021108 Today is day 1 of a 2 day 7 boat charter, these trips are fun because we are all on the same page catch fish, have fun and laugh. I have Dennis and Chad on board today, as we leave the dock its cool and breezy only to get really windy later. The first couple of stops were very close in the back country and there was no current. We made our way to Whitewater bay where there was wind strong winds. I hit a couple of my favorite spots but only Ladyfish and Jacks were home. We finally made it up to the Shark river area where we trolled for some Groupers, I noticed a decent size Goliath Grouper in the current behind a log. I turned the boat around and rigged up a Shrimp and pitched it out and told Dennis hold on: Dennis said something "like that was a like being on a ride at Disney world. the big Goliath ran thru the trees and pulled as Dennis pulled back, this went on for 5 minutes until the Goliath had enough. Chad hooked another with the same result but landed a nice Gag Grouper and a big Mangrove Snapper. We packed it up and ran to an area I knew would be protected from the wind and we could get a couple good hook ups. The first couple cast they made got slammed and they started to look at me funny like "what was that". The Snappers were big and very aggressive They got bit on every cast and landed Snappers up to 16 inches in very heavy cover. Chad had a hit and and all I hear is drag getting pulled off, he was hooked up to a Goliath that did not want to come out and play. He fought it back and forth finally landing about a 7 lb Goliath Grouper. Don't let the size fool you they fight harder than any other fish in the same circumstance. The guys where having so much fun we lost track of time and got back a half hour later while the rest of the group was waiting. 021208 I am fishing with Jimmy today, he puts this trip together and he is a great guy. I fished with him last year on day 2 and I requested that I get to fish with him again this year. Today started out little different than any other trip I have made, we started out under a "Tornado warning". We laughed about it later but 24 hours later as I'm writing this we are still under a tornado warning and a major system sitting over us. The first spot looked good breezy, but water looked great and I was hoping for a good bite. It didn't take long and Jimmy had a Snook, there were some small Tarpon rolling but no tide movement = no fish. I moved a short way where the wind direction would help with the tide but the Porpoises moved in and ate everything on the flat as we sat in amazement. We made a move and got on the edge of a shallow bank and Jimmy go a couple shots at some big Sharks on a top water plug. There was a 200 lb Bull Shark which cam right up to the boat Jimmy cast but ended up just watching the Shark instead. In the meantime the weather was deteriorating and the rain squalls were starting to pour thru. Jimmy caught a bunch of Trout and another Snook and then it looked like the end of the world. it was time to make a run for it! As we got back everyone else were already there. 021408 I was supposed to fish with Sam Rose yesterday, but with the still pending tornado warning's and the driving squalls we canceled. Sam lives on Fisher Island which borders Government Cut which makes it easy; if the weather is good I pick him up. The weather has cleared and we have a spectacular morning cool with a light NW wind. We started out drifting jumbo Shrimp on the South Beach side but it wasn't happening. I said let's check the cut, they will be there when the tide switches to incoming. It didn't take long and the Tarpon started rolling all around us right as the incoming rip started to form. A school of Tarpon rolled right next to us, I told Sam cast in front of them he did and the fight was on! The fish stayed down for the first 5 minutes, I told Sam it's either a really big Tarpon that don't want to come up or Permit. The fish stayed down and I was convinced it was a Permit! The next 45 minutes was enjoyable for me knowing it was a good one and we needed to land it. Sam is 72 and the fish was not giving up, by know we had an audience watching and the "Giant Permit" came up but just short of being able to net it. The fish went back down for another 10 minutes, but now we new we had at least a 30 lb. Permit hooked up! It was long after the fish came to the surface where I netted it, but not with an incident. The fish was to big for the net, his head was massive. I finally netted the Permit and we and the other boats were yelling like school girls. I have caught big Permit up to 37 lbs before and this one dwarfed any Permit I have seen. Sam said the same he has caught many in the 30 lb class he said it was 50, my guess 42-46 lbs and my 30 lb boga grip was useless. I took some photos of a very proud Sam Rose after a bottle of water he said let's go "I can't top that today". I dropped Sam off and headed back to the cut, I don't get to fish much so I took advantage. My first cast I caught a Mutton Snapper, then a Grouper and at 1222 I hooked a 90 lb Tarpon at 1245 I released it. My phone rang it was my buddy Pete, asking what i was up to. I told him what the last 2 hours were like and he said I'm on my way! I grabbed lunch, Pete showed up and we went back out. I wasn't long after we got into the cut, I hooked a 30 lb Tarpon on a Gulp Shrimp. This fish didn't take long and was quickly released. We stayed out until dark but the fish didn't bite anymore so we called it. I had an awsome day! Let's go catch'em, Captain Jimbo