Changes in Latitude

Post by **qoutrage** » November 30th, 2004, 9:27 am

Not really, but a change of plans did occur yesterday afternoon..
I had everything laid out to take the kayak over to Lanark for a shot at the reef,
when Freddy, my neighbor, came over to tell me a destinguished Carrabelle
senior had asked him to go trout and red hunting, and told him to ask me,
if I cared to go.
Normally, I would have declined the invitation, not wanting to be a tag
along, but here was an opportunity to fish with a life-long veteran of the area,
with fishing experience covering 60-65 years.
It was about 2 and we only planned to fish for 2-3 hours, so the rush was on to
get on the water.
The weather was good with partly cloudy sky, a lignt breeze and a ripple, and
temp around 70.
With the boat already in the water, we were quickly underway. The run was short
with a round trip burn of about 2 gallons, so we didn't get far from the mouth
of the CB river.
Luck looked to be with us. We boated a keeper trout on a Mirrorlure on the first
cast and 2 shorts followed suit. Within 30 minutes 2 short reds and a
black drum were brought in on frozen shrimp.
Then, as quickly as it started, they stopped. We moved- Nothing. Moved again-
Nothing. The fish faucet was turned off.
For the next couple of hours, we just tossed and reeled.
This was okay though, because our host was on a roll, telling us 'how it use to be'.
About his guiding days, About shrimping and Carrabelle politics. About, how one year
in Dec, 40 or 50 years ago, they had brought in 28,000 lbs of mullet in one boatload
and another time when they seined 8,000 lbs of trout, up where the rivers split,
Big trout- Some of them 30" or better.
It was an interesting afternoon to say the least, on the water, or if we had just been
sittin' on the tailgate of the truck.

Post by **Aucilla** » November 30th, 2004, 9:33 am

Sounds priceless! That was a lucky deal all around. I'd be nice to spend some time around a campfire with that fella, maybe grillin' a few fish on a plank. And now you can tell HIS stories. And thanks for a taste of that, too.

Post by **Cranfield** » November 30th, 2004, 11:13 am

Sounds like great fun.
These are the chaps its great to meet and listen to.
Sometimes their stories make you cringe,( against todays regulated existence), but we have to remember they were different times.

I really enjoyed reading Spring Creek Chronicles and can't wait for the follow up book to be published.

2true · Post by **2true** » November 30th, 2004, 12:43 pm

Great Story.

Post by **mjsigns** » November 30th, 2004, 2:19 pm

Good Story-

The place you all went to sounds like the same area I have fished for several years now, and most recently last month....

Post by **tin can** » November 30th, 2004, 3:41 pm

Don't blame ya for tagging along. Those are the folks you learn from. I'd love to be a tag along on an old timer's boat.

sea-grits · Post by **sea-grits** » November 30th, 2004, 6:21 pm

I would have jumped at a chance to fish with an old timer like you did. As was eluded to about the differences back then and today, a contrast developed in my mind concerning development of sport fishing as compared to those days back when sea trout were mostly a commercial catch and how 30" trout were not unusual to be caught in nets.
If a sport fisherman today catches a 23" trout around here it's a very special event! All this fuss we hear lately about how the commercial fishing interests are saying the net ban was illegal because the facts were lies makes my blood boil. And there is the cry now from commercial interests that 70% of fish taken is by sports fishermen! The absurd evils of poorly regulated commercial fishing have always left us with such terrible results on fish populations that even drastic regulations to return to the good old days (both sports fishing and commercial) usually never happen and seem likely not to ever happen!
My chief lament is that we all learn to conserve resources so slowly.

Post by **Fisherman989** » December 2nd, 2004, 8:18 am

I can't top the 28000 lbs of mullet story...or 8000 lbs of trout....but from my fishing log of Dec 4, 1979...3 friends were at Aucilla River...at the landing...about 75 boats there...they caught 280 trout in their boat...and another boat of friends caught over 300 trout...keepers all (limit was 12 in then..and no numbers limit. I wasn't there that day. Went 2 days later (I call it wet Thursday..rained 4 in) My son and I caught 28 up to 4 lbs.
When I go now...and catch my limit of 5....I've set the woods on fire. Last trip....Tuesday...I caught 1 keeper....same place.
Gone With The Wind.

Post by **Aucilla** » December 2nd, 2004, 10:35 am

Thank you all, for your perspective. I think of the word "whistful."

Thank you for having us join you at your campfire.