Too hot for the fish to bite?

June 27, 2019, St. George Island State Park, Fla.—I guess fish are like people. They don’t like it when it is too hot or too cold.

The fish is our little backyard pond are that way. During the winter, they couldn’t be tempted by any lure we used. They hid somewhere in the pond, trying to keep warm. Then, once the water warmed up, they can’t be tempted to come out of their hidey-holes where the water is cool. (I think the pond is more than 10 feet in the deepest area, beyond reach of our casting.) I think I’ve only caught one bass in the last couple of months.

Jim enjoyed surf fishing, although it was about 98 degrees and the fish were not biting.

We are here at St. George Island State Park on what is known as the Forgotten Coast. It is a beautiful area, with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the sound or bay (or whatever it is called) on the other. We (along with all other fishermen) had no luck the other day surf fishing, nary a bite. 

Yesterday, we drove over to the sound and dipped our lines for several hours off the fishing pier, an old bridge that extends out into the water.

The fish were biting all right. Biting and eating our shrimp and whatever other bait we used. Some even managed to eat the Fish Bites, an artificial bait glommed onto a tightly knit mesh. The Fish Bites are very difficult to get onto the hook, and even harder to take off, once the bait itself has dissolved. But some fish managed to bite it off!

The day wasn’t completely without catches. Jim caught an undersized black drum and a catfish. I caught two catfish and what we think was a juvenile spotted trout. None was a keeper. All were fun to pull in.

Oh, and it wasn’t just us. The other people fishing had just as poor luck as we did.

I blame the lack of catching on the hot weather. I don’t know if I am right, but it sounds like a good excuse.

***

After fishing, since we were over the long bridge from the mainland, we decided to have an early supper in Apalachicola, a town that used to be a fishing and oystering haven. As oystering has tapered off in recent years, the town has maintained its allure as a quaint fishing village with restaurants and tourist shops.

The last time we were here, in 2017, there were a number of seafood restaurants from which to choose. Hurricane Michael (I think that was the one) must have had a bad effect on the town. The choice of restaurants was limited this time, and I can’t say the food was very good.

Today or tomorrow we may drive over the Mexico Beach, which is perhaps an hour away, to see the devastation the hurricane wrought. The federal government has not been good about providing disaster relief to the area. I think if you wanted to buy gulf-front property there you could pick up some bargains. Me? Too much sand.

Until next time,

Your Reluctant RoVer,

Linda