Monthly Archives: June 2009
Reel Fiction
I paddled out the narrow canal and alongside the row of thirsty mangrove roots and then crossed the green water of the basin and headed towards the rickety dock at the mouth of the inlet. A light breeze had stirred a gentle chop in the channel and the saltwater slurped against the dock’s splintered pilings exposing sharp black barnacles that clung to the wood just below the high tide line. I maneuvered the boat alongside the outer piling and positioned its port side against the base to keep from drifting in the outgoing current. The barnacles scraped at the boat’s hard shell and made a painful crunching sound as the kayak rose and fell in the surf. I rested the paddle on my knees and reached into the bait bucket for a shrimp. The shrimp scattered and scratched at the plastic bucket and I pinned down a rather sizeable one and scooped it into the palm of my left hand. I bit off the tail just above the fan and threaded the hook up through the back and out behind the dark spot in the head so that the bend and the point were exposed.
The lively bait twitched and snapped and I tossed it into the water so it could breathe. I slid the rod from the mounted rod holder and flipped open the bail. I held the line gently with my forefinger to keep it from slipping and searched the water for any sign of movement. There was a faint ripple below the dock and I pitched the bait perfectly behind it and held the rod tip high to keep the shrimp from dragging on bottom. I delicately twitched the rod to enhance the shrimp’s presentation and suddenly the line went taut and I thrust the rod towards me to set the hook. The rod bent from the first eye down to the thicker middle eyes and there was a zip from the reel as line spun off against the drag. I tightened down on the fish and pulled rather hard to keep it from wrapping around the pilings and splicing the line on the sharp crustaceans. The kayak came loose from its moor and I drifted away from the fish which put even more tension on the line. I pointed the rod straight and let off the drag again to keep the line from snapping and the fish turned and swam towards me and I reeled hard and fast to remove the slack. I saw a flash of silver as the fish showed me its side and then it continued out past the rocks and towards the open water. It was a big tarpon, at least a hundred pounds, and I knew I was in for a ride.
There was a flats skiff heading out the inlet and the guide slowed to an idle and looked on as the fish towed me past his bow. The tarpon was taking me where it wanted to go and it dove deep and headed out the channel, veering to the west and through a trough that ran along the beach. It pulled at a steady pace with the wind behind me and the fourteen feet of plastic rode nicely in the waves and felt stable. I held the rod handle firmly in my left hand and clutched the paddle under my right shoulder, using it as a rudder to stay straight behind the fish. The strong fish showed no signs of slowing and it continued past the hotel pier, and then past the narrow beach and the row of pastel vacation rentals. There was a group of tourists out taking their morning strolls on the coarse sand and one saw the bent rod and pointed in my direction. I welcomed the attention and gave a quick nod as I glided by, pretending I was in control of my situation.
The sun was now beginning to climb in the morning sky and I slid my polarized sunglasses off my visor and over my eyes. The lenses cut down on the glare and the contrast of the clear blues and greens of the shallows came into view. I rested the paddle across my thigh and took a quick swig from the water bottle and placed it back in the cup holder between my legs. Without warning the tarpon turned hard and ran away from the beach and accelerated back to the east. I nearly lost my balance as the kayak swung completely around and a small wave crashed over the stern and soaked my back. Then a long dark shadow rose to the surface and a keen grey fin appeared just yards off the bow. It sped towards the end of the line with such aggression that I knew it was a bull shark, and acting solely on instinct, I reached for my pocket knife and sawed at the braided line until the tension vanished. The fish was now free and it raced towards the deep and just narrowly missed the shark’s charge. The big bull circled around once more and then disappeared below the surface and I could no longer see it or the tarpon and I assumed it was gone.
For a moment I was relieved for the fish and for myself, but then the shark reappeared on the starboard side and advanced a second time. The tarpon got hit hard and with such force that it rolled on its back and the shark ripped at its scaled flesh and tore the fish completely in half behind the pelvic fin. The tarpon’s head convulsed on the surface and blood poured into the water and I turned away and felt sick. For a moment I paused in disbelief but then a second dorsal fin appeared and I was quickly reminded that this was not a place I wanted to be. Not in an exposed small plastic boat especially. I reeled in the now weightless line and put the rod back in the holder and angled the boat towards the shoreline and headed quickly back home. I paddled steady and strong until I reached the shallow water and I sat back in the padded seat and took a moment to catch my breath.
