Yum, Stick!

Before the COVID-19 lock-downs really kicked in, we had an opportunity to go fishing with our friend, Bowen. He’s an avid fisherman and knows the waters of the west coast of Florida like the back of his hand.

We anchored in Terra Ceia Bay just south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge for a few nights and were lucky enough to have him as a private tour guide through the mangrove islands and various creeks. We even threw out a few fishing lines.

Lucky us! Jeff caught a trout, which we let go. And I caught a mullet – by the fin! Mullet don’t eat bait. I accidentally snagged its fin. But it got away on its own. Then, I caught a stick. Stick stew – a new delicacy. Mmmm.

It was a true adventure. We trolled through the mangroves, up creeks, under trees, even scraping limbs, lifting them over the boat to get through. In the end, we made it back to the boat safely, albeit covered in leaves and twigs. The boat looked worse than we did.

Lucky us! We were out of water. And with a broken generator, we were unable to make more. Bowen let us shower at his house. Then he and his wife even made us dinner. Thanks guys!

April 2020