Big Red

Woooooooo Hooooooooo!!! Day number 2!!! Today we went out earlier in the day and it was hot but not nearly as hot as yesterday. We are getting more organized with our boating gear, the trailering gets better each day, and the motor is starting up on the first or second try. We're boat owners, oh yeah!! We started out the day heading to the Wheeden Island Preserve where we practiced going over really big speed bumps with the trailer. There were walk-in canoe launches but no where to put a trailer in. Oh well, the speed bump practice was invaluable.

We ended up putting the boat in at Gandy Beach, which as it turns out is a pretty good place to put in. We headed out to the high seas, ok fine, the shore line. Anyway, my big idea was to get some small hooks and catch some bait fish instead of paying $4 for 12 Pin Fish. Instead I opted to buy a pack of small hooks for $8 that were waaaaaay too big. My bad. We did have live shrimp though.

Andrea spent most of her day re-rigging our poles, she's getting to be quite the little rigger, that one. She can tie some really mean knots. Wicked mean.

We tried a few different spots before we settled on a spot that we like to call Pelican Pointe. It was right behind a power plant and there was a huge pine tree with Pelicans on almost every limb. It was amazing because they are such big birds and they were sitting on the thinnest of branches.

Things started out a little slow at our new found fishing spot but they soon heated up!!! I reeled in the biggest Pin fish I had ever seen in my life, I doubt it was a world record or anything but it was big. That thing must have been a good 5 inches and what a fighter. Wow, I almost threw out my shoulder. Oh alright, I'm kidding. But it was fun to FINALLY catch something.

After we recovered from the Pin Fish excitement I re-baited my hook and OH, by the way, I decided to wear gloves today!!! What a world of difference. Those shrimp didn't have a snow ball's chance in hell today. Anyway, on my Pin Fish high, I re-baited my hook and took a few casts. Andrea complimented me on my improved casting so I decided to show off a bit and landed a perfect cast right next to the rocky shore line. Then it happened....

WHAM!!! Before I knew it, my pole was doubled over to the water and I was reeling like crazy. This was no 5 inch Pin Fish I tell ya. It put up a fight but I was able to land a 19 inch Red Fish. Move over Captain Nick there's a new chick in town!!! Oh Yeah!!!

I did almost fall out of the boat, a little over excited, I forgot we were in a Gheenoe. Andrea promptly screamed at me, I think I scared her to death. My bad. But what an awesome fish!!! My biggest fish ever! Best of all, we were able to release it unharmed.

While we were both still on our Red Fish high, this REALLY LOUD VOICE comes out of nowhere, sending us both about 4 inches straight up in the air. "ATTENTION BOATERS, YOU ARE IN A RESTRICTED AREA, YOU MUST STAY BEHIND THE BUOYS!!!!" Geeze, what a buzz kill. Ironically enough, we had been discussing why those buoys were there for the entire hour and a half that we were fishing there. Doh!!

Andrea had that motor fired up and we were on our way before that guy had time to take the bull horn down from his mouth. We not lookin' for no trouble mista!!! Andrea is getting really, really good at starting the motor and steering the boat. Thank goodness.

Nothing really exciting happened after that. We moved to a new spot, didn't really get any bites. I did catch a couple pieces of an oyster bed. I almost fell out of the boat again, trying to cast really far. I was able to right myself though, just in time to hear a few choice expletives from Andrea. That girl's out of control.