This is my post for #freewriters Tuesday prompt short acquaintance hosted by @mariannewest
I woke this morning with excitement, I was going to go back to the place where I caught the 65 pounds of trout. I wanted to let it rest for a week before fishing it again.
I left the house just as it was graying daylight. Put my boat overboard and got my bait. When I reached the channel and got my boat on a slide it started cutting out. I took the Colwyn off and it was full of water, ugh, saltwater. The patch that I had put on the hole in my engine came loose.
There was no way that I could run all the way to Long Point where I had a good catch of trout. I headed back to the dock where I keep my bait.
On the way there I remembered that it was snook season, so I stopped at Semblers old dock but did not get a bite. I went to the cove of Semblers Island. I fished the deeper water on the north side and never got a bite. I went to the shallow water on the east side and pitched a bait near the trees. I felt the thump but missed it. I threw another bait, he hit again and I missed it. Another bait was thrown and missed again, this time the bait was foul hooked, which means the hook turned and hooked back into the bait a second time. This time when I tossed another bait and he hit it, I let him take it longer.
This time I had him and the way he headed for the trees, I knew it was a snook, I was praying that it would be in the 4-inch slot limit. they have to be between 28 and 32 inches, no smaller and no bigger.
I got it to the side of the boat and was not taking any chances on losing it so I stuck my net under it.
It would have been a short acquaintance if I would have tried to lift him in the boat instead of using the net. Just as I put the net under him, the hook pulled out. You can see my bait on the hook at the rim of the net.
After having a crappy morning by not being able to fish where I wanted to fish and having my motor fill with saltwater, I was so happy to have this fish.
When I got home and told my husband about my motor and the snook, I told him that the crab traps would need to be run tomorrow and he will have to do it. He went today and ran them because he has other plans for tomorrow. He came home from running them and did not have many crabs. He says, I can not catch as many crabs as you catch and I can not catch the fish you catch. I ran the crab traps Sunday and had 30 crabs. He went snook fishing on opening day and did not catch one. I had the good catch of trout, his biggest day was 20-something pounds. All I can say is he taught me well. Plus I put in the hours, if he does not have much by noon, he comes in. I do not give up. I keep trying different places.
All photos are mine
