Fishing nets memorable experiences between friends

Last week, Paul Speranza told me that he had never caught a Redfish on a top water lure. Paul is an excellent angler. So, this revelation surprised me. Wanting to set this situation right, I asked Paul to join me on an early morning top water expedition.

After meeting at the boat landing in complete darkness, we were on location (a shallow area with lots of oysters) at sunrise. The wind was forecast to be near gale force later in the morning. It was our hope to catch a Redfish on top water before that happened. However, the wind came up with the sun and we found ourselves in less than optimal conditions. Undeterred, we kept on casting our lures. In the choppy conditions, we did manage to catch a few Trout but the Redfish eluded us. We considered switching to sub-surface lures (which was the right thing to do based upon the conditions) but stayed committed to our Redfish on top water plan. An hour passed. We were fishing in a gale. Yet, we continued. In my head, I was thinking it was not going to happen today. Then, I spotted a school of Redfish milling around an oyster bar. Paul cast his lure well past the fish (so as not to spook them) and slowly reeled the lure into position. When the lure was a few feet ahead of the school, Paul began a slow walk the dog retrieve. A Redfish shot forward and crushed the lure. I glanced at Paul with a “did you see that?” look. He was doing the same to me. The Redfish was not particularly large but we were jubilant.

Targeting a specific fish with a specific lure takes commitment. Especially in a gale. I am glad to have been there for Paul’s first Redfish on a top water lure. A shared memory between good friends. In my mind, the very essence of fishing.