water haunts. On this particular trip, we planned on targeting the large muttons that generally show up by the thousands between 70 and 120 feet of water.

Our first order of business as we departed Miami was to load up on bait. Mutton snapper are aggressive feeders. They will fall for a variety of offerings and when in the mood to feed, will pounce on both freshly cut chunks and frisky live offerings. Pilchards and goggle-eyes are two known favorites, so we decided to stop by the local ‘bait patch’ on the way out the cut to see if there were any willing volunteers. Within minutes scores of eager pilchards and ballyhoo appeared in our slick. Using small sabiki rigs we rapidly topped off the live well and promptly shoved off for the Promised Land.

On many occasions crossing the Gulf Stream to reach Bahamian waters can be just as exciting as fishing there. At approximately the half way mark we intercepted a flock of birds screaming above a school of tuna. We spotted several fish crashing bait on the surface so we deployed a spread of cedar plugs and small skirted lures and gave the school a couple high speed passes. In minutes we scored two blackfin and a lone skipjack. As it turned out, the tuna were not the only predators in town. As Benny was reeling in his catch an enormous wahoo took advantage of the easy meal. Since we had no intentions of feeding fish on this trip, we stowed the trolling rods and pushed east for our date with the muttons. In an hour we found ourselves surrounded by crystal clear water with white sandy beaches on the horizon. Evidently we were not alone in our quest as close to a hundred boats were already anchored right offshore.

All vessels entering Bahamian waters from foreign ports must check in with Customs & Immigration. So, we swiftly made our way through the pass to North Bimini and paid our visit to the local authorities. In no time at all the friendly officers stamped our passports and cleared my vessel for our bottom fishing adventure.

It was now mutton time and we were eager to join the flotilla. We decided to fish the “junk pile” where a barge rests in 80 feet of water. We anchored slightly up current of the wreckage and deployed our first block of frozen menhaden chum.

Confident our ground tackle was secure we broke out the guns that I pre-rigged the night before. Our equipment included a set of stout conventional outfits loaded with 40-lb. braid. Muttons are powerful. Stiff sticks are a prerequisite for pulling these powerful snapper off the bottom. All were rigged with typical sliding-sinker fish-finder rigs, consisting of two barrel swivels, a heavy bank sinker and extra long leader. One side of the barrel swivel is connected to the 40-lb. main line via a Bimini twist. The other end of the swivel connects a 20 foot length of 60-lb. fluorocarbon leader material ending with a 5/0 laser sharp livebait hook. The second swivel rests on top of the first and connects a short piece of 15-lb. mono to the lead. This rig allows you to deploy baits in moderate to heavy current and keeps the sinker far away from your prey. Big muttons are notorious from shying way from bouncing lead. Plus, if your sinker gets hung, the 15-lb is easy to break so you can quickly re-rig and get back in the action.

A sliding sinker rig allows you to also change the weight of your sinker to meet existing conditions without much of a hassle. Simply tie an overhand loop knot at the end of your 15-lb. mono and select the appropriate sinker. If the current is nominal, 6-ounces may be sufficient. With a screaming current, you may need 32-ounces to sufficiently keep the bait in the strike zone.

Inline sinker rigs are equally popular, consisting of one barrel swivel and an egg sinker which slides up and down the running line. The barrel swivel is connected to the main line via a Bimini twist or spider hitch and ends with a 15 foot leader. This is a simple and effective rig for bottom fishing and can be used just as effectively.

With our gear ready and expectations soaring, we dropped our baits into the cobalt blue darkness. I sent down a live pilchard in the hopes he would quickly meet his demise while Benny chose a fresh cut ballyhoo plug. Since the current was moderate we needed only 8-ounce sinkers on both our braided and monofilament line outfits. I prefer to use both braided line and monofilament because the two sink at different rates. Braided line is super thin and passes thru the water column with less resistance. Thicker monofilament requires a little more scope and will find the bottom a bit farther away but offers the advantage of elasticity. Use what you feel comfortable with.

With baits deployed we cracked a couple cold ones and waited for signs of life. I prefer to keep reels in free spool with clickers on. This allows finicky mutton snapper to engulf the bait without feeling resistance. Muttons are temperamental and will drop a bait in a second if they feel the weighted line. The sinker must rest comfortably on the bottom and not bounce up and down. Therefore, selecting the proper amount of lead and long 15 – 20 foot leaders are essential for achieving a proper presentation.

A slight bend in the rod followed by a screaming clicker quickly had us on our toes. I was first to reach the rod. I popped the reel in gear and the battle was on! Minutes later the pink shimmer below the surface was unmistakable. Our first mutton snapper was released into the fish box.
Wow! A keeper mutton in the box within minutes. I believed the bite was on. Boy was I wrong! We soaked live and cut baits for another three hours without a single taker. It seems as though Friday evening started off with a bang but quickly fizzled out. Most boats around us sang the same song. One or two fish each, but that was about it. We decided to pack it up for the evening and start fresh in the morning.

As any seasoned fisherman will attest you can never have enough quality baits. So before heading in we decided to pay the local goggle-eye population a visit. Our plan was to serve the muttons the tastiest breakfast possible. We quickly marked several schools of bait and dropped our glowing sabiki rigs into the mess. As luck would have it, the gogs were thick. It didn’t take long to top off the livewell with dozens of frisky scad. With the well over stuffed we motored in and slept comfortably in the hopes the muttons would be more cooperative in the morning.

Saturday was upon us quickly and we decided to get an early start. We gobbled down a quick bite and raced out for round two. Watching the sun climb above the horizon illuminating the turquoise waters refreshed our spirits. Today had to be the day! Just 48 hours before the full moon, the mutton bite had to be red hot. Wrong again!

There were fewer boats out for the morning bite and we were able to immediately set up. This time, we anchored even closer to the sunken barge. We sent an assortment of fresh cut goggle-eyes, live pilchards and ballyhoo cascading into the depths hoping the muttons would begin to show. We hooked up right away, but this time it was big amberjacks that felt the need to crash our party. We released several monster AJ’s but could not buy our way into the mutton club. We fished hard all morning without seeing a single snapper.

About lunch time we finally decided to give it a rest. The muttons were clearly not cooperating. We picked up anchor and ran south to Gun Cay where we anchored on a couple patch reefs and caught an assortment of yellowtail, cero, sharks and other reef dwellers. The action was fast and furious, but not what we came for. One way or the other, we were determined to get our hands on some muttons.

Intent on landing more than a single keeper fish, we decided that live goggle -eyes would be better than day old dead baits. We spent the early evening catching more of these nocturnal feeders. As Saturday night lingered on we heard more mixed messages about the expected mutton bite. At best, a few boats had limited success. We gave up on the slow evening and figured we would give it one more try before heading home late the following morning.

They say in life that patience pays and that good things come to those who wait. Nevertheless, round three began poorly. We awoke to find only dead baits in the well as sometime during the night my pump failed. We were also greeted with a stiff westerly breeze which definitely didn’t spark my enthusiasm for the ride back home.

With only a single mutton to show for our efforts we were feeling a little beat, but not broken. We still had a one more shot and knew eventually, they had to turn on. After another quick meal we were determined to head straight out and set up once again. Benny dropped the anchor in 80 feet over a piece of jagged bottom and we began cutting up all the dead goggle eyes and pilchards. We scattered the cut baits throughout our chum slick and were immediately greeted by a squadron of opportunistic birds. Within minutes the westerly winds picked up even more and the stiff current followed suit. Then it happened. As if a switch was flicked, two rods doubled over – line peeled off both reels. We suddenly found ourselves doubled up! Five minutes later two immense snapper joined their cousin in the box. The bite was finally on!

We spent the next three hours battling two dozen pink beauties weighing from 12 to 18 pounds. Keeping only what we were permitted, we released the rest. It’s funny. After two days of poor fishing in less than the time it took to cross the ‘Stream our fish box was topping with tasty snapper. Fresh cut goggle-eye heads proved to be the bait of choice. When the bites on fire, I’ve found muttons just can’t pass them up. After three hours of grueling tog-of-wars, we decided enough was enough. We picked up the anchor, grabbed the last remaining cold ones and pointed the bow northwest. Soon after the stiff westerly winds diminished to variable and the seas laid down for a perfect trip back to Miami. Like wild wolves we howled at the moon the entire way back and couldn’t have been happier we stuck around for the fantastic bite.

Though many mutton fishermen believe the bite is best two days prior to and two days after the full moon, this time our trip turned red hot just one day before the moon. Regardless, during this particular visit to the Promised Land, persistency paid off!



Bio:
Captain Larry Berryman was born in Miami and has been fishing off South Florida and the Bahamas for over 20 years. Larry works for the National Marine Manufacturers Association and manages the Tampa Boat Show. He is a contributing writer for South Florida Sport Fishing Magazine and other major fishing publications. Larry spends most of his free time skippering the Top Shelf, a tournament outfitted 26’ SeaVee. He specializes in light tackle, kite and tournament angling. Larry earned his Master’s Degree from the University of Miami in Education and enjoys spending as much time on the ocean as possible. Regardless of your skill level, for the trip of a lifetime invite a couple friends, family members or clients, and spend a day light tackle offshore fishing on the Top Shelf. You won’t be sorry!

Capt. Larry Berryman
Top Shelf Fishing Charters
(305) 971-5257 -- (305) 926-3810
lberryman@nmma.org