Ignore that last news flash…the hunts for the weekend are still on! Sorry about that!

Pricing: A 5-hour half-a-day trip goes for $350, and an 8-hour all-day trip is $450. Ice, bait, tackle, fuel, MS fishing license, and fish cleaning is all included in the package. Best of all, that price can be divided up among 4 anglers making it quite affordable.

Now back to Capt. Brodie’s fishing and duck hunting reports…

SATURDAY-December 26, 2009

Just finished up 3 days of fishing after Christmas, and it was the black drum that kept the rods bent in the cold and windy fishing conditions. On Saturday I had comeback clients Jim and Pam Gathright from Texas, and since they were heading down to the Florida Keys this would be an all catch and release trip.

With it being so cold they decided to leave out at noon, and in two in a half hours the husband and wife dup still managed to catch and release 25 or so black drum, as well as a couple of small redfish. It was easy to see these guys were ready to get back to the warmth of their car, and I have to admit I was a bit chilled too.

However, Jim and Pam are always fun to fish with, and I’ll now try to get them back down here in the warm summer months to give Florida pompano fishing a shot. And yes, we do have a great pompano fishery here in south Mississippi if you aren’t familiar with it.

Pam and Jim, thank you so much for coming back to fish with me again, and I hope you have fun fishing down in the warmth of the Florida Keys.

MONDAY-December 28, 2009

ABOVE: Noah Vaughn is no stranger when it comes to fishing aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS, and here he holds a fine flounder he caught bottom fishing on his latest trip with Capt. Brodie. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

The second trip was on Monday, and more comeback clients including Noah Vaughn, his dad Julian, and Michael Garrett  were back again to test south Mississippi’s waters aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. 

ABOVE: A RECORD FLORIDA POMPANO CATCH!  Michael Garrett, Julian Vaughn, and Noah Vaughn pose with their 28 Florida pompano, a one day record catch made aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS in 2009. Look closely, those are some big fat pompano! TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS…your south Mississippi Florida pompano specialists! Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

By the way, this trio of anglers set the one day record for pompano this year aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS, a fine catch of 28 big plump Florida pompano.

ABOVE: Michael Garrett, Julian Vaughn, and Noah Vaughn pose with a fine catch of 66 black drum, 1 big sheepshead, and a fine flounder they caught fishing aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

These guys are hard-core anglers, and fish extremely hard, and their patience paid of by hauling in 66 black drum, as well as 1 nice flounder, and a big sheepshead. Noah, his dad, and Michael are always great fun to fish with, and we always seem to come in with a load of fish. They wanted plenty of fish for a fish fry while Julian was down from North Carolina visiting, and I sent them home with 132 fresh fillets for a big family fish fry.

ABOVE: Yes, there is excellent wintertime light tackle fishing in south Mississippi, and Michael Garrett, Julian Vaughn, and Noah Vaughn proved it by catching this mess of 66 black drum, 1 big sheepshead, and a nice flounder while fishing aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Yes, it was another cold day, but once again we found a couple of honey holes that paid of with plenty of light tackle action. Anyway, Noah, Julian, and Michael I thank you for another fun-filled day of fishing aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS, and looking forward to many more adventures with all of you in the years to come.

TUESDAY-December 29, 2009

On the third trip my clients were Tony Watson and Stephen Siracusa from Texas, and of course it was another extremely cold morning. But the show must go on, and off we went to the black drum fishing grounds. Once there it was extremely slow fishing at first, but once the tide started moving the bite turned on.

ABOVE: Stephen Siracusa and Tony Watson from Texas pose with a few of the many black drum they caught bottom fishing aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

We were fishing out in front of the Beau Rivage Casino, and when the bite slowed it was a run to Davis Bayou that had the guys hauling them in once again. For a while we had 4 rods being bent over like crazy, and that flurry of fish catching had the men on their toes. 

ABOVE: Wintertime fishing for black drum can be a real blast on light spinning tackle, and Stephen Siracusa and Tony Watson from Texas had a ball hauling in these 51 black drum and a nice sheepshead while fishing aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

When this fish catching melee ended Tony and Stephen had boxed 51 black drum, 1 nice sheepshead, and released a couple of small redfish. In all, another day of light tackle fish catching fun in south Mississippi. Despite the poor fishing conditions lately the black drum bite has been excellent, and makes for some excellent wintertime fishing fun. And yes, these small snow-white drum fillets fry up a delicious golden brown!

ABOVE: When the clients step off TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS after a long day of fishing they get to go back home or to the hotel to get cleaned and rested up. However, if the bite has been good my job is just getting started at the fish cleaning table. In this picture I am about to delve into cleaning 51 black drum and a fine sheepshead caught by Tony Watson and Stephen Siracusa from Texas. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Tony was heading back to Texas with an ice chest full of fillets, and he intends to have a big fish fry on New Years Day. Tony and Steven I thank both of you for your business, and hope the big fish fry back home is a big hit. Hey, I can’t think of a better way to start out the new year than with a big fish fry with friends and family. 

Oh yeah, sorry about getting there late with the fish Tony, I was up to nine o’clock Tuesday night cleaning and packaging those fish, and if you would have gone home without them, well, I would have really felt bad. And like you said “things” happen! Yet it all worked out for the best, so come back and see me when you’re in my neck of the woods again. You gentlemen were an extreme pleasure to fish with, and Stephen keep yourself safe out there protecting the public.

Regards and many thanks to all,

Capt. Robert L. Brodie of TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS

Cell (228) 697-7707

Home (228) 392-7660

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Below: A couple pictures of the latest fishing charters aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS.

At TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS…”It’s about the bite and the flight!”

Click on any pictures on this site, and they will take you to flickr.com where Capt. Brodie has over 1,500 of his fishing and duck hunting photos. Enjoy!

Now back to Capt. Brodie’s latest fishing and duck hunting reports…

Well, our fourth hunt of the season was a bit slower than the rest, but we still shot some nice birds, and still had the opportunity to limit out. My guests on this hunt were Leonard Vergunst of Ocean Springs, MS and Stephen Ladner of Gulfport, MS.

Today’s hunt would be entirely different than the first 3, weather wise that is. Instead in hunting in northerly winds low-water conditions, on this hunt it was southeast winds 10 to 15 knots, cloudy conditions on and off, and plenty of water up in the marsh.

ABOVE: 12-23-09 Leonard Vergunst of Ocean Springs, MS and Stephen Ladner of Gulfport, MS enjoyed a fine morning of diving duck hunting with Capt. Robert L. Brodie of TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Redheads, bluebills, and buffleheads made up their bag of birds.  Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Remember, Mississippi’s duck season closes on January 31, 2010, so be sure to book your guided duck hunt soon. To book a duck hunting or fishing trip aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS contact Capt. Robert L. Brodie at (228) 697-7707 or by e-mail at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

ABOVE: 12-23-09 Stephen Ladner of Gulfport, MS poses with two gorgeous drake redheads that he bagged while hunting with Capt. Robert L. Brodie aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Birds weren’t on the move quite as much, and we had other hunters in the area near by. However, we took advantage of most of the gunning opportunities, and ended up with a nice bag of birds. The birds that did come in decoyed beautifully, and the two drake redheads were the last two birds taken out of a flock flying away at about 40 yards. Beautiful shots!

Above: 12-23-09 Gorgeous drake redheads are the prized duck on the Mississippi Sound, and Stephen Ladner of Gulfport, MS shot his first while hunting with Capt. Robert L. Brodie aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Just another wonderful morning to be hunting on the Mississippi Sound with great company. And that my friends is what it’s all about! Got some really nasty weather moving in, and that should bring down another batch of birds.

I’ve got a number of fishing and duck hunting trips booked right after Christmas, and eager to get back after the redfish, specks, and black drum. These are comeback clients, as well as a couple on newcomers. On my last couple of guided trips it was excellent big redfish and black drum fishing, and hope to get back after the hard pulling gamesters.

By the way, it’s all of you wonderful and loyal clients that make TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS such a success, I humbly thank each and every one of you for your time spent fishing and/or hunting with me here in south Mississippi, and looking forward to many more outdoor adventures with all of you for many more years to come.

Remember, I am a full-time year-round guide, ready to go whenever you get the chance to get away. Just give me a call, and away we go!

Until next report have a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and profitable Happy New Year.

Capt. Robert L. Brodie of TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS

Cell (228) 697-7707

Home (228) 392-7660

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PRICING: An all-day hunting trip aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS goes for $450, and you’ll be guided by Capt. Brodie and an assistant guide. Also, half-a-day (5-hours) light tackle fishing trips are $350, and all-day (8-hours) fishing trips go for $450. Ice, bait, tackle, MS fishing license, fuel, and fish cleaning are included in the price, and up to 4 anglers can split that price. “As about setting up multiple boat fishing trips for larger groups.”

