Captiva 2016

I recently had the pleasure to share a week in Captiva, Florida with my girls and three other families.  It was a planned break from our Michigan Winter in celebration of our pending high school graduates.  The parents had met about a year ago to pick an appropriate location for this trip, and I'd have to say, we decided well.

The kids were safe, the pace was relaxed, and the accommodations were a known commodity.  Of course, I wanted to fish, and fish I did!  The fishing details are available here, but in this post, I just want to acknowledge some of the better developments of the week.  These include:

***We picked a perfect week to be gone.  The weather in Michigan was miserable during our stay in the sunshine state.

This April Fool's snow storm in Michigan was no joke.  That's my buddy's Dog Day in the background.  He launched her for the season into the teeth of this storm.

***We enjoyed easy access to a beautiful beach and a fish-filled bay.  The days were sunny and the water was warm.  Regardless of weather (by which I mean wind intensity and direction), I could productively fish.  Meanwhile, the girls were happy with the condo's pool and beach, and we could all walk to wherever our interests were at the moment.  Captiva is pretty much the end of the road, so while it was busy and crowded, it wasn't overly so.

***I just love being outside, and there was always something to watch!  As a bonus, this was usually in comfort!  I experienced a full week of sunrises and sunsets.  On the water, I was always watching bait, rays, birds, dolphins, manatees, sharks or sea turtles.  The ocean's constant motion and the bay's diurnal replenishment provided unique tides, waves, currents and color lines.  On the beach, every low tide featured a deep trough right along shore, with currents passing by like a river.  Occasionally I could identify a rip or cut in there sandbar, and all of these features let me think about fish and fishing (almost) to my contentment.  

***I am often tempted to conclude that saltwater fishing is just plain superior to freshwater fishing.  After all, It's not too much to ask The Salt for 40 fish a day, or for a few drag- screaming runs.  The fish just pull harder in saltwater!  They don't even have to be that big to do so!  Plus, you never know what might swim by and take your bait or what you might witness while out there.

***I had the opportunity to fish hard with some fine new equipment.  I was especially impressed by the new Stradic FK 4000 reel and by various Gulp! baits.  Both Momoi Blue Diamond braid (30-pound) and Spiderwire Stealth braid (10-pound) handled conditions well, and the Tsunami Gotcha plugs became my new, go-to presentation.

***I had travelled to a new area in search of new species, and I executed well!   While I didn't catch anything monstrous, necessarily worth bragging about, or life-changing,  I did catch a couple of new, targeted game fish species (snook and sea trout), and my rod was bent and my drags were slipping all week!  

My first snook

Here's a nice keeper sea trout.  Most were 14 inches or so, this 19-incher got harvested for a group dinner.

***Moreover, I had prepared well.  I used just about everything I had brought, and I had to purchase very little on-site. Each trip prepares me for the next!  

***As a rare bonus, I did not have a knot fail all week.  I did experience one Spanish cutoff, and a surf snook (of course, the fish of the trip!) sliced an undersized leader with its operculum, but otherwise I made the most of my opportunities and suffered no lost gear or fish.


***I may have revised my ultimate plans for a saltwater boat.  I'd love to have a sea-worthy 23-foot center console, but after a couple of days of fishing from a comfy but cumbersome, gas-sucking pontoon, the simplicity and economy of the 18-foot skiff shined through.  There wasn't much to fail; and there wasn't much to pay for at the end of the day, either.

***I made some new friends, or at least positively reinforced my relationship with existing acquaintances.  I really like all the folks we went with, and I'm proud that my daughter has chosen to associate with such a nice group of kids.

***Physically, I felt better than I have in about 8 years.  I partially recognized this at the time, but it has been more obvious as familiar aches, pains and stiffness have crept back upon me since our return.  Warm, salt water might just be my fountain of youth.

***I am proud to be able to do this with and for my family, and I recognize that I am fortunate to have a job from which I can truly take time off.  I hadn't a single professional care while I was gone; I was able to be present and focus on the matters at hand, without distraction or guilt.

***I spent a fine day with A.  

***I am filled with love for my girls.  I am pleased to contribute to, and share their happiness.

***I really am better at dealing with things.  I've been practicing what I've been preaching, and I know that negative emotions and reactions, and not necessarily unexpected developments, are my bane.  I have harnessed much of their former power, and I can occasionally direct that energy towards a productive end.  It's made a difference for me.  I think this has made a difference for those around me, too.

Surf fishing for snook; a fine way to spend your time!