Where are you out of the water? In Daytona itself there's only Daytona Marina and Boat Works and I am berthed there on Dock 5. Further south there's Seven Seas Marina and boatyard and then at Ponce Inlet there's the other area boatyard.

When you get down to Daytona and the Halifax River let me know and I'll fill you in on fishing the ICW, it's creeks and the Ponce Inlet area where you can anchor up and fish from your trawler. Good luck with your haulout.

My introduction to the "City of Brotherly Love" was about 3 blocks into the city and sitting at a stoplight in my friend's '56 Chevy convertible when 2 guys came tumbling out of a bar door beating the hell out of each other. After just seconds and right after they had rolled right up next to my car door one pulled out a pistol and shot the other guy! I hollered to my buddy Phil who was driving to hit it and we took off right through the red light narrowly missing the cars in the intersection. After visiting a relative on mine in Germantown we never went back. We were stationed at Maguire AFB about 20 miles from Trenton and next door to Fort Dix. Yes it was quite the introduction to two southern boys from considerably smaller towns.

Got my license in a 2 door, '51 Olds Rocket 88 with a V-8. auto tranny. It was also my first car that had been handed down from my grandparents.

As a kid I learned mechanics from my father and in '63 at about age 19 while in the USAF and using the the base hobby shop, I dropped an Olds J-2 series 371ci V-8 with 3 deuces and factory high lift cam into a '55 Chevy. It was a 2-door Belaire , Hurst 3-speed floor shifter, and custom made kit headers each dumping into a collector with a side flap that could be opened for drag racing. In building the headers my roommate figured the balanced length of each cylinder's exhaust pipe using his slide rule. I built the car to NHRA B-modified production specs and it was quite a dragster and street machine.

Merry Christmas from warm (for now - supposed to be in the high 20s tonight) and sunny north-east Florida. At least we don't have to contend with all that snow many of you stagers are facing and for that this Florida boy is eternally thankful. Everyone stay warm and safe during this frigid cold spell and look forward to the New Year. Happy Holidays all!!

The fish I (and many folks I've fished with in Florida inshore waters, creeks, bays, inlets, etc.) call Sailor's Choice is not a member of the grunt family. It is also referred to as a pinfish. It's body shape is not quite elongnated as a grunt but shorter and fuller with a very pronounced dorsal fin with sharp spikes, hence pinfish. It has blue stripes much like the blue striped grunt on a white body and a different mouth. They are terrific bait stealers. I'm sure many of you stagers know the pinfish I'm trying to describe. And from what I see as pictures of a Sailors Choice on the internet it seems I and others are mistaken when we call this pinfish a Sailors Choice. My bad.

That's not a Sailor's Choice in the lower pic; at least what we catch in east central and other parts of Florida. It looks sort of like a butter fish. The top fish pictured is definately a striped grunt with yellow as it's basic color. The fish at the beginning of this thread isn't yellow but white as it's basic color. Hence two different fish.

It prety much looks like a Sailor's Choice which is all I've ever heard it called in north-central Florida. The largest one I've seen or caught might be 8 or 9" long. I've caught them inshore and offshore. Maybe they're called something else in south Florida but even my stepfather, an ardent fisherman who lived most of his life in Miami and Tavernier in the keys, called them Sailor's Choice. Maybe a pic of them side by side would delinate the difference if we're talking about two different species.

I ran a 100' utility boat home-ported in Intracoastal City, southern Louisana out to the gulf oil platforms for a short while. After being a corporate yacht captain it just wasn't my cup of tea.

It's a Sailors Choice, no size limit, good bait. Throw it back attached to a hook and good, strong leader! I always have a small fish free-lined when I'm fishing offshore. Never know what's going to show up; king mackeral. wahoo, cobia, amberjack or even a "man in a grey suit." Single slash looks like a 'cuda hit it.

Growing up in Daytona Beach and fishing both areas most of my life I'll be happy to provide you with the info you want. I sent you a private message and we can converse there.

I spent 2 summers on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands in the late '60s and saw a lobster walk. I was snorkling spearing fish and then a column of lobsters about 5 to 8 wide approached under me and snaked off into the distance. I didn't count them but there were hundreds or more. Lobster were plentiful back then and I even shot one that was 15 to 20 lbs. Four of us pigged out for several meals with that monster. Where I dove out toward the eastern end of the island the reefs were spectacular with numerous coral heads and abundant sealife. One was hollow with an opening about 18" in diameter, large enough to see into and shoot them sitting on what appeared to be ledges ringing the inside of the head. It was just like going to the grocery and choosing an item off the grocery shelves. I've never seen anything quite like it since.

It had been let go when I bought it but I brought it back. I had been in the boat repair business so I was able to do the work myself. It was mostly cosmetic but I did have to rebuild the starboard berth in the cuddy. Water had gotten to the plywood via a porthole directly over it. I also added a deck hatch directly over the fill hose in the below deck fuel tank.

The 4 boat companies I know of that Leon Slikkers created or was assiciated with were Slickcraft, Pursuit, Tiara and S2 sailboats. I don't know what company name his early boats were marketed under (you may know this). I also know his mold work was impeccable and that quality is evident in my boat. I was in the marine business and only saw one other Slickcraft here in Florida, a runabout that was a damn fine boat.

I bought the boat 6 or 7 years ago in Bunnell. It sat in an fenced in enclosure at the furniture store (now closed) on US 1 just north of SR 100 east. I bought it from the store's owner's son. You might have seen it. I watched it for over a year when I finally decided to inquire and bought it. Although I spend part of the week in Daytona (my hometown) on the sportfish, I spend the rest of the week at my fiance's home in Palm Coast in the Pine Lakes section. I'm there now. We ought to get together sometime.