In this throwback trip we slid offshore in the Upper Keys with Capt. Luis “Wicho” Rodda, because the weather was about to turn to “poo poo” (technical term down here). And I’m telling you—this was a straight-up masterclass on deep dropping for big mutton snapper. Wicho doesn’t miss, and watching him work from his bait freezer to his anchor setup is exactly the kind of stuff that shortens the learning curve for anyone coming down to fish the Keys. We broke down the whole deep drop program: a 6-lb weight, a long 100-foot style rig with hooks spaced way off the weight, and the little details like how much line he feeds after bottom depending on current. Then came the part he kept reminding me about—hand cranking. It’s dead weight until it isn’t, and once those muttons start pulling you better crank because sharks are always part of the equation. We stayed out into the dark, got into double-ups, mixed in some absolute monster margates and a nice porgy, and ended up doing real damage—seven muttons on the deck and a whole lot of Army vs Navy trash talk along the way.