I felt terrible for what had just transpired and I could not get the gruesome image of the attack out of my mind. I cursed myself for letting the fish swim into an ambush and for draining the energy he would have needed to escape the shark’s advances. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and then turned back into the soft breeze and continued home. I paddled past a string of lobster buoys bobbing in the surf and I took a moment to appreciate how the sun had turned the sky pink and outlined the clouds the color of fire. On any other day I would have taken out my camera and photographed the beautiful images but right then I was in no mood. I waited a couple of minutes for several charter boats to speed out the inlet and for their wake to dissipate and I paddled near the rocks to stay clear of their path. I glanced over at the dock where I had hooked the strong fish nearly an hour before and knew that it would be some time before I pitched a bait there again.
Put the Rum in the Coconut
I blame Men’s Journal for arousing my latest craving; fresh coconut water and booze.
Twice in the magazine’s past twelve issues has an interviewee said that his favorite liquid concoction involves mixing fresh coconut water with alcohol.
First, it was Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Chicago White Sox, who shared that his esteemed drink of choice, in true Caribbean fashion, was made by slashing a coconut with a machete and then pouring the contents straight into a glass of Scotch.
Awesome!
I’m not sure how I feel about Ozzie as a manager (his tactics do make me laugh from time to time), but the thought of him hacking at a coconut with a razor sharp machete- half way through a bottle of single malt Scotch- sure sparked my interest.
Next, it was Jimmy Buffett, the man who the locals claim to hate (but secretly envy- who doesn’t?); and who the chambers of commerce rely on- as he draws tourists to the Keys every year looking to live out a line from one of his songs.
Buffett’s favorite creation of mixology, as he told Men’s Journal, combines coconut water, rum, a squeeze of lime, and glass full of ice- sounds refreshing doesn’t it?
Step 1- Find a coconut.
This is not as easy as you may think- although anyone living up north where there aren’t any coconut palms probably would find this step to be quite difficult to achieve.
Not to fret- if you’re unable to obtain fresh coconuts, coconut water can be purchased in your local grocery store. I haven’t tried it- but at least you know it will be the right flavor (more on that later!)
Usually, I will find coconuts lying on the ground that have recently fallen from my neighbor’s trees. “Usually” pertains to “when I’m not searching for one to crack open and pour into my booze,” so, of course, today there were none to be found.
Thankfully my neighbor, seeing me struggle to whack down a football-sized nut’ with a plastic kayak paddle, lent me her branch cutters- Thanks Sue. I was able to saw down two nice green coconuts filled full of coconut water (I could hear it swishing around as I shook them).
Step 2- Get the booze.
Now, I like Scotch… and I like rum- but seeing as it was 90 degrees with the sun baking down on my flesh the thought of Ozzie’s recipe didn’t quite attract me as much as Buffett’s concoction and the big glass of ice it was to be poured upon.
Rum it is.
Buffett’s recipe clearly states to purchase “good Carribean Rum.”
Define “good” Jimmy. Is it a relative term based on the purchaser’s salary?
If so, then I went above and beyond “good” when I splurged and spent $10 on a bottle of Trader Vic’s Gold Rum at Walgreens (yes our Walgreens sell booze down here).
Step 3- Open the coconut.
My machete needs sharpened; my health insurance doesn’t cover acts of stupidity; and I spent way too much time plucking the coconuts from the tree to spill one drop of water smashing them over a sharp rock. So, I drilled a hole with a power drill. Worked perfectly!
Step 4- Mix and Drink!
Next, I filled the glass with ice, shook the coconut until enough water drizzled out to fill the glass half way- then topped off the glass with rum. I squeezed a couple of lime wedges, garnished with a lime, and then drank…three.
THE VERDICT
Good. Not great, but good. I may have to try this again very soon as the verdict is still out- possibly tomorrow (for the sake of the blog).
The coconut water was not very sweet and almost bitter tasting in the second coconut I opened.
From what I gather the older the coconut is the more the liquid solidifies and forms the “meat.” Therefore, the younger coconuts are the ones that hold the most water and thus the best ones to use for your drinks.
I’m not sure which color of coconut holds the sweetest, but what I do know is that the green coconuts I had today did not add much life to the drinks I poured, they merely diluted the potency of the booze and added a very subtle hint of sweetness.
