You can take the GRITS out of Florida, but you can't take Florida out of the GRITS!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Fun Monday~ Fