“Dude, you have some terrible luck. I’m actually a little scared to get in a boat with you.” This is the text I received from Captain Steve Papen after yet another cancelled trip due to unfavorable conditions. We had been planning a trip to run deep into the Gulf, but apparently it was my fault Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. After a half dozen failed attempts to get out, we finally found the weather window we were hoping for, on my birthday of all days. Fishing aboard a new triple Mercury-powered 37 ft. Whaler Outrage, it was bound to be an awesome day. Due to the gently sloping bathymetry of the Gulf of Mexico, anglers hailing from ports along Florida’s west coast must deal with lengthy runs to reach deep water, and by deep water we’re not talking skyscraper deep. While the Gulf has numerous inshore and near shore…
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