A Fishmas Story

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the boat
Not a creature was stirring, on land or afloat.
The tackle was hung by the landing net with care
In hopes that a Redfish soon would be there.

The Marina staff waited all snug in the store
With visions of rental boats coming ashore.
And Becky at her parents' and I in my (fishing) cap
Had just settled our brains for a long weekend nap.


When out of the fishfinder there arose such a clatter
I jumped out of the deck chair to see what was the matter.
Away to my fishing rod I flew in a flash
Threw my line overboard where it landed with a splash.

The moon had been full and the tide was so low
I could see very clearly the fishes below.
What to my wondering eyes should appear
But Redfish and Sheepshead right by the pier.

With great big fat shrimp so lively and quick
I picked up my fishing rod and gave it a flick.
More rapid than 'cudas the Redfish they came
And I whistled and shouted and called them by name!

Now Dinner! and Luncheon!  Now meals I am fixin'!
With spices and rubs and oil in the mixin'!
From the top of the stove to the top of the fryer
Pull out the Barbie and light up the fire!

As fast as the wind that before wild hurricanes fly
I boated a Redfish, all golden of eye.
So into the cooler the fishy it flew
So full of ice water and Sheepshead too.

And then in a twinkling I heard through the hull
The raucous demanding of a large laughing gull.
As I swiveled my head and was turning around
A big school of mullet jumped up with a bound.

I was dressed for the weather, from head to my feet
On my clothes I had wiped small bits of shrimp meat.
A bundle of leaders I had in my hand
I had hooks galore in every brand.


My eyes how they twinkled, my dimples so merry
When I thought of the fish all swimming unwary.
My droll little mouth was drawn up in a bow
Thinking of fishies swimming below.


A line and a leader I held in my teeth
My filleting knife nestled so sharp in it's sheath.
I pulled in a fish with a little round belly
And I laughed and I laughed till the boat shook like jelly!


It was chubby and plump, a right handsome young fish
But I threw him back in, too short for my wish.
A wink of my eye and a twist of my head
Soon gave him to know he had nothing to dread.


I spoke not a word but went straight back to work
And pulled up another fish soon with a jerk.
Laying a measuring stick up to his nose
Into the cooler where quickly he froze!


When finally I'd taken all the fish I could eat
Sheepshead and Redfish so tender and sweet.
I pulled up the anchor and chugged out of sight.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

A Thanksgiving Fish Sticks Story

It's getting colder, really, really colder. The tides are extreme and fishing in the river is shaping up to be interesting this year.  Once again we set out in frigid temperatures up the river on a low, low tide.  Everything was low.  The river, the temperature, and the variety of fish we caught.  

We caught Sheepshead.  

 

I know I've mentioned Sheepshead rather a lot lately.  I know I said Sheepshead are notoriously difficult to catch, we never catch many, they're hard to find, blah, blah, blah.  Sheepshead have become the WalMart shoppers of the river.  You see them everywhere and wonder why they look like that.  These buck-toothed, chicklet teeth, jailhouse-striped bone heads are more numerous than rednecks at a NASCAR event.  They have completely lost their cachet; like when Dione Warwick changed her name to Diane Warwick.  She didn't sound any different but no one listened to her any more.  Sheepshead don't taste any different, they're still the best eating fish around, but, we're just a little tired of catching them.  We're also just a little tired of freezing while fishing.  It was so cold (how cold was it?) that when we pulled the fish out of the water they froze into fish sticks.  We were so cold we fished from inside the cabin for much of the day.  

The river was so low the anchor never touched the water.  


We managed to catch the same small Sheepshead all day long, although, by the end of the day it was a bigger Sheepshead due to all the shrimp it had eaten.  

After being cold all day eating shrimp sounded like a good idea so we pulled the anchor out of the muck and went home and ate bait for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was good.