A Fisherman's Tale...

....and I've got the pictures to prove it....went wading yesterday after writing a little bit at the coffee shop.... wasn't expecting much...just a few relaxing minutes before sunset to end the day...spent the first few minutes without a hit...as expected..have never caught any thing of significance at this particular place...a few small trout and a couple of small snook once this season..but the sun was sparkling on the the water and even if I didn't catch a thing....I was in my element....


Then the wind shifted to the north and I thought it was really all over for any chance of hooking up...but I thought I'd try the south side of the point where I knew it would be calm and the water warmer....as Gomer Pyle would say....." surprise, surprise"....the first hook-up was a small red...the first in several days fishing...I can call a day a success when I get at least one fish..I don't care what size or species..just one fish a day..and perhaps some time spent with friends..and some productive writing...I had all of that on this Sadie Hawkins Day....(didn't get any invites from my Valentines to do anything, they must have forgotten about it being the one day in every four years that the women can ask the men out)...even so... this was going to be a good day...

Then it happened....I had a hook-up that felt like a smaller fish at first...I guess it took the snook a few seconds to realize that he was hooked..when he did...Wow...he took off like a shot heading for the other side of the bay...after a run of 50 or 60 yards against all the drag my ten pound test line and 20 pound leader could handle....he stopped and turned...that moment in a battle with a big snook is when you know you have at least got a chance....if you can't turn his head on that initial run your goose is cooked and he will run you out of line or break off every time...



I backed my way to shore..I was only in knee deep water...and landed my best Snook of the season...I didn't want to keep him out of the water to long so I didn't measure..but I will say he was close to three feet and at least ten pounds maybe more....







This big red was about four casts after I had released the snook...he was top of the slot and would have weighed in at six or seven pounds....what a fight...Reds just pull like a pissed off bull dog and you really have to slug it out with them...a lot of head shaking and short powerful runs...it I could have landed one trout I would have had the Lemon Bay Hat Trick...Snook, Red, Trout all in one trip....Oh well I had caught a lot of nice trout last week so that's close enough for me...


That's All For Now...(just wanted to brag a little)

Live, Love, Laugh, Fish

Semper Fi

Monk