Jack-Of-All-Trades: Fishing guide balances fishing with a radio show
5/22/2005 9:50:29 AM by SUSAN COCKING
In the ultra-competitive circle of Upper Keys fishing guides, multitasking is a very useful talent. With hurricane threats, bad weather and plenty of rivals squeezing the tourist dollar, a fishing guide must be a jack-of-many-trades to earn a living.
Few have mastered this strategy better than Captain George Clark Jr.
President of the Key Largo Fishing Guides Association, Clark runs a 19- foot flats skiff on back-country fishing trips. He also helps dad, George Sr., on his offshore sportfishing boat, Gotta Mon. Father and son have a commercial fishing boat called Rodeo. And now, the younger Clark co-hosts a radio fishing show with captain Lain Goodwin on Monday through Friday, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., on WFFG 1300-AM called Off the Hook.
A typical day in the life of Junior is nothing short of a whirlwind.
Rising well before dawn on this day, Clark Jr. prepares to take Julio Fabre, a long-time friend who lives in Miami, bottom-fishing on the Gotta Mon, docked at Key Largo Fisheries. Fabre really wants to catch a big mutton snapper or black grouper, so Clark decides the best live bait would be speedos, or red-tailed scad.
His dad has nothing to do that day, so he comes along for the ride.
The captain and two mates anchor on a shallow coral patch near Molasses Reef, put out a chum bag and quickly catch a couple dozen large speedos, which they place in a circular live well on deck. Then the Gotta Mon heads for a 130-foot-deep rock pile.
This spot is known for muttons, groupers and sailfish, Junior says. A guy dove this and he said there are trenches through the bottom, so the fish dont have to go on top.
He anchors the Gotta Mon on the rock pile, puts out a bag of menhaden chum, a couple of live speedos and the cut-off head of a dead speedo on the bottom. The weather is overcast and the current is strong. Not much happens for a while.
Eventually, the live speedos attract the attention of two large kingfish in the 20-pound class, both of which Clark catches. Kingfish are great to eat if you eat them the same day you catch them. But, Fabre is really hoping for quality bottom fish.
They stick it out a while longer, and eventually Fabre is rewarded with a 12-pound black perfect for dinner. But, now its nearly 3 p.m., and Junior is scheduled to do his radio show in two hours at Key Largos popular Buzzards Roost restaurant. The crew pulls anchor and heads full speed back to Key Largo Fisheries, arriving shortly after 4 p.m.
Junior quickly fillets the fish while the mates clean the boat. Watching the frenetic activity, Senior shakes his head.
I like it when he comes on the boat so I get to see him, the father says.
Junior wraps the fillets, jumps into his truck and heads north to Garden Cove, where Buzzards Roost is located. Goodwin Clarks co-host is already there, and the two guides get busy setting up microphones and speakers on the patio. Agroup of diners watches them, bemused.
Promptly at 5 p.m., Clark and Goodwin get their cue to start. Clark gives an honest account of his day on the water.
A few minutes into the broadcast, a middle-aged woman walks up and asks to be put on the air. She urges listeners of the show to sign up for a starlight sail on the Reef Roamer with proceeds to benefit tsunami victims in Asia.
After she makes her plug, it is Goodwins turn to give a fishing report from the back country.
Im a fishing guide. Im a professional liar, he jokes. Then he tells the audience that the snook bite has been slow, but the trout bite is excellent.
Another fishing guide, captain Tony Delosantos, gives a report by phone. Then Clark and Goodwin launch into a discussion of cast nets: what size mesh to use to catch particular types of bait.
I use a 5/8-inch for mullet and I think 1/2-inch mesh is good for bally hoo, Clark offers. For the small pilchards, 1/4-inch mesh seems to be fine.
Too quickly, it is nearly 6 p.m. and time to wrap up the show. The cohosts thank their sponsors and sign off. A good thing because its starting to rain and the speakers and microphones are getting wet.
Clark and Goodwin receive no pay for their on-air work, but there is one reward besides community recognition: The Buzzards Roost staff brings out a heaping platter of the fresh black grouper cooked in three styles: fried, blackened and sautéed with caper sauce, plus side dishes.
The fishermen dig in. In less than 12 hours, it will be time to do this all over again.
Quicksplash
IF YOU GO
To book and offshore, reef, wreck or back-country trip with Captain George Clark Jr., call 305-453- 9614 or 305-852-3829 or 305- 522-2638 or send email to capgeorg@terranova.net