In theory, Ozzie’s drink makes more sense as a traditional Scotch and water (replace the water with coconut water) would probably be quite tasty. I think I would enjoy this variation more, and I think it may be research time.
To conclude, if you’re searching for a fruity tropical rum drink to sip on the beach I recommend going straight for the coconut rum (such as Malibu), and skipping all the effort that goes into obtaining fresh coconut water. The coconut water may not add the degree sweetness you’re looking for.
If though, you find yourself searching for a way to entertain your house guests, or just feel like mixing up a genuine Caribbean drink, then by all means, drill away.
Just find something better than a kayak paddle to knock the damn things out of the trees.
The Ballad of Innis McNubbin
Occasionally I discover a few bizarre (that may not be a strong enough word) song lyrics floating around in my head and this morning I found myself singing an Irish ballad about the new puppy my wife and I brought home a couple weeks back.
“Innis,” as we named him, means “island,” or “isle” in Gaelic, and since my wife and I both have Irish/Scottish lineage, and because we live on an island in the Florida Keys, we figured the name Innis, the “Irish island dog,” would be a fitting title- even though he is an Australian Shepherd.
When we went to pick up Innis outside of Orlando (he was actually born in Apopka, Florida), one of the first things we noticed was that he didn’t have a tail. Apparently it is common practice to cut the tails off of Australian Shepherd puppies (I’m not sure why).
“McNubbin,” is a combination of my wife’s maiden name (McNulty) and the fact that he has but a nub for a tail- a joking last name of course.
The following Irish ballad parody (or whatever you want to call it), tells the story of Innis McNubbin and the need for Australian Shepherds to have daily jobs or tasks to satisfy their natural instincts to work and to herd.
Lucy is our friend’s dog (who was rescued from a pound in Fort Lauderdale) whom Innis seems to be in love with and tries to “mount” every time he sees her, despite the fact that she’s been spayed.
The Ballad of Innis McNubbin
Oh my name it is Innis McNubbin; I’m a sheep herder by trade.
I have come from the land of Apopka, where the Aussie pups were made.
I have traveled the southeast shoreline; to the Keys I did set sail.
On a search for the filthy vandal, who lopped off most my tail.
I live with two evil guardians, who at night lock me away.
In a crate inside the bedroom, is where I’m forced to lay.
I can’t wait until I am older, when much bigger I shall be.
I will herd them into cages, just as they did to me.
Oh my name it is Innis McNubbin; I’m a philanderer by trade.
I will chase after your women, even after they’ve been spayed.
I’m in love with the fair maid Lucy; she is a part skipper key.
Imprisoned on the mainland, from the pound she was set free.
I did try and follow after her, but my legs they would not keep up.
For I’ve eaten many Frosty Paws®, and I am a chubby pup.
I can’t wait until I am older, when much faster I shall be.
I will herd her into my bedroom, where she cannot run from me.
Oh my name it is Innis McNubbin; I’m a gardener by trade.
I will dig up all your flowers, and then bark in a tirade.
Through the day I gather palm frawns, and then bring them all inside,
Where I spend most of my evenings, chewing on some old rawhide.
I will pee on all your flooring, and will poop where I do choose,
I will chew on all your couches, and run off with all your shoes.
I can’t wait until I am older, when my parents will finally see,
That I am the alpha dominant, and this house belongs to me.
Muttons and More!
Between battling a sinus infection and cleaning up after my Australian Shepherd puppy (he’s not house-broken yet), I haven’t gotten out on the water as much as I’ve liked to.
Fortunately, I was able to get out Sunday for a quick fish/snorkel trip- and I had the opportunity to go mutton snapper fishing for a couple of hours last night with Captain Jason Long of Best Bet Sportfishing.
On Sunday, Jeff Reilly and I headed out to fish a wreck and to see what species were looming below.
On the first drift Jeff hooked up with this monster AJ and I thought he was going to suffer a heat stroke from battling the hard-fighting fish on light tackle in the 90-degree heat (with absolutely zero breeze).
After a few more drops we decided it was way too hot to fish and we headed for the patch reefs to cool off and look for hog fish. The seas were glass calm and the visibility was amazing.
Jeff was able to shoot a few hog fish on the grass and we enjoyed the fillets at a tasty dinner that evening at Ty and Tara’s house where we took in yet another amazing sunset.
Tuesday, it was time to do a little first-hand research for the Florida Keys fishing report (which Captain Long and I do our best to write). The theme of this week’s report was “Escape the Heat,” so we headed out that evening to fish for mutton snapper under cooler temperatures.
Within minutes, Ann Nash and Kyle Witwer were hooked up with fish and shortly thereafter two big muttons were in the box.
One drift later and all four of us had hooked up and reeled in a quality pink each. Captain Long definitely knows where to find the fish and how to target them.
If you’re planning to fish for mutton snapper in the Florida Keys, here are few tips (that I have learned) that may also help you catch fish.
- Fish where the fish are (a bit obvious huh?)- If you search online you can find public gps numbers for wrecks throughout the Florida Keys that do hold mutton snapper. However, these wrecks get a ton of fishing pressure and they are often much less productive than the smaller wrecks that the good charter captains, like Jason Long, know of. My advice: if you’re looking to target mutton snapper on your own, try the numbers you find online and give it a shot. If you come up empty though, you may want to book a trip with one of the many excellent Florida Keys captains who can take you to the spots that no one else knows of!
Use fluorocarbon- at least ten to fifteen feet. Muttons can be very finicky and line shy- you don’t want them seeing your leader.
- Hold the weight on the bottom and use enough lead to keep it down- try to keep the rod as still as possible and always keep the lead firmly on the bottom. Do not lift the rod up and down.
- Reel down on the fish, don’t set the hook- when you feel the fish take your bait, crank down hard and then lift the rod. Do not set the hook in an upward jerk motion- this will cause you to lose fish more often than not.
- Fish with live bait- live pilchards, pinfish and ballyhoo, to name a few, can all entice a hungry mutton snapper.
Wildlife Photos
Iguana
Sea Birds
Mutton Eye
Osprey
Florida Keys Wildlife
Just about anywhere you look in the Florida Keys you will find animal and sea life on display for you to appreciate.
Just this past weekend I watched two manatees lounging in my canal- enjoying a lazy Saturday and probably thinking that it was way too hot to do anything else that afternoon (I don’t blame them- I stayed in the AC all day).
Lazy Manatee!
It’s quite common to see manatees in the canals and around the docks, but they are just one of the many fascinating species that you will encounter in the Florida Keys.
Iguanas are becoming quite a nuisance throughout the Keys.
Porpoises, sea turtles, birds (including flamingos and roseate spoonbills), endangered key deer, lizards, eagle rays, alligators, and borrowing owls (to name a few), are all easy to spot if you know where to look.
Below is a brief list of some of my favorite places to view wildlife in the Florida Keys.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to go to any of these places to see the animals and sea creatures of the Florida Keys-just go for a boat ride, a walk, or even pull over along US-1 and look into the water to spot tropical fish swimming by.
Please read my Florida Keys Guide: Journey through the Florida Keys, for more information about each place and more places to spot Florida Keys wildlife.
- Everglades National Park: Drive from the Keys to Flamingo (or go by boat) and camp, kayak, and explore the Everglades waters and islands that are home to tarpon, porpoises, alligators, birds and more.
- Robbie’s- MM 78.5, Islamorada: Feed the tarpon- a must on any Keys visit!
- Crane Point Nature Center- MM 50, Marathon: Walk the nature path to see birds, spiders, fish and more.
- Marathon Turtle Hospital- MM 48.5, Marathon: Check out the rescued sea turtles as they get nursed back to health.
- Seven-Mile Bridge- MM 47, Marathon: Walk along the 2.2 mile portion of the old bridge and look down into the water. You are likely to see passing eagle rays, sea turtles, tarpon, sharks, porpoises and other fish and sea life.
- National Key Deer Refuge- MM 30.2 Key Deer Blvd, Big Pine: See endangered Key Deer at the National Key Deer Refuge or just travel the back roads through Big Pine Key- deer are everywhere.
Head to Big Pine Key to see Key Deer. As you can see, some Key Deer are not that small.
- Blue Hole- MM 30.2 Key Deer Blvd, Big Pine: The only freshwater “lake” in the Florida Keys is home to alligators, iguanas and birds.
- Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden- College Street, Stock Island- Escape the noise and crowds of Key West and observe the beautiful butterflies and flowers as you walk through the gardens.
