VIP angler Ken displays a beautiful 29 pound Cobia landed aboard the Lady K during an afternoon trip. The fish ate a sardine spooled along the bottom and for a few moments, that’s exactly would Ken thought he hooked. After a comment on how well the captain tied his knot, the captain grabbed the line to see if the line would come free of the reef and the “reef” started moving. The fish put up a fierce battle to the vessel making three hard runs back down to the reef looking for any obstruction to free itself. Ken kept a light steady pressure on the fish letting the rod wear down his adversary and allowing the crew to boat the fish. Nice job Ken!

Other fish being landed aboard the Lady K this week include Yellow-tail snapper, King Mackerel to the 20 pound class, Porgies, Gray Triggerfish, a few Mutton snapper, football sized Black-fin Tuna and False Albacore. All grouper must be released until the season opens again May 1st as well as all Vermillion snapper until their season opens on April 1st. Fishing is good rain or shine, day or night. Get hooked on a good time with the courteous crews of the Lady K – service with a smile.

VIP angler Mark R. displays his first Wahoo caught earlier in the week while fishing aboard the Lady K. The fish was one of four fish hooked during both the morning and afternoon trips with all the fish hitting sardines while on the drop or just drifting along with the rods in the holder. This fish is ranked at the top of the list when it comes to table fare and makes excellent sushi. Excellent job Mark!

Maggie had a magnificent catch for a 10 snapper limit including Lane snapper, Mangrove snapper, Yellow-tail snapper and a beautiful Mutton snapper. She also had a lot of fun catching jacks, bluefish and hooking into a few larger fish which eluded capture. Thank you for a wonderful time Maggie, the crew looks forward more great catches.

Some large Mutton snapper like this 10 pound beauty caught by Norman L. (l) have been coming aboard the Lady K by anglers free-lining sardines while smaller fish in the 3 to 6 pound range are being caught by anglers spooling the bottom. Ask your mates or captain for instructions on how to spool and use the various rigs to help boost your success.

 The King Mackerel action has been on and off with many small fish under the 24 inch size limit being released, yet large mackerel like this 24 pound fish have been finding their way to the gaff and the barbecue grill for some lucky anglers.

For service with a smile plan your next offshore excursion aboard the Lady K and let our clean, professional crews help you and your family enjoy the day with education, free advice and occasional humor. Everything you will need for a four trip is included at a price of less than ten dollars per hour, a great deal in today’s tough economy. Is this your day to catch that big one aboard the Lady K?

Gary and Lisa caught a nice pair of Mahi Mahi and a nice King Mackerel while visiting from Lynn, Massachusetts. The couple fish aboard the Lady K once every year while visiting relatives. It’s the excellent service which keeps them coming back for more. Wonderful catch folks and we can’t wait to fish with you again next year!

VIP angler Mia shows off her Mutton Snapper caught during an afternoon trip. Along with Mutton Snapper, there has been catches of Yellow-tail snapper as well with a four pound fish being boated during an afternoon trip this past weekend. Other snapper species being landed aboard the Lady K include Lane snapper, Mangrove snapper and some large Yellow-eye snapper.

Nice King Mackerel like this 13 pound fish are still being caught as well as Black-fin Tuna up to 10 pounds, large Almaco Jacks and False Albacore. The Lady K has had quite a few Sailfish hook ups and releases by anglers fishing standard sardine rigs. Keep a camera ready for some spectacular aerial displays and for when the fish comes alongside the vessel, like the photo below.

No reservations are needed for any of our four-hour trips. Just on down to the dock and purchase your ticket a half hour prior to the sailing time of the trip you would like fish on. We supply everything you, your family or friends will need for fishing. We have plenty of ice for your snacks and favorite beverage so plan your trip today aboard the Lady K.

This beautiful Spanish Hog-fish is a member of the Wrasse family. They feed on small shrimp, marine worms, crustaceans and other small invertebrates. During this time of year, anglers fishing with cut squid on bottom rigs or small jigs in search of Yellow-tail Snapper or Porgies may, in fact, hook one of these stunning reef fish.

