Slowing Down

For the last few months, pretty much every time I go fishing, a couple of dolphin follow my skiff around.  It seems they have figured out that I prefer to catch, photo and release fish.  So, they follow me around, hoping for an easy meal.  Initially, I thought the released fish could evade the dolphin.  Turns out, a fish that is not in a school has a low chance of survival when dolphin are around.  It is illegal to feed dolphin under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a federal law that’s been in effect since 1972.  Dolphin are wild animals and we should help to keep them that way.  As such, I have resorted to keeping the fish I catch in my skiff’s release well.  When the dolphin leave, I release the fish.  The pair of dolphin continue to visit my skiff.  Even if it is just to say hello.

Recently, fishing has been a bit slow.  However, given the intense heat, perhaps it is just me who has slowed down.  When the heat index is hovering around 110 degrees, some of the fun goes out of fishing.  Wait, did I just that?  I really am slowing down.  To beat the heat, I have been fishing mostly in the early evening.  Unfortunately, strong thunderstorms have been cutting many of the evening trips short.  So, time on the water has been minimal.

At dusk, the top water bite for Trout and Ladyfish has been good.  However, the most consistent action has been freelining a Z-Man EZ Shrimp on a Mustad 4/0 sixteenth ounce keeper style hook.  This combination is simple to fish.  Just cast it near a current seam and let it slowly sink and drift with the tide.  No retrieve cadence is necessary.  It is a slower style of fishing than I usually employ.  Perhaps, I really am slowing down.