Sometimes, it’s OK to just drift away

Sometimes, I make things more complicated than they have to be. Especially when it comes to fishing.

 

Typically, there is a plan for every fishing trip. A lure I want to learn. A technique that I need to practice. A species that I want to catch. The list goes on and on.

 

However, on Sunday morning, Brody and I decided to just go fishing. No lure to learn. No technique to practice. No specific species to catch. We simply jumped on the skiff and went fishing.

 

We launched into the last of the outgoing tide. The wind was light, and the water was surprisingly clear. Perfect conditions to sight fish for redfish in the shallows.

 

Rather than running to a high-probability location, Brody and I let the skiff drift adjacent to the shoreline. It was a pleasant morning, and we took the time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the marsh.

 

A bald eagle perched in a tree. A pod of dolphins. Fiddler crabs that waved to us with their fiddle-like claws.

 

It occurred to me that there is another side to fishing. A side that does not require a detailed plan and hyper-focused concentration. A slower and more relaxed side.

 

I looked over at Brody, and he was fast asleep. This “just” fishing thing was kind of fun.

 

About then, I saw a slight disturbance in the shallows, and a few tiny shrimp jumped. Then two redfish tails popped up. I grabbed a rod rigged with a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75 and deployed the trolling motor.

 

Brody woke up and jumped onto the front deck with me. Slowly and quietly, we moved the skiff into casting range. The school of redfish came into view. I flipped a cast into the path of the lead fish. Several redfish rushed forward, and one ate the lure.

 

After a short fight, Brody and I took a quick selfie with the redfish and then released it. We could see the school of redfish a few yards up the creek. They looked pretty settled. I felt sure we could catch another, but we decided to let them swim away.

 

This “just” fishing thing was kind of fun.