 The color pattern of the Trumpet fish makes this long, slender predator a master at camouflage. They commonly hang vertical in the water alongside sea fans, sponges and coral where they ambush small fish and shrimp. Trumpet fish are a very rare catch aboard the Lady K for they have very small mouths and prefer live food over cut bait.

Another unusual reef fish is the Blue-spotted Coronet. These fish sport neon, electric blue spots and stripes along with a banded pattern which helps them to blend in with the reef as they glide horizontally just above the reef. These reef predators can be caught by anglers fishing with sardines as well as squid and can reach a length of three and a half feet long.

Bottom fishing not only offers anglers the chance at bringing home good table fare, but also the opportunity to catch and release many different, colorful reef fish making this type of fishing perfect for children or out-of-state visitors just wanting to have a fun day on the water. Remember to bring a camera so you may capture the photos of these jewels of the reef, sure to make memories of a lifetime with family and friends. Your adventure awaits you aboard the Lady K.

High hook of the week goes to VIP angler Lee for landing this 43 pound Cobia. A whale shark estimated at 30 feet cruised by the Lady K and brought some following Cobia along with it. Lee reeled his bait quickly and let it dropped next to the whale shark in order to hook his catch. Other anglers also caught Cobia as the shark fish swam alongside the Lady K, giving many customers a glimpse at one of nature’s largest marine fish.

Many anglers are still catching King Mackerel from 5 pounds up to 12 pounds. During one afternoon some lucky anglers caught a few large Yellow-eye Snapper and plenty of big Gray Triggerfish to bring home for dinner. Mutton Snapper have been caught during the afternoon trips as well with fish up to 5 pounds landing in the cooler.

Anglers can now check out our Face Book page and post photos of their catch or tag us on their photos. Just one more way for our giant fishing family to stay informed on what’s being caught. Thank you for fishing with Bar Jack Fishing and welcome aboard the Lady K.

This recipe will take some time to make but is well worth the effort for feeding a large group of people. Cobia are large fish which average 25 pounds and yield very thick fillets of firm white meat. For the best results, remove the blood-line or any dark meat before rinsing and cooking.

Pan-Seared Fresh  Cobia

Yield 12 ea

Ingredients:

12 ea 3 oz Belize Cobia Medallions, rinse with cold fresh water and patted dry with paper towel.

Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
4 tbsp red pepper flakes (2 tbsp for less heat)
1/4 cup fennel fronds
2 ea lemons, zested
Salt and pepper, as needed

Garnish:

Cilantro leaves, stems removed and parsley.

Directions:

1) Steep the olive oil and the red pepper flakes. Strain off.
2) Season the cobia.
3) Coat the cobia with the lemon zest and fennel fronds.
4) Drizzle chili oil over the cobia. Coat the fish with the marinade,
Place in a container, wrap with plastic and place in refrigerator
for 30 minutes.
5) Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat.
6) Lightly coat bottom of pan with olive oil.
7) Place cobia in the pan and cook for 3 minutes, turn fish and cook
another 3 minutes, you may turn a third time and cook additional
2–3 minutes. The filet will have a slight crust to the flesh.

Crisp Paella Cakes

Yield 12 ea

Ingredients:

2 oz whole butter
½ cup chorizo diced ¼ inch
4 ea shallots, finely chopped
2 ea garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 ea red pepper, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 quart chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped oregano
4 teaspoons saffron
4 teaspoons chopped chives
24 ea mussels, chopped
1 lb fine lobster meat, diced ¼ inch
3 oz olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in heavy bottom pan.
2) Render the chorizo. Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper and cook
until translucent.
3) Add the rice and cook for three minutes. Add the stock, oregano,
saffron and chives. Bring to a simmer until the rice is cooked
through, about 20 minutes.
4) Add the mussels, lobster, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
5) Place in molds and chill in refrigerator for one hour.
6) Pan fry as needed.

Olive Tapenade

Yield 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Empeltre olives, pitted
1 ea anchovy filet
1 ea garlic clove, peeled
2 oz olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Puree the olives with the anchovy and garlic.
2) Stream in the olive oil.
3) Adjust seasoning.

