An Old Friend Returns for Dinner

No!  It's not one of those stray cats we have seen running around some campgrounds we have stayed at (like the one in San Antonio that looked exactly like Tiger -- without the white tip on its tail).  Nor is it an old high school friend or a relative -- it's a Mangrove Snapper and we will have it "for" dinner tomorrow night (spaghetti dinner tonight here at Pioneer Beach Resort).

Not since leaving the Keys in Florida have I caught such a variety of different fish as I did yesterday here in Texas.  The day started early (around 5:45 a.m.) so that I could take advantage of the warmer temps and get to the nearby "Fish Pass" jetty (nine miles down the road and beach).  After getting the twins settled with food and cat snacks, I headed to the jetty with my newly purchased pumping device for collecting Gulf shrimp from the beach -- which failed miserably due to my lack of knowledge to use.  I spent a half hour trying to get it over their holes in the sand and tried pumping the device to get the strange looking little shrimp -- only managed to get one little shrimp and one sand flea so, I released them both and headed out onto the jetty with my two poles, a wiggly minnow lure and some "Fish Bites".

I had been the first to arrive at the parking area but, as I abandoned my shrimping efforts two younger guys arrived and quickly bolted to the jetty to take the spot(s) I had my eye on so, I decided to take a few pictures and not rush out on the rocks/manmade granite boulders.  Besides, I didn't have the bait of choice which I had seen work the day before when numerous fellow campers from the same RV resort were there.  Some of them had been there the day before, and had stringers full of nice Pompano (some 17 or 18 inches) and caught lots of Sheepshead (in the 16 inch range).  One of the fellow campers left and gave me his leftover Gulf shrimp and I used them to catch a number of small Groupers but, none of the keepers like the others caught.  My finger mullet and "Fish Bites" didn't get me anything that day.

After seeing firsthand the results of using the "free bait", I purchased one of the pumps (for $30) at a nearby bait and tackle shop per the other generous camper's directions and therefore, I felt really optimistic about fishing yesterday (provided I could get some of those shrimp).  As I joined the two younger guys out on the jetty, I could see they each were struggling with lots of seaweed on their lines and rigs as the wind whipped waves crashed onto the jetty -- I had to deal with the same problems and they left before I did (after about an hour).  No fish for any of us.

I stayed for awhile and waded the shallows and probed the beach over some of those holes trying to perfect a technique in an attempt to collect those Gulf shrimp but, again only "sucked" one of those little guys from the sand -- even after tightening the device to get more suction.

On my way back to the campground, I stopped at the nearest gas station and convenience store (Stripes), gassed up and bought some frozen shrimp (just in case I didn't get enough of those "free" ones).  Low tide is supposed to be the best time to collect the Gulf shrimp so, I decided to go back around 1:30 and give it another try on the jetty and hoped the waves would lay-down some -- that didn't happen.  The waves pummelled the end of the jetty and I seemed to be the only one out there (one angler did show up later but, again left before me).  I had to keep my eyes peeled over my right shoulder as I fished the rough waters and the waves splashed some 8 or 10 feet sprays into the air (glad I had my bathing suit on this time instead of the jeans in the morning).  I did manage to catch three catfish and a couple small Whiting.  No Keepers.

Since low tide had come and gone without the wind and waves easing one bit, I decided to get off the jetty again and headed into Port Aransas to the seawall I had fished late Monday afternoon/evening.  My hope was that the wind and waves wouldn't be as threatening at Aransas Pass -- and I still had half the container of purchased shrimp (might as well use them up rather than stinking up the Jeep).  I fished the spot I had been told about by the Navy veteran, I bumped into on Monday.  Quickly, I caught a Sheepshead, a Parrotfish, a couple Grunts, a Lane Snapper and then the Mangrove Snapper (with a few other little Groupers mixed in).

 

As the sun headed for the horizon and got covered in clouds, the temps got cooler and the shrimp had all been used up (including the one little Gulf Shrimp from the jetty).  I missed the pictures of the sunset as a friend called from Navarre -- but, what fun.  One meal for tomorrow night too.