Fishing With Friends

Dark and early on a Saturday morning, I drug my hungover body out of the berth and prepared for the day's adventure. Friday night was an adventure as well but that's another story. Just had to say it because that was why I was hungover with only a few hours sleep. No complaints, mind you, just stating the facts and setting the stage.

A friend and her husband had invited me to go deep sea fishing with them and we needed to get an early start. Knowing that one of the best preventatives for sea sickness if a full stomach, I scarfed down a huge bowl of oatmeal, with raisins, crushed walnuts and a generous dollop of butter and brown sugar. If I was going to get sick at least it would be colorful. Dramamine helps, too. I live on a boat and the motion doesn't seem to bother me all that much, but why take chances? Especially with a hangover from too much beer and a few shots of cheep rum. Aargh.

By eight AM we were at the marina and loading up the boat, a twenty foot center console. Lots of fishing poles and gear, coolers full of food and soft drinks, the three of us headed out to the Gulf. First we stopped at a hidden spot to pick up the pin fish trap. Lots of the little suckers. Then it was out past Shell Key and into the main channel heading West. We stopped at the main marker to try and pick up some more live bait with chum and a net, but there was just no activity. Fish finders are great. Don't know what fishermen did without them.

The GPS had several artificial reefs marked and we headed out to them, about ten miles out. We were headed out against an incoming tide, so the ride was a little rough. Fun, really. Lack of power steering and trim tabs meant that the bow wandered a little so we didn't hit all the waves at an optimum angle. I was thankful for my foresight in taking the Dramamine. I was wishing for some more aspirin to stop the headache, but I figured it would go away in time. I had two beers with me so hair of the dog was an option.

At the first reef we hung out for a while and watched the fish finder do it's thing. Lots of activity. Sardines for dead bait and then wait for the bites. I pulled in the first red snapper, about thirteen inches. I was surprised at the lack of fight. Rachel caught the next one and then John started hauling them in, some over two feet in length. Lots of other fish were caught but not all of them were keepers. Back into the water with 'em and see ya next time, little guy.

We then started moving around to other artificial reefs throughout the area with varying levels of success until about Three PM. By this time I was content to watch the action of two very experienced fishers work their magic. I nursed a beer and enjoyed the sun, the feel of the boat moving with the water and wind and the sight and sounds of two friends enjoying themselves and their sport. Of course it's more than just a sport. These folk are VERY serious about their food.

When it was time to leave john took the pin fish that had been thoroughly ignored by the other fish and dumped them over the side. Rachel kept her line in the water hoping for one more good hit. She got it. Suddenly her pole bent nearly double and line started running out from the reel. This was BIG. The boat started running over the anchor line, so John pulled in the anchor while Rachel gave the fish it's head. The boats nearby had all stopped to watch as the fish pulled our boat further out into the Gulf.

A few minutes of fighting and the line finally snapped. John and Rachel guessed that the fish had headed back into the reef and cut the line. Made sense to me. I was hoping that she could have pulled it up close enough to the surface so we could at least get a good look at it. We later determined that it was a Goliath Grouper, about eight hundred pounds of appetite. When John dumped the pin fish over the side, the fish finder suddenly went empty, no fish to be seen near the bottom. That sudden splash of all that bait hitting the water must have awakened the monster, sending the rest of the fish into hiding. We never saw it on the sonar. We were too busy watching Rachel fight the thing. She was shaking and worn out by the time the line broke.

The ride back to the marina was much like the ride out; against the tide and airborne from time to time. Yee Haw! My headache was gone, I didn't get sea sick, I had caught enough fish to give me two good meals and had had a great time on the water with friends.

Back at the house, Rachel took the day's catch into the back yard and with skill and economy cleaned the fish, creating several large baggies of grouper and snapper fillets. An hour later and it was a surf and turf dinner that just couldn't be beat. I felt like going into a chorus of Alice's Restaurant, but settled for a quick renaming of the song.

Thanks, John and Rachel, for a great time. I'd kinda like to do that again real soon. I learned a great deal about fishing in the Gulf, all my questions about gear and bait answered in just one trip. This is one Yankee that has found Southern Hospitality to be alive and well in the state of Florida. And yes, Rachel and John, I don't mind helping out with the chores. Food and experience like that is worth reciprocation. Thank you again, so much.

No one gets out of here alive, so live it like ya mean it.