Herb Oil

Yield 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

2 oz cup olive oil
1/4 cup parsley stems removed and blanched
1/4 cup chives, blanched
1/4 cup chervil, blanched
1/4 cup, tarragon stems removed, blanched
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Blanch all the herbs in salted water. Drain off water, ring out
excess water.
2) Place in blender.
3) Add the olive oil. Puree until smooth.
4) Adjust seasoning.

In addition, we will also need to cancel our 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm evening trip on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 in preparation for the inspection.

All other trips are planned to run as scheduled for the 1 pm to 5 pm and 6:30 to 10:30 pm trips. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope all of our customers can schedule their trips around the inspection black-outs. Thank you.

Fishing around the cold fronts has proven successful for many anglers fishing aboard the Lady K this past week.  Catches like this football sized Black-fin Tuna and plenty of King Mackerel have been keeping anglers warm with excitement. Look for the Tuna when schools of Bonito or False Albacore start hitting baits. Fresh grilled tuna or sushi rolls for lunch, a perfect end to a wonderful morning.

Plenty of Porgy species have been coming aboard the Lady K this week. Most Porgies will be caught by anglers using bottom rigs and cut squid but every once in a while extra-large fish like the seven pound Jolt-head Porgy pictured above will surprise an angler by feasting on their sardine. A tasty addition to the frying pan.

Both the morning and afternoon trips have been producing action from King Mackerel (l) with an occasional keeper sized African Pompano coming aboard. Over the next couple of months the Pompano should start increasing size. African Pompano are a specie of jack also known as Trevally.  They are hard-hitting fish which make lighting fast runs to the bottom in search of obstructions in order to break off an anglers line. They will hit small jigs, sardines, squid and live shrimp.

 Cobia continue to come aboard the Lady K like this 30 pound fish caught during the morning at the end of the week. Plenty of smaller fish are also being released which shows great promise for a spring season this year. Cobia love eating crabs but will also feast on sardines, cut squid fished on bottom rigs, jigs or feathers and other artificial lures.

This huge Unicorn Filefish gave a visiting angler from Minnesota quite a surprise. The firm, white meat makes these fish excellent table fare and comparable to Flounder. Filefish can be caught using bottom rigs and cut squid for bait. So after a day at the South Florida Fair, plan a relaxing trip  fishing aboard the Lady K . Its family fishing fun for everyone !

It is always a good start to the day when one of the first brought aboard is a Wahoo. Frank V. (l) caught his first Wahoo while fishing aboard the Lady K during a recent morning trip. In addition to catching one of the finest eating fish in the ocean, Frank also boated King Mackerel, jacks, small flounder and a nice scrawled filefish to complete his day. Congratulations on your first Wahoo Frank and thank you for choosing the Lady K to help make your dream become a reality.

Another high hook catch this week was a 40 pound Cobia caught over the reef during a morning trip. The fish ate a dead sardine spooled along the bottom and put up quite a battle alongside the Lady K. The fish was finally subdued after a ten minute battle. Back at the cleaning table there was a large Sea Robin found in the stomach of the fish, proof that these fish will eat just about anything!

Despite losing the wind, new VIP angler Rick S. managed to bring aboard this nice 15 pound Cobia fishing on Lady K during a recent afternoon, his first ever and after catching two smaller Cobia prior to this one. All in all there were over a dozen Cobia released during the afternoon with a few of the bigger fish being taken by sharks before the anglers could hoist them up from the depths. Most of the fish were caught on sardine rigs although anglers using bottom rigs and cut squid did manage to catch a couple. Other anglers also caught snapper, porgies, triggerfish, jacks and a host of other reef fish including a Blue-spotted Coronet like the one pictured below.

(photo courtesy of National Geographic Stock.com)

 Night fishing continues to prove productive with anglers catching Mangrove snapper to 4 pounds, Mutton snapper to 5 pounds, Lane snapper to 2 pounds and King Mackerel along with releases of Grouper. There is also plenty of catch release action with Bluefish, Banded Rudderfish, Blue Runners and Grunts. During the evening trips anglers should bring some extra clothing, for the nights can get a bit chilly. Affordable, relaxing and fun everyday fishing aboard the Lady K.