As much as I like the feeling of a tug at the other end of my line, fishing has much more meaning to me than just catching. One of the beauties of the sport is that it takes on many meanings all at once. It can be serene or stressful, soothing or frustrating, dull or entertaining, run of the mill or breathtaking, and passive or competitive depending on someone’s mindset and outlook. Each person defines what a day on the water means to them before they ever hit the water.
Expectations can and often will make all the difference between a good day and a bad one. Set expectations too high and disappointment is looming on every moment spent not reeling in fish. Set expectations low and a delightful day is only one cast away.
I was reminded of that this past weekend. My good friend and fishing buddy, Sam, was in town and had an extended weekend, so decided to hit the water during our only window to get out together Saturday evening. Life has been hectic for him lately due to work and personal ambitions. He hasn’t fished much over the last year and just wanted to go out for a tranquil and enjoyable day on the water.
Sam, Raymond, and I fished one of our typical winter haunts. Mud and shell with deep water in the vicinity. When we arrived at our location someone else had beat us to the area we wanted to fish, so we steered clear. We stopped at an area nearby where we figured we might be able to scrounge up at least a bite. I, being the pessimist that I naturally am, was disappointed that we were not going to be able to catch any fish in this subpar area.
After numerous casts in the area I received a subtle bite, the first sign of life. A small redfish came to hand and the putrid smell of skunk in the air was wiped clean. It was Sam’s turn next. He caught his first trout after nearly a yearlong drought. The smile on his face was priceless. It said so much without articulating a word. His expectations had been exceeded. He didn’t need that fish to confirm his motivation for hitting the water that day. He was content, relaxed, and worry-free all at once. Shortly after Sam caught that fish we moved into a more produtive area closer to where we wanted to fish while still giving the person occupying the area plenty of room. Sam managed to catch several more fish last Saturday making the experience much better than he bargained for.
Also, earlier in the day I think I remember Sam stating something to the effect that it’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian, when referring to catching fish. I guess he didn’t take into consideration maintenance issues, i.e., professional overruns, with the arrow but I’ll leave that for another discussion. I outfished both of my comrades by quantitative standards, but qualitatively I feel I came in last. We had a good time while on the water together, a happening that is becoming as rare as 30” beauties.
Now the particulars. We caught all our fish in water deeper than 5’. We fished the conclusion of the incoming tide and the water levels were running above normal due to the nagging east wind that blew the few days prior. The fish have been very lethargic. Slowly dragging our lures on the bottom with the current along with the occasional bounce seemed to work well. The three of us threw the same lure the entire trip, a TTF Hackberry Hustler in morning glory on 1/4oz jigheads. We caught a few small reds and 20-30 trout ranging from 17” to a little over 20”. Most of them were thick and, after checking the stomach contents, full of mullet ranging from 3” to 8”.
I also fished a similar pattern Friday evening but strong east winds made things difficult. I was able to scratch out a 4 slot reds and one trout in less than two hours of fishing during less than ideal conditions by twitching a Hustler in morning glory along the bottom. I’m not sure what the water temperature is hovering around but after developing a leak in my waders I can assure you it’s bitter.