- Snorkeling/Scuba Diving- Dive or snorkel the only living coral reef system in the continental United States. My three favorites:John Pennekamp State Park- Key Largo , Sombrero Reef- Marathon, Looe Key- Lower Keys
Skies Over Grassy
Grassy Key- Marathon, Florida
It’s a Tuna!!!
Now, by no means am I an expert when it comes to the subject of identifying fish.
I can tell you the difference between a Spanish mackerel and a cero mackerel, or a black grouper and a gag grouper, but test me on the different species of shark, or the multitude of colorful fish you’ll catch while fishing the reef or out deep dropping offshore, and I’ll likely not have a clue what’s on the end of your line.
But yesterday, while I was kayak fishing off Key Colony Beach, I was fairly certain that the two gentlemen I saw surf fishing from the rocks at the mouth of the inlet, had indeed misidentified their catch.
While not nearly as good as yellowfin tuna, yellow jacks are actually very tasty.
And while you’d be amazed at the variety of highly sought after game fish and table fare species that you can catch while shore or bridge fishing in the Florida Keys, I am fairly certain that yellowfin tuna is not one of them.
Thus, when I heard one of the guys- in a serious and demanding tone- shout “go get the gaff, it’s a yellowfin tuna,” I nearly capsized my kayak from laughing so hard.
Again, I am no marine biologist, but I am positive that at no time will you catch a yellowfin tuna ten yards off the beach in the Florida Keys, no matter how hard you try.
Not only that, but yellowfin tuna are not that common anywhere in the Keys (unlike their smaller cousins the blackfin tuna), although you may catch one here or there while out fishing the humps or out beyond the Gulf Stream.
So I guess all things considered, if I thought I had a yellowfin tuna on my hook, I probably would have yelled for someone to get the gaff as well.
I can only assume that the fish the gentleman lost in the rocks was a jack crevalle, or maybe even a yellow jack. Both are hard-fighting, extremely fun game fish to reel in (especially on light tackle), but far from the trophy catch of a yellowfin tuna.
This brings me to the point of this post- after all, the goal was not to poke fun at the shore-bound tuna angler. The goal was to advise you that if you’re planning on fishing in the Florida Keys, whether on your own boat, or from shore or bridge, make sure to acquaint yourself with the rules and regulations for Florida saltwater fishing.
I know a few Florida Fish & Wildlife officers and Monroe County sheriffs who will not show sympathy when it comes to writing you a hefty ticket for keeping more than your bag limit, or for tossing undersized or protected fish in your cooler.
Can you tell the difference between a black grouper (shown here) and a gag grouper?
So take the time to learn the species that you’ll be catching before you drop a line into the water. Not only will this keep you from getting in trouble when the law asks to check your catch; but it will also impress your friends when they ask what type of fish you caught.
“Oh that, that’s a schoolmaster; a type of snapper.”
Plus, if you know your species, you won’t have to worry about some local “know-it-all” writing an article about you!
Florida Keys bridges, equipped with new fishing platforms, are a great place to catch a variety of species.
A great place to start is the Florida Keys species guide that can be found on Try CharterFishing.com. This guide shows you photos of the different species you can catch; as well as their food quality, where they can be found, and the regulations and bag limits for each.
Another good idea is to print out an updated copy of the FWC Regulations (regulations constantly change so print a new copy often), and always keep it with you in your tackle box. Throw in a tape measure to measure the length of your fish, and you’ll be ready to hit the water.
Below are some basic regulations to get you started. You can view photos of each here.
- Mangrove Snapper: 10 inches or greater. Limit 5 (included in 10 snapper aggregate bag limit).
- Yellowtail Snapper: 12 inches or greater. Limit 10 (included in 10 snapper aggregate bag limit).
- Tarpon: It is common practice to release all tarpon but you can possess 2 if you have a tarpon tag.
- Snook: Must measure between 28-33 inches and are illegal to keep from Dec.-Feb. & May- Aug. You are allowed to keep one “slot” fish during snook season.
- Jack Crevalle: No regulations but they are very poor to eat.
- Yellow Jack: No bag or size limit and despite what some may say are actually quite tasty!
- Black Grouper: Must be over 24 inches. 2 per angler per day.
- Barracuda: No size or bag limit. Rarely eaten and often contain ciguatera- they can be poisonous to eat!
- Goliath Grouper: Federally protected. It is illegal to keep them!
