Jim McDaniel, of Springfield, Virginia, called me a couple of months ago with a proposition. Jim is my life-long best friend, and we are like brothers. In fact, the Clan McDaniel welcomed me into the Clan with open arms long ago, and it's been wonderful to be a part of their family. But, the family has taken some heavy hits in the last two years with the lost of Jim's older brother Del, his older brother Don and his wife Nadine, and cousin Gale. Jim and his younger sister Aleta, are the only ones left, and Aleta has battled cancer five previous times in her sixty-five years, and is now terminal with esophageal and lymph cancers. She nearly died a couple of months ago when her colon ruptured. She wasn't supposed to make it, but she fought back and proved the doctors wrong yet again, and is doing amazingly well.
Jim had called me before this colon episode to see if I would be up for taking him and Aleta on a kayak fishing trip. Of course, I was! Jim wanted an opportunity to spend some time with Aleta doing something fun and outdoors. But, we didn't think she'd even make it through the surgery. It's a miracle she did, and she was even strong enough to keep the date with Jim and me on Tuesday.
I had ordered another Ultimate 14.5 that was originally to ship on April 29. But, to my delight it arrived on the 21st, and I was able to pick it up at Florida Paddlesports, and get it rigged over the weekend. Some extension bars for my Malone trailer also came in on Friday, and the folks at Boatmaster Trailers were kind enough to get me in and build an upper deck that will allow me to carry three Ultimates, instead of being forced to carry one SOT (sit-on-top) when I have two anglers. Now everyone can fish from and Ultimate.
Jim and I talked Monday night about the plan for Tuesday. Our options were to launch at Castaways on Sanibel or out of Adventures In Paradise in Port Comfort, just down the road. I told Jim I had no experience in Port Comfort, and we had a very early and poor tide, but that we'd waste a lot less of the tide going there instead of out to the end of Sanibel. Jim said he was up for an adventure, and that catching fish weren't his primary concern. So, the plan was laid.
Jim picked up Aleta at Page Rehabilitation and was at my place by 7 AM. It took a while, but we were finally at Port Comfort at around 8 AM. We were in the water in about twenty minutes. The totally rigged Ultimates created a stir there, as they seem to do everywhere I go with them.
We headed down the channel and then into the backcountry just past Connie Mack Island. We fished mangroves and oyster bars and keys. The fish didn't want to eat. I had given Jim my Kodak Playsport to use. It's waterproof, and he wanted to document this trip with lots of pictures.
We fished and moved and fished and moved. Aleta is so weak from all her illness and treatments that she had a hard time trying to anchor her Ultimate with the stakeout pole, even though most of the bottom is soft. And, she was getting way to close to the mangroves because she couldn't cast very far. It's the same thing I've seen every time I've had a child in their early teens or earlier. She was having a blast, though. She loved being out on the water, and when I asked her if she was doing OK, she said, "I'm just lovin every minute!"
I had a feeling that she would eventually toss her lure into the mangroves, and she did after the wind picked up. It was way up and over and deeply embedded. Jim attempted to get it out, and almost broke his left leg in the process. After that I broke it off and retied her line.
We fished our way down toward the mouth of the river on the north side and fished our way back on the south side. Aleta had some bites, and I think she had a trout on, but didn't get a fish to the boat. Jim finally killed the skunk with a puppy red and a big gaftop sail catfish. I think he lost another redfish, too. I caught three reds, and lost a big one. Great fishing, but tough catching on a tough tide.
Finally, with weather building to the east, and Aleta pretty well worn out, we headed in. It had been a fun day with two people who are very dear to me. Aleta had a grin on her face for most of the day. I'm so glad we had a chance to do that while she is still able.
I was back on the water Thursday with Jeff Kronstain, of Bentleyville, Ohio. Although the forecast was for wind 10 to 15, it had blown like hell the day before, and it looked as if it would again with the approach of yet another late season cold front. I was way early arriving at Casa Y'bel, where Jeff was staying, and just enjoyed siting in the van listening to the radio and having my coffee as a new day dawned. Finally, I saw Jeff coming down the drive with duffle bag and flyrod in hand. I wondered if he'd be able to use his flyrod in the wind, sitting right on the water. After one of the best handshakes I've had in a long time, we were off.
We were in the water and on our way before 7 AM, and the wind was already up. We were on another early tide, and by the time we got out to the fishing grounds the tide was nearly half way in. I went straight to a redfish pattern. Our first stop was on a fertile flat that drops off into a channel. I anchored my boat, and instructed Jeff to come and anchor off my port side.
Jeff and I both made our first casts. Suddenly, all hell broke loose as a tarpon of around 120 pounds ate Jeff's jig and took off like a rocket straight away from him. It jumped four times in straight succession, and as the green monofilament backing was coming up on Jeff's reel, the tarpon spit the lure. He had about ten feet of line left on the reel!
Jeff was left sitting there in his Ultimate in a semi state of shock, and vibrating from a sudden intense injection of adrenaline. He couldn't believe what had happened on his first cast. I couldn't help but laugh at Jeff's reaction. I would have given anything to have gotten that on video, but I didn't even have my GoPro helmet cam on, yet. Arrgh!
We fished around for a while, and Jeff caught a nice keeper flounder. But, it seemed obvious the reds weren't in an eating mood, yet. But, Jeff's next fish was a beautiful redfish of around 30 inches, and Jeff just couldn't get over how much Pitt bull that fish had in it. Jeff fought the fish for a good while as it ran all over the place. But, sadly all the action got the attention of the sharks that have been ever present on the flats this spring, and it soon was zeroing in on Jeff's fish.
I urged Jeff to get the fish to the boat as fast as possible, but once the fish sensed the shark's presence, it found new fight in trying to get away, and the shark ran it down and ate it about twenty feet in front of Jeff's boat. Jeff just sat there stunned again for a while, as he'd done after the tarpon earlier. That redfish was the second I've seen jump out of the water trying to escape a shark, but he wasn't as lucky as Jim Turman's red was.
We thought the shark problem would be over after it had managed to steel a big redfish for breakfast. We continued to fish and move short distances on the flat and again got into fish. Jeff got another nice redfish of 26 inches, and this time he got it on the stringer before the sharks got to it. But, at least one shark did come back, and kept cruising on and off our flat. I was shocked that we were able to catch any more redfish, but I managed four reds including a nice keeper of 25 inches, and Jeff got his keeper and a trout. But, the sharks just wouldn't leave us alone, and eventually the fishing shut down. It was time to move on and perhaps go snook fishing.
But, as we prepared for the move Jeff realized the redfish was gone from his stringer. At first he thought a shark had stolen it, but I pointed out that the locking clasp was still up in the locked position, while the hook was open, and there's only one way that can happen; the hook wasn't in it's receptacle when the clasp was locked. Jeff was bummed, but hoped the redfish had made it to freedom.
After about a twenty minute run we were ready to see if we could find some snook. I would get Jeff set up on a spot, and then go to another spot. Problem was, the tide had quit moving. It was full high. I hoped we'd get some kind of bite once the tide began going out. We kept hitting spots, and finally did catch a couple of snook, but that was it. It was time to head in.
We did get my keeper redfish back to the dock safely, along with the flounder. Jeff and I each took a fillet. He emailed me the next day that he'd had it blackened at a local restaurant and that it was fantastic. Jeff told me he'd had an awesome time, and was worn out from fighting the tarpon, redfish, and the sun. He promised he'd be calling to go again on his next trip down.
That afternoon as soon as I was home, I called my customer for Friday and told him I thought we ought to reschedule our trip, which we've already done before because of a big front. The forecast was for the front to come through during the night, and for north winds on Friday. The front had already slowed down, and some weather sources were saying we'd have storms Friday morning. Either way, I thought it best to reschedule. Glad we did, as the next morning we had some thunderstorms move in quickly at around ten o'clock.
As it stands, three trips and a doctor's appointment next week. We'll see how they go.
