fishing trip
Is there anything better than a good fishing trip? I mean, really? I get to fish fairly often and it’s always fun to be out on the water. But, there are fishing trips and then there are FISHING TRIPS! Well, last week I had one of those trips for the memory books. The kind of trip you love to talk about and show pictures to all your friends until they are green with envy.
I had the pleasure of fishing with a local fishing celebrity, Gary Finch. Gary and I met not too long ago at a meeting where Gary spoke to the crowd about conservation. Immediately I thought, “I’ve got to meet this person”. I got in touch with Gary and we scheduled a fishing trip. Little did I know we were going out with one of the best captains in South Alabama, William Manci of Eastern Shore Outfitters. My boss Bethany and I arrived at the boat launch a little early and as we waited for Gary to arrive we heard a voice with a deep southern drawl say “Y’all waiting to go fishing”? We answered in the affirmative and boarded Captain Will’s boat. He took us out in Weeks Bay while we awaited Gary’s arrival. Not five minutes passed before we were reeling in Speckled trout and a good-sized Black drum. I instantly thought, “It’s going to be a good day.”
The weather was perfect–warm with a hint of fall in the air. After picking up Gary we headed into Mobile Bay. The water was like glass as the boat skipped across. Dolphins played in the boat wake and pelicans dove for breakfast as we skimmed across the water. We anchored near a natural gas rig and put our game faces on. Soon we were catching more Speckled trout and a few White trout. Then the trip got more exciting. We started catching Spanish mackerel and they were big and feisty. I got a bite just about every time I threw my line in the water. It was amazing. We were neck and neck in a friendly competition of who was catching the biggest fish when Gary hooked a fish that would dwarf all others. As first he wasn’t sure what he had hooked. Excitement
I had the pleasure of fishing with a local fishing celebrity, Gary Finch. Gary and I met not too long ago at a meeting where Gary spoke to the crowd about conservation. Immediately I thought, “I’ve got to meet this person”. I got in touch with Gary and we scheduled a fishing trip. Little did I know we were going out with one of the best captains in South Alabama, William Manci of Eastern Shore Outfitters. My boss Bethany and I arrived at the boat launch a little early and as we waited for Gary to arrive we heard a voice with a deep southern drawl say “Y’all waiting to go fishing”? We answered in the affirmative and boarded Captain Will’s boat. He took us out in Weeks Bay while we awaited Gary’s arrival. Not five minutes passed before we were reeling in Speckled trout and a good-sized Black drum. I instantly thought, “It’s going to be a good day.”
The weather was perfect–warm with a hint of fall in the air. After picking up Gary we headed into Mobile Bay. The water was like glass as the boat skipped across. Dolphins played in the boat wake and pelicans dove for breakfast as we skimmed across the water. We anchored near a natural gas rig and put our game faces on. Soon we were catching more Speckled trout and a few White trout. Then the trip got more exciting. We started catching Spanish mackerel and they were big and feisty. I got a bite just about every time I threw my line in the water. It was amazing. We were neck and neck in a friendly competition of who was catching the biggest fish when Gary hooked a fish that would dwarf all others. As first he wasn’t sure what he had hooked. Excitement