We launched out of Aransas Pass, early morning. Seemed to go well as we ran into Capt. Ron at a bait stand, “Can’t find ANY live shrimp,” he said.
Motored off through the mist. Cool, not cold, and although the sun was up, the thick fog seemed impenetrable.
I had questions about an image from the previous evening, and Ron got to talking and then shut the boat off. We’d been running with the wind, chatting, and he missed a marker, and we were almost abruptly grounded on an oyster reef.
Eventually, everyone out of the boat, it floated free, and we were back underway. Fished several spots, not a lot of action, pin fish, tiny snapper, little sand trout, and two very ugly fish, “Those are ‘mother-in-law’ fish.”
So named for the ugly appearance, gaping teeth, and bottom-feeding nature?
Motored off. Fight the wind. The sun threatened to come out. Motored back. Tried a little cut bait, and that’s when the fun started.
First it was Bubba, www.KensPortableWelding.com, with a line stripping, back-breaking, arching pole of fish that sawed the line in two. Some days the fish win.
Then I got mine. 32-inch Big Red. Beefy monster. Took a while to horse him in, and over the slot limit? Free the fighter! Free the breeder! Let my monster go.
Picture and he was back, swimming with the (other) fishes.
A personal best, too.
Fish.
