As I sat down to share the tale of a memorable fishing trip on February 12, 2022, with Tania by my side, a flood of anticipation and nostalgia washed over me. Our sights were set on Sheepshead, and the day promised an exciting catch. The journey unfolded with the quest for live shrimp, a few bait shop detours, and a timely start at the dock by 6:45 am, ready to navigate the waters by 7:15 am.

Tania and I were excited to get on the water today. We had high expectations to catch Sheepshead. I picked up ice and then had to call three different bait shops before I found one with live shrimp. We got our bait and were at the dock at about 645am. We loaded up and headed out at about 7:15 am.

We started at one of our favorite docks. Unfortunately, our favorite dock no longer produces fish. I believe it’s over-fished, so we must let go of the dock. We then headed over to the spot where we caught the sheepshead last week, but there were two boats in the area, so we moved back to a spot back by Thumb Point. It was a slow but steady bite. We caught probably ten sheepsheads, but we only kept one. Most of them were 10 inches; however, we did catch one at 12 inches, which I threw back, and one at 13 inches, which I kept. I was hopeful we would catch more, so I kept it. We fished here for about an hour, and like I said, we caught fish but nothing of quality.

We saw pelicans diving near the shore at Thumb Point, so we decided to make a drift. The drift was slow and only produced two bites. One cut the tail off my power prawn, and the other was about a 4ft bonnet head. We were facetiming my father-in-law, so we did not get any pictures. Tania got a good laugh because while I was taking the hook out of the shark’s mouth, he nailed me between the legs and nearly brought me to my knees.

After this drift, we returned to where we caught the sheepshead last week; however, the two boats remained. This area has lots of structure, so we anchored up and started fishing. We caught many short snappers but no sheepshead, so after about 30 minutes, we moved to another spot. The next spot didn’t produce any bites, so we moved again.

In our last spot, we caught lots of short snappers again. Tania was getting frustrated as we weren’t catching anything to bring home. About 30 minutes into this spot, Tania put up her pole and said she was done for the day. I kept fishing for a little bit longer, and I happened to land a ribbon fish. I was excited to catch a new species I had never caught before. After catching the ribbon fish, I packed it up and headed in.

When we got into the marina, the dock was full, so I was asked to hang out until the dock was cleared for us to dock. While we waited, I threw out a banana jig tipped with shrimp. I caught five ladyfish while we waited. I asked Tania if she wanted to fish, but she didn’t like catching ladyfish.

As the day ended, our fishing trip reached its conclusion. Despite the challenges and multiple changes in spots, from our favorite dock to the waters near Thumb Point, we grappled with short snappers, unexpected encounters with an aggressive bonnet head, and a surprise catch of a ribbon fish. Tania, expressing her frustration after a valiant effort, decided to call it a day, leaving me to reel in a ribbon fish—a silver lining to a day filled with highs and lows. As we waited to dock at the marina, a bonus round ensued, capturing the spirited dance of ladyfish in the water. In reflection, each fishing trip spins its tale, and this one, with its twists and turns, is etched in the annals of our angling adventures.

Tania and I send our best wishes to all fellow anglers, hoping your fishing adventures are safe, blessed, and full of tight lines and good times! Until next time, keep casting and chasing those dreams on the water.