aquaticbiology
fishlips
i have returned from 3 days and 2 nights at the end of psj peninsula (tip o the cape beyond the state park) with not much more than a tent, cooler, jetski and fishing rod and here's the trip report
i arrived on the 1st day at the state park at 8:30am - beautiful sky, no clouds, already getting too warm to be comfortable - loaded the jetski with the tent, etc., then put in the jetski and parked the truck
i followed the edge between the flats and the deeper water, past the cabins and the point, then headed for shore near the first old wreck - i pulled up the jetski onto the beach and set up camp - the task complete, gallons of sweat poured off me as i lay in the hammock strung between two palm trees, looking at the marks in the sand of the old wrecked sailing ship, waiting for a nibble on the pinfish rig
after the first few hours, my mind somehow kept thinking that i was on an island somewhere, what with the palm trees and the bright white sand glowing stunningly, and i liked it (except for the heat)!
there were three pinfish on the rig, and, once i swore myself hoarse trying to get the jetski back off the beach, i headed for the first rip i could find - i meant to light a fire for that night, but soon got way too involved in fishing for the monster redfish that i could see cruising the flats
i finally got me a redfish, it wasn't one of the monsters but he'd do just fine for my supper for both nights- the fillets were almost two inches thick and well over a foot and a three-quarters long - i divided him into two parts, one for tonite and one for tomorrow night
since i had no fire, i lit up the sterno tent stove and pan fried him in garlic oil and tony catchere's cajun seasoning and had a feast, using most of the salad and frenchbread that i had brought with, just in case it wouldn't make it through the heat of the day tomorrow
two gray herons stood guard at either end of the beach that i could see and the bay's waves were just lapping, and pelicans were swooping and diving at the minnows attracted to the redfish's cleanings - i thought seriously of getting up and seeing what i could catch, but there was no way i could freeze it with just the small cooler i had with me and i was just way too full from the redfish, salad and frenchbread
that night was clear and then the wind dropped, making everything all warm and sticky - i missed the boat's air conditioned wheelhouse and sofa terribly, but this was to be the big adventure! - suddenly, out of the darkness, 17,000,000 mosquitos were given the order to attack! - i dove into the tent and zipped the door shut just in time - they attacked the tent walls and screens but did not prevail!
the next morning the mosquitos were gone, the sun was bright and it was already hot - after a swim, it was back into the hammock to contemplate the day's activities and have a breakfast of shrimp sauteed in hosin sauce - as this was to be the big adventure, i wanted to do something more than just sit there, so i went up to the other wreck and looked at it and halfa** fished it a little bit, i also walked across the 'island' to the gulf side and found a rotten coconut and a handful of shells
i pretty much just lazed around the rest of the day, waved at everybody passing my little nest (one family that was brave enough to venture all the way to the point knew it was me from having lurked on sowal and we talked for a good while as their kids splashed in the shallows)
i built a fire late that afternoon, and ended the day with the other fillet - the ice in the cooler was pretty much only so much cold water so it was time to finish off the contents of the cooler - i cooked the fish slow, grilling it directly over hot coals from the fire that i put in a hand-sized pit i scooped out of the sand, covering it with the remaining lemon-butter and just the tiniest sprinkle of sea salt - it was fantastic! i started to use a palmetto frond for a plate but it was full of bugs and was too flimsy, so i stuck with the chinet
the fire kept the mosquitos away but attracted thousands of daddy-long-legs spiders - i finally gave up and went into the tent, leaving the beach to the spiders and whatever else the fire attracted
the next morning was bright, hot and sticky as usual and it was time to depart - i was really glad in a way as i wouldn't want to overdo it and remove the romance of the place by becoming too familiar
i packed everything up, policed the area (taking more trash out that i brought with me for good karma), and headed back to the boat ramp and the lovely air-conditioning in the truck - my big idea for saving great sums of money by just taking the jetski was cured on the spot as the cool air blasted from the vents - that was it for my big adventure!, and it became the first time i've ever run the ac on high all the way home, and on recirculate to boot, with the windows just barely cracked to keep them from fogging up!
i guess i'm just getting too old (and used to the good life) to enjoy running away to a deserted island in the hot tropics with all the incidental wildlife, but i did it and i suppose it was worth it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but next time i'll most probably just take the boat.
pics to follow shortly
i arrived on the 1st day at the state park at 8:30am - beautiful sky, no clouds, already getting too warm to be comfortable - loaded the jetski with the tent, etc., then put in the jetski and parked the truck
i followed the edge between the flats and the deeper water, past the cabins and the point, then headed for shore near the first old wreck - i pulled up the jetski onto the beach and set up camp - the task complete, gallons of sweat poured off me as i lay in the hammock strung between two palm trees, looking at the marks in the sand of the old wrecked sailing ship, waiting for a nibble on the pinfish rig
after the first few hours, my mind somehow kept thinking that i was on an island somewhere, what with the palm trees and the bright white sand glowing stunningly, and i liked it (except for the heat)!
there were three pinfish on the rig, and, once i swore myself hoarse trying to get the jetski back off the beach, i headed for the first rip i could find - i meant to light a fire for that night, but soon got way too involved in fishing for the monster redfish that i could see cruising the flats
i finally got me a redfish, it wasn't one of the monsters but he'd do just fine for my supper for both nights- the fillets were almost two inches thick and well over a foot and a three-quarters long - i divided him into two parts, one for tonite and one for tomorrow night
since i had no fire, i lit up the sterno tent stove and pan fried him in garlic oil and tony catchere's cajun seasoning and had a feast, using most of the salad and frenchbread that i had brought with, just in case it wouldn't make it through the heat of the day tomorrow
two gray herons stood guard at either end of the beach that i could see and the bay's waves were just lapping, and pelicans were swooping and diving at the minnows attracted to the redfish's cleanings - i thought seriously of getting up and seeing what i could catch, but there was no way i could freeze it with just the small cooler i had with me and i was just way too full from the redfish, salad and frenchbread
that night was clear and then the wind dropped, making everything all warm and sticky - i missed the boat's air conditioned wheelhouse and sofa terribly, but this was to be the big adventure! - suddenly, out of the darkness, 17,000,000 mosquitos were given the order to attack! - i dove into the tent and zipped the door shut just in time - they attacked the tent walls and screens but did not prevail!
the next morning the mosquitos were gone, the sun was bright and it was already hot - after a swim, it was back into the hammock to contemplate the day's activities and have a breakfast of shrimp sauteed in hosin sauce - as this was to be the big adventure, i wanted to do something more than just sit there, so i went up to the other wreck and looked at it and halfa** fished it a little bit, i also walked across the 'island' to the gulf side and found a rotten coconut and a handful of shells
i pretty much just lazed around the rest of the day, waved at everybody passing my little nest (one family that was brave enough to venture all the way to the point knew it was me from having lurked on sowal and we talked for a good while as their kids splashed in the shallows)
i built a fire late that afternoon, and ended the day with the other fillet - the ice in the cooler was pretty much only so much cold water so it was time to finish off the contents of the cooler - i cooked the fish slow, grilling it directly over hot coals from the fire that i put in a hand-sized pit i scooped out of the sand, covering it with the remaining lemon-butter and just the tiniest sprinkle of sea salt - it was fantastic! i started to use a palmetto frond for a plate but it was full of bugs and was too flimsy, so i stuck with the chinet
the fire kept the mosquitos away but attracted thousands of daddy-long-legs spiders - i finally gave up and went into the tent, leaving the beach to the spiders and whatever else the fire attracted
the next morning was bright, hot and sticky as usual and it was time to depart - i was really glad in a way as i wouldn't want to overdo it and remove the romance of the place by becoming too familiar
i packed everything up, policed the area (taking more trash out that i brought with me for good karma), and headed back to the boat ramp and the lovely air-conditioning in the truck - my big idea for saving great sums of money by just taking the jetski was cured on the spot as the cool air blasted from the vents - that was it for my big adventure!, and it became the first time i've ever run the ac on high all the way home, and on recirculate to boot, with the windows just barely cracked to keep them from fogging up!
i guess i'm just getting too old (and used to the good life) to enjoy running away to a deserted island in the hot tropics with all the incidental wildlife, but i did it and i suppose it was worth it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but next time i'll most probably just take the boat.
pics to follow shortly
