Scorching heat brings out the 'monster' fish

DESTIN, FL - As the sun was bearing down Monday, reaching temperatures of 99 degrees, anglers were bearing down on the fish.

Sierra Lagore of Illinois was one of those anglers who bore down on a big barracuda.

"It's by far the biggest fish I've ever caught," Lagore said as she held up her huge fish caught aboard the Un Reel Monday with Capt. Harold Loeffler.

"It was pulling really hard," Lagore said, noting she had seven other fish on the racks, but none as big as the barracuda.

Altogether, the group from Illinois had a couple of amberjack on the racks, as well as red snapper, king mackerel and black snapper.

Louisiana and Texas anglers on the Full Draw with Capt. Justin Destin came in from a six-hour trip with two amberjack, five black snapper, eight red snapper and a barracuda. They also hooked a tiger shark that Capt. Destin said weighed about 50 pounds.

"After filming the entire catch, we let it go," one of the anglers said, noting how pretty the shark was.

Anglers from Atlanta and Cincinnati aboard the JustinTime with Capt. Chip Godwin brought in a limit of red snapper, a couple of black snapper, triggerfish and amberine.

Capt. Jim McMahon on the Sea Venture backed in Monday with eight red snapper, four king mackerel and a red snapper. Word is the Arkansas anglers had a cobia on, but lost it when it went under the boat.

Capt. Todd Allen, filling in for Capt. Tony Davis, on the Anastasia brought in a nice catch of red snapper, amberine, three king mackerel and a grouper. The anglers were from Texas.

Anglers on the Nautica with Capt. Art Smith reeled in red snapper, a couple of king mackerel, black snapper, triggerfish and amberine.
Capt. David Nettles on the Gulf Ranger said "it was nice out today." His group of anglers from Eufala, Ala., pulled a full board of red snapper and a mahi mahi.

The Lucky Lina with Capt. Steven Lathi at the helm backed in from a six-hour trip with a couple of gag grouper, a red snapper, two black snapper and a limit of red snapper.

Capt. Don Dineen on the Sure Lure brought in some "monster" size red snapper. They had eight altogether with three weighing well over 15-pounds each. The group also had a Jack Crevalle on the racks, along with three king mackerel and a couple of bonito.

"It was pretty fishy out," said deckhand Wayne Riles of the Fish-N-Fool as he cleaned up the bounty from Monday. The group fishing with

Capt. Casey Weldon hauled in 11 king mackerel, 12 red snapper and three black snapper.

Anglers on the Gulf Breeze brought 32 red snapper, a few triggerfish and a amberine.

The party boat New Florida Girl's American Spirit with Capt. Jim Green at the helm pulled in with 65 head of red snapper and a king mackerel.

Now all these catches made it to the docks by 1 p.m., so they didn't have to bear the scorching sun too long to fill up the racks.

See you at the docks.