The wife and I have been on vacation this week and spent our first two days at the beach. She has a degree in art from the University of Florida so just about everything is an opportunity to get artsy. Her sand art was admired by almost all of the passers by. Not sure how I feel about it, but doesn’t matter because she loved it, and several passers by took pictures and discussed it’s greater meaning or whatever folks are supposed do as they stare at such things. I said it looked like a skewered mermaid man the aliens put down here to monitor our nuclear ambitions. Maybe you got a better imagination.
Then I said it was time to go back to the beach house our friends let us use ( we regular folk ain’t got beach house of our own ). She did not want to go but that old fireball is wicked on one’s skin. Pouting.
Too late she got burned anyways. Came out of the shower with that lovely fresh boiled lobster look. I searched the house but no aloe was to be found. I ran to the store and came back with two bottles, one for her and one to leave behind for the next beach victim.
The next day I just drove her down the beach in my four wheel drive. From Crescent to Mantanazas it is a good long trip. She got to have fun without actually getting into the Sun. UV light is not her friend. She asked what I wanted to do and I wanted to head back home to the sweet water, so we packed up and headed back.
Yesterday was day three and I asked her where she wanted to go and she said fishing in a lake. So we loaded up and went to Newnans Lake, which is in Gainesville. The water there is murky brown and there is sediment, mud, on the bottom that my motor stirred up. Very shallow lake as the deepest part I have encountered was six feet, mostly it is 3-5 feet deep. The shoreline is all cypress trees tightly packed to one another. We could peer back in there a little and saw some houses. Hard to see them until you are right up on them. She wants to live in one of those now - great.
Anyways we spider trolled around in three feet of water so we could cruise the shoreline peering in and looking for her favorite creature- the alligator. There were a few about but nothing like sometimes when the place is crawling with dragons. She wanted to drive the TM and was weaving us through the various obstacles, down trees, lily pads and grass. She did pretty good and we only lost two jigs. Problem was a rod would indicate and she would say something but when I went to reach around her I would whack that sunburned back. LOL, so the fish would escape the trap, but that is fine because no size to them anyways. We did get to see some military jets using the airport for exercises. Lots of dumb birds to gawk at. I commented that the water turkeys sound just like her chihuahua when she whines crybaby fashion.
After about a mile of shoreline trolling we headed out into the middle of the lake. I sent out four, yes four planer boards, and two 16’ rods sticking straight out the side. It was windy so we let that kind of point us and she used the TM for a little assist on the speed. The boards bobbed about in the waves some but managed to keep themselves out an away from the boat. In these shallow lakes I am very suspicious about chasing fish away. That big boat passing straight overhead probably tosses their appetite. The boards allow me to present my jigs in a more discreet fashion. I was pleased to see just how easy it was to manage four. I do not think I want six out, as the two rods out the side are way too easy.
She asked how we would know if we had a bite, and I pointed at a board and said well it will do like that baby, and started reeling in our first fish. Man when I swung him aboard he looked like a whale. Easily the biggest crappie I ever caught or seen in person. I was very pleased. Then his identical twin hit the boat, then another. I tell you it was a happening going on. A party right there in the boat. Only the Sun was blazing down on her and I knew she wouldn’t complain and want to go in with me catching fish like they were going out of style. We spent too much time trolling the shoreline and used up our allotment of fun in the Sun. She was grateful when I lit the engine and reeled everything back in. Poor devil.
She did mention that I am much better at launching and landing the boat.
Back at the house she decided that she needed to learn how to clean fish ( secretly I prayed ). Well she got to it and what transpired was wrong, but the girl is learning. She mangled my trophies in hideous fashion, and we only got a few morsels that seemed to have been shaped like jagged leaves. Big smile on her face. It is a poor man indeed that cannot teach his wife to clean fish my friend.
So I ran down to the grocery store and came back with some tuna steaks. Blackened fish on salad is always a big hit with her. She said our fish tasted great.
Today we plan a river cruise down the St Johns River. Not too much fishing, just a lot of riding around looking. Yes she will be wearing long sleeves. Yes she will be wearing a large floppy hat. Yes we will have sandwiches and such aboard the boat. Unsure of exactly where to put in and where to go, but by the time we drive over I will get that sorted out. She promised me that I could apply full throttle today- YEAH !!!!! She says her boat is way too fast. It really only goes 45 mph, which seems quick when you are so close to the water with no cage around you.
So I am getting better, seemingly every time I get out there. Those planer boards are the bomb for fishing shallow lakes. If you drag jigs in. shallow water you should consider using them. Also, my homemade jigs have been a big hit with the local fish. Now I am gonna try to make some crazy colors. The UV reflective stuff seems to be the ticket. I am well into my third tackle storage idea now. Need to get two more dedicated rods for planer board fishing. Got today to have fun and then one more day, tomorrow, which is also my birthday. She got me a coffee cup that says- “She turned me into a newt”. My mentor is proud of my achievements so far and wants to come fish on my boat now. That man can flat out fish, too.
I been telling the man upstairs ‘thank you’ quite a bit lately. Very grateful for all my blessings.
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