John's Journal...

Fishing Alabama’s Gulf Coast After the Oil Spill on the Gulf of Mexico

Day 4: Captain Johnny Greene’s 12-Hour Trip During the Fall Red Snapper Season at Alabama’s Gulf Coast

I first met Captain Johnny Greene when he was a 17-year-old deckhand on a charter boat out of Orange Beach, Alabama. I looked at this hard-working young man and asked, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” Greene looked me square in the eyes, and with the conviction of a hanging judge, said, “One day, I’m going to own the biggest charter boat in Orange Beach, Alabama.” I’d never seen a teenager with that type of resolve, and I really thought he might have a chance to make his dream true, because on that day he proved he wasn’t shy about working hard and making sure that all the fishermen caught fish. Then when we returned to the dock, he cleaned those fish with the speed of a buzz saw.

Now 20-plus years later, Captain Johnny Greene, owner of the charter boat “Intimidator,” based out of Orange Beach Marina, does own one of the biggest charter boats in Orange Beach. Greene has proven that not only that he can work hard enough and manage his earnings well enough to buy a multi-passenger boat, but that his love of fishing and his determination to help his customers catch fish has made him one of the top charter-boat captains in the Gulf of Mexico. But I’m not the only one who recognizes the qualities in Johnny Greene. He has been appointed to serve on the advisory board of the National Marine Fisheries Service, a board that monitors and evaluates the recovery of red snapper and other reef fish and pelagic fish in the Gulf of Mexico, set seasons and bag limits and is heavily involved in the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico and the effects of last spring’s oil spill on the fishing and seafood coming from the Gulf of Mexico.

Greene is one of the new breeds of captains who also consistently catch swordfish on overnight trips and often books charters for 12 to 24 hours of fishing. During the special red snapper season that takes place until 12:01 am on November 22, Greene is constantly going out to deep water and looking for big fish. But rather than tell you about what he’s catching, click on the video below, and let Green tell you about what he caught on his last trip.

To fish with Captain Johnny Greene on the “Intimidator,” based at Orange Beach Marina, visit www.fishorangebeach.com, call 251-747-2872, or email intimidatorcharters@yahoo.com. For more information on fishing guides and charter boats, lodging accommodations, restaurants and entertainment on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, call Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism at 800-745-SAND (7263), or visit www.orangebeach.com. You also can get a fishing report three times each week by visiting the “What’s Biting?” column.

Today's Video Clip:

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Tomorrow: The Oil Spill Off Alabama’s Gulf Coast Isn’t a Problem for Fishermen


Check back each day this week for more about "Fishing Alabama’s Gulf Coast After the Oil Spill on the Gulf of Mexico"

Day 1: Oil Spill on the Gulf – How’s the Fishing Now?
Day 2: Good Fishing All Winter Long on the Gulf State Park Pier, the Longest Pier in the Gulf of Mexico
Day 3: Young People Enjoy a Red Snapper Birthday on Alabama’s Gulf Coast
Day 4: Captain Johnny Greene’s 12-Hour Trip During the Fall Red Snapper Season at Alabama’s Gulf Coast
Day 5: The Oil Spill Off Alabama’s Gulf Coast Isn’t a Problem for Fishermen

 

Entry 584, Day 4