I fish more than I catch. It’s a horrible truth that’s hard to admit. There is nothing I love more than getting out on the water and fishing. The anticipation, the hope, the dreams of a great fish dinner. I can keep that anticipation and hope alive for hours, and often do, waiting for that tide change, waiting for the moon phase to bring the fish to me, trying to find the best ambush spot, praying, lots of praying. But sometimes nothing you can do makes it happen. You paddle or ride in with the adrenaline of the day flagging and with sad knowledge it was a blank day. Wannh!
But then there’s those catching days where you can do no wrong. Every cast is a hookup and you feel like a champion tournament winner! I was fortunate to experience one of those recently down in one the best fishin’ holes in the world, Englewood Florida. Englewood is South of Venice and North of Boca Grande. There are miles of mangroves and the famous “Stump Pass” is what makes the fishing here so great! Fish enter and exit this small pass with the tides. The variety and quantity can be mind boggling but the prey, in my mind is trout, redfish and snook.
This particular day, my family wanted to go the beach. We opted to take the boat since parking at Stump Pass is so limited. We ran out the intercoastal and whipped up ski alley where I dropped off the beach goers. I put the Scout in reverse and just backed across ski alley to the other side, anchored up by a fallen australian pine and baited up. The tide was ripping in. I cast upstream and drifted down First cast STRIKE! Trout on the line! Landed and in the cooler. Second cast.. nother one! Third cast… YEP!!! I stopped for a minute to text the family to say “non-stop fishing action guys!” They decide to join me so I ran over and picked em up. For the next 2 hours, we caught sheeps head, trout and ohh la la.. that gorgeous redfish you see in the picture! Talk about heaven!
The day was good and fish for dinner was a reality not a dream.
