When I was a young boy, I’d run around the bayous of my hometown, Tarpon Springs, harvesting everything I could. Cast netting mullet, scooping blue crabs off old sea walls, snorkeling grass flats for bay scallops, fishing bridge pilings for sheepshead and more; the Anclote River and connecting bayous were a paradise rich in sea life and seafood. I loved my daily inshore hunt, but there was a deeper calling.
What I truly longed for, deep down in my soul, was to deep-sea fish. The blue water experience was something I could not get enough of. My first offshore trips were on party boats that left from the Sponge Docks. The Miss Milwaukee and the Two Georges deep-sea fishing boats allowed me to spend a day offshore for a mere twenty bucks (in the late 70s/early 80s that is). Even before launching, just being at the docks was special for me. The smell of shrimp boats and lines of sponges drying in the hot summer air, the deck hands prepping the boat with bait and tackle, the aroma of authentic Greek food from the local restaurants; it was all magical.
Before the boat left the dock, I studied the layout. The old-timers always had the best spots, directly over the transducer. These salty and grizzled old guys always brought their own rods and bait; I was happy to use the boat rods. They would always let me squeeze in at the rail for a better drop, which made me feel like a king at such a young age.
The long, slow chug to the fishing grounds was as special for me as the fishing itself. Watching the water change from dark green to turquoise blue, I knew we were getting close. Watching seagulls drafting the boat and flying fish sailing on both sides, looking to the horizon of the endless sea; I couldn’t be happier.
Mostly, I caught grunts. The regulars at the back of the boat reeled up gag grouper, but it didn’t matter too much what I caught. When that rod bent, I was a kid at Christmas every time. For this youngin’, travelling into a completely different world, a wide-open landscape as far as the eye could see, was where I belonged. Luckily, unlike some others on the boat, I didn’t get seasick, which made me feel even more connected to the ocean.
Fast forward to my adult years, in which most days on the water are spent on a flats boat. I rely on close friends for offshore invites these days. When I get the call, I immediately begin prepping my tackle. Like my childhood, the excitement and anticipation are the same, as I begin to imagine the trip. Greeting the crew, loading the boat, pulling pinfish traps set the night before, the long run to the good haunts; this will always be my great escape. Whether big gag or red grouper, American red snapper, mangos, trigger fish, hogfish, etc., every drop is hope that something big is going to bend the rod over the rail. I enjoy figuring out the right bait at each spot. With a live well full of pinfish and a cutting board full of thawing squid and sardines, the mystery of what will work best never gets old.
This year, the State of Florida has provided us with an expanded 126-day ARS season that is the longest since the state took over management of Guld red snapper. The summer season will run from June 1 through July 31, and the fall season will run from specific monthly dates from September through the end of December. Please check the FWS website for detailed information on these dates. The daily bag limit is still 2 per person (included in the 10 per harvester per day state snapper aggregate bag limit).
The ocean, the deep blue sea, whatever you call it, is home to me.