A Champaign Toast

Capt. Armando Alejo

We are now enjoying our best weather here in the South Florida Everglades. With the season upon us, we are pleased to fish with most of our returning clients. On a recent trip I had Paul and Lyn aboard to celebrate their recent engagement. They’d been aboard before and wanted to highlight this milestone in their life with us (I was truly humbled). We ventured out to the Everglades on a beautiful winter morning, with a chill in the air, live well full of shrimp and many hopes of landing some celebratory Redfish. And that we did! With the recent addition (a new Pathfinder 2300, bay boat) I guided Paul and Lyn to a school of tailing redfish in about a foot of water. Lyn was up first, from the casting platform, I directed her attention to what we call “puffs of mud” a tell-tell sign that redfish are there. And indeed, they were. In seconds Lyn hooked into her personal best redfish, fought it like a true angler and brought it boat side, and to the landing net. Paul was next on deck and he was stocked! By then, we’d lost the school but we quickly got right back on them. I asked Paul to cast 50’ away from the school and work his bait back toward the school. He made a super precise cast, “bounced the bait off the bottom” and hooked up almost instantly! Paul also, fought his fish like a champ and, it too was brought to the landing net. With what remained of an outgoing tide that morning, we worked and brought many other species including Goliath grouper, speckled trout and others. On this trip I treated Paul and Lyn to a champagne toast! They toasted to their recent engagement of course and also both of their personal best redfish. Give me a call to fish with a FIVE-STAR rated service and guide!