FISH FLASH: Rain or shine, it will change
Tina Harbuck
One thing about the weather in Florida this time of year is, it’s bound to change -- just wait an hour or even a minute.
While walking along the harbor on Wednesday and waiting for the boats to come in, it rained twice within 45 minutes. But thankfully, most showers this time of year leave about as quick as they come.
But the threat of rain didn’t slow the fishermen down.
“We tried to out run it for a while, but we got wet,” said Capt. Tim Adams of the Double Time.
Adams and his anglers from Tennessee braved the showers and got their limit of red snapper and a lane snapper.
Mississippi and Louisiana anglers on the Full Draw with Capt. Brantley Galloway came in with a grouper, king mackerel, and a black snapper to go along with their red snapper.
During one of those down pours Wednesday, Capt. Bryan Kelly and his Tennessee anglers on the Screamn’ Drag brought in a good catch of red snapper, black snapper and a mingo.
Not long after, Capt. Paul Cox on the Fish-N-Teem came in during the rain with a wahoo, a limit of red snapper and a few mingo.
Frances in the booking booth at HarborWalk Marina took pity on this reporter and handed me a poncho while I tried to take cover under the overhang on her booth. Thank goodness for the kindness of people.
Before the rain, Capt. Don Dineen on the Sure Lure and his Texas family came in with a roughly 18-pound red grouper and a limit of red snapper.
Texas anglers on the Sea Winder pulled in a limit of red snapper and a few mingo and white snapper.
Capt. Steve Brown on the Lock N Load and his group from Mississippi filled the nails with a limit of red snapper.
Brown said it wasn’t too bad on the Gulf Wednesday, but there was a lot of current to tend with.
Louisiana and Alabama anglers teamed up on the Only Way with Capt. Pat Meyers for a limit of red snapper and a good gag grouper.
With clouds starting to roll in, Capt. Tommy Carter on Blue Runner II backed in with a limit of red snapper and a couple of king mackerel.
Before this reporter could make it from point A to point B, the bottom fell out and I had to take cover again, this time under the umbrella’s a Luther’s Pontoon Rentals.
After about a five-minute shower, I made it down to around AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar and caught what was left of the catch on the Huntress. Deckhand Carson Phillips said they had a limit of red snapper and about 25 mingo.
Capt. John Gibson on the Gulf Breeze made it in between the rains with several stringers loaded down with mingo, white snapper and red snapper.
After the second rain, Capt. Tyler Brielmayer on the Nothin’ Matters and his folks from Tennessee pulled in with a mixed bag of fish. They had a wahoo, king mackerel, a limit of red snapper, a gag grouper, mingo and white snapper.
“It was a blast,” one of the anglers from Tennessee said as they posed for a few photographs.
When it’s this hot, in the 90s, a little shower here and there is not too bad — and don’t worry it will quickly change.
See you at the docks.
