1/2 day of fishing, 130 lady anglers:
With Tropical Storm Barry departing to the north, the weather settled enough to go fishing. Although the fishing was predicted to be poor due to rough seas and water conditions, we were pleased to hear some great fishing stories at the Fish Tales Party afterwards.
On the Lucky Too, three women had the same nurse shark on at the same time – a new version of the triple-header! The shark was released. Everyone on the Lucky Too II caught fish, including seabass and grunts. Shawna Hamel released a 4 lb. catfish and also released an anchor!
The rough seas did not prevent the women from The Hubb from having a great time. They caught and released seabass, grunts, gray snapper, catfish and one possible shark. Sally Kiess celebrated her birthday with a fun half day of fishing.
Aboard Capt. Ernie Griffin’s boat, Rhonda Young, who hadn’t caught anything since she fished with her grandfather at age 13, was excited to catch a fish! This was her first time fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. The women practiced conservation by cleaning garbage bags and debris from the Gulf. Beverly Smith was excited to improve her casting skills.
Although the women on Capt. Dean Hurst’s boat didn’t have the opportunity to reel in fish, they practiced cast netting, knot tying and casting. They learned why it’s called ‘fishing’ and not ‘catching’ and are looking forward to another fishing trip with Dean – on a better fishing day.
The women fishing with Capt. Dan Hicks had better luck, releasing catfish, trout and snapper.
On the Makai, the women recorded Chantel Brideau’s first bird’s nest at 8 am, then Chantel’s first ‘tossing of the cookies’ at 8:05. The chumming award is based on time, however we could not find her to present the award.
Others on the boat caught and released black sea bass, mangrove snapper and flounder, experiencing excitement, anxiousness and a bit of illness. They also witnessed a few frigate birds and commended Capt. Don Mason for his patient teaching.
Beverly Kane on the Proposition lost a nice 30″ cobia in John’s Pass. Two women caught and released cobia and Donna Remsnyder caught a nice grouper which she showed to the class.The women commended the captain and mate for being so helpful and encouraging.
The women on the Indicision caught jacks and catfish, and enjoyed a great learning experience.
On the Gotta Go, Capt. Randy Rochelle did his best to find fish. Theresa released a nurse shark and a silver trout. On the pier, Patsy Gilbert was excited to catch and release her first fish ever! The pier anglers commended Capt. Merrily Dunn and her boyfriend, Terry, for their tremendous help.
The Flying Fisherman II party boat, with almost 50 participants on board, went out the farthest. Kelly Forbes celebrated her 40th birthday, as the seminar was a gift from a friend. Several caught fish, many turned green but somehow they returned to the Fish Tales Party with hilarious stories and smiles!