Now back to Capt. Brodie’s duck hunting and fishing reports…

The third hunt of the season was another good one. Plenty of ducks on the move, and great hunting conditions. On this hunt there was a slight change in the crew, and this time Eddie Jones from McHenry, MS and Rob Langlinais from St. Martin, MS were my guests.

More northerly winds today, cloudy skies, and periods of light rain. Birds were coming in early as we were setting up. However, we did get a bit of a late start this morning due to pouring down rain early.

ABOVE: 12-18-09 Eddie Jones of McHenry, MS and Rob Langlinais of St. Martin, MS enjoyed another banner morning of diving duck hunting with Capt. Brodie aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS. Today’s hunt included redhead, bluebills, and buffleheads, a fine mixture of diving ducks bagged on the Mississippi Sound. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

ABOVE: 12-18-09 While hunting with Capt. Robert L. Brodie of TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS, Eddie Jones of McHenry, MS (holding a drake redhead) and Rob Langlinais of St. Martin, MS (holding a drake bufflehead) enjoyed an excellent morning of gunning for diving ducks on the Mississippi Sound. Redhead, buffleheads, and bluebills made up the morning take. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie 

ABOVE: 12-18-09 Just outside outside our decoy set up, a south Mississippi crabber empties and rebaits his traps on a wind swept Mississippi Sound. While making our nighttime runs to the duck hunting grounds, crab trap corks and lines are a hazard that has to be taken into consideration. However, crabbers in the area often stir up rafts of ducks resting on the Mississippi Sound, and that puts plenty of ducks in the air and on the move. Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

But all ended well, and we ended up with a total of 1 redhead, 8 buffleheads, and 4 bluebills, a 13 bird tally. Didn’t see as many big redheads today, but the bluebills and buffleheads were there for the taking. We were 3 birds shy of our limit, not that we could not have filled it out with bluebills or buffleheads like on our first hunt of the season, but hoped to end the day with redheads or canvasbacks.

We were patient, but the big birds didn’t show at the end of the hunt so we packed it in and went home with a nice kill of birds anyway. By the way, I often get asked about how to cook diving ducks, and here is how I do it.

“BAKED DIVING DUCK RECIPE”  By Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Step 1: Pluck the birds thoroughly, and singe any remaining fuzz over an open flame.

Step 2: Cut off the head close to the body, and the wings too. Snip the legs off at the joint, and cut off the but end of the duck.

Step 3: Remove all entrails, and then wash out bird very thoroughly.

Step 4: This is optional, but I often soak them in cold water in the refrigerator for a day. This draws out a lot of the blood.

Step 5: Next I like to cook up a batch of Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix. In the microwave this takes about 5 minutes.

ABOVE: 12-19-09 Four plump redheads ready for the oven. My wife Brenda and daughter Tiffany love to eat wild duck, especially redheads, and now we’ve found it runs in the family because my 4-year-old granddaughter Olivia couldn’t get enough of these tasty birds.  And Olivia preferred them minus the cranberry jelly. That’s my girls! Photo by Capt. Robert L. Brodie

Step 6: Drain and dry off the birds, and then salt and pepper them on the inside and outside.

Step 7: Cut up some apples and/or oranges as stuff about one-third of the body, and then stuff the rest of the cavity full of stuffing mix.

Step 8: Place the ducks on a rack so the dripping will fall out and away from the bird. Dust the breasts with white flour, and then sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.

Step 9: Place in a preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Step 10: When cooked, cut the breast meat into small bite size pieces, add a sprinkle of salt, and then sweeten each bite with a piece of chilled cranberry jelly.

Step 11: As simple side dishes go with a big baked sweet potato, some wild rice, and a glass or two of good red wine (if you’re 21 or older) surely complements a baked duck. Enjoy!

On a closing note, looks like the middle of next week will have some good hunting conditions with strong southerly winds, rain, and cloudy skies. If you want a shot at diving ducks be sure to book a trip aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS soon as possible.

Remember, the season closes on January 31, 2010, and a hunting trip makes for a great Christmas gift if your love ones like to hunt waterfowl. It’s not to late to set up a gift certificate for a hunting or fishing adventure aboard TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS.

Regards and many thanks to all,

Capt. Robert L. Brodie of TEAM BRODIE CHARTERS

Cell (228) 697-7707 Primary Number

Home 9228) 392-7660

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