Gaftop hauls !

[jgp12000]

Years ago I caught a 40lb Amber Jack off the coast of Savannah along with several kings,barracuda,and YT we had a good day.Anywho,I go back home and started cleaning the AJ and it had these long white spaghetti worms,sand worms?I called the local fish markets and they told me it was common with all fish over 10lbs in the grouper family.They pull/cut out what they can and the customer cooks the rest...I am sure I have eaten these worms over the years in restaurants after they have been cooked.It was just the gross factor of watching them crawl down the driveway that made me want to stray away from AJ in the future.

[Shellbelly]

I went back for another round yesterday.  Got 15 and a black drum....which was the first scaled fish I've caught in that spot since this adventure began.

I am sure I have eaten these worms

Worms.  I see these in many fish.  Around here, larger black drum seem to have the worst case of them.  I don't keep any over 18" or so.  I may not keep any during the warm months.  The last larger drum I cut into wasn't salvageable.  The area above and behind the gut cavity was almost replaced with worms.  Normally, I can pinch and pull these out when there are just a few.   

[steelfish]

nice haul of fish there fo'sure

[Shellbelly]

I think the Gaftop spawn is ending.  This is from Friday. 

The surf photo shows a very high tide Wednesday at some brush along the dune line.  Normally there is about 50-75' of beach there.  A surge was predicted but it was difficult to figure how high it would be.  This was just the beginning.  I turned around and got off the beach.  Sometime Thursday night the surf covered the beach to the dunes.  Looking at this photo, imagine water about 2 feet deep where you see it is only inches. 

Now I have to figure out what this has done to the bars and holes.  Life is hard .

[Shellbelly]

Went back yesterday and fished the surf most of the day.  We had a good north breeze Sunday that pushed the water back.  No luck, just hard heads.  Not much bait in the water yet.  SO I went back to the canal and sure enough, a few gaftop were still around.  Also I was pleasantly surprised to land a 36" red.  She went back to make more.