This story is about three, senior anglers. Let’s call these fishermen Bruce, Bobbie, and Glen. These three fishin’ buddies meet-up each winter in South Texas. The warm temperatures keep them comfortable, but fishing in the Gulf of Mexico for red snapper keeps them happy!
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November on Tampa Bay for me is first and foremost “jack time.” Big schools of ravenous jack crevalle invade the bay tearing through schools of baitfish. What a jack does best is pull. Pound-for-pound, I doubt there is a stronger fish in the sea, unless it is one of its close cousins — the pompano or the permit. And when you fight them on flats’ tackle, it’s a knock down, drag out brawl from start to finish!
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It’s often easy to discount women who fish because of ancient stereotypes. It seems we know a lot more about dainty, young ladies who ask their boyfriends to bait the hook than we do about those who can throw 10-foot cast nets and who fish well. I’ve been blessed with the chance to fish with a number of great fishermen, and know from experience that the ability to catch fish is not a gender issue. Take Keli Emery for example… .
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Most anglers catch shad for crab or sturgeon bait because the oil rich fish is excellent bait. Shad meat is very bony, but some anglers smoke them, and then can the meat. It is rich in flavor — and, in fact, many consider shad roe a delicacy. The Willamette River, in Portland, Ore., is THE place to catch them.
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Die-hard fishermen know that wind and rain might be less than comfortable, but when it happens as a cold front approaches, the fish will usually try to chew the bottom out of the boat! If you don’t fish in foul weather, you are literally missing the boat.
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Want to catch pre-historic fish as you watch ocean-going ships being loaded with grain, or new Toyotas from Japan being unloaded? Or fish as you watch colorful dragon boats glide by? Portland, Ore., provides such a diverse setting in the shadows of
skyscrapers, grain elevators, and boathouses that line the banks of the Willamette River.
The rod arches down with a wild, throbbing motion, almost touching the water."Now!" Donald almost yells with excitement. "He’s got it." I slide the bouncing rod out of the holder and come back hard. I feel a couple of vicious head shakes and 30-pound-test line peels off the reel. "Fish on!"
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My friend Terry Akroyd is a plumber and a sea trout specialist. After years of talking about a trout fishing trip we finally got together for one. Trout don’t pull as hard as redfish or snook, but they are way more aggressive — the perfect fish for anglers who like to fish artificial baits.
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When somebody tells me cobia are dumb fish, I grit my teeth. Aggressive? You bet. Fearless? That too. The adult cobia’s position near the top of the food chain, and its size leave it with few natural predators outside of the most dangerous species. That a 25-pound fish is only 2 years old has a lot to do
with the low opinion of their intellect. But they get smart in a hurry. Hooking bigger fish, those 40 pounds and up, is more of a challenge. Here’s how to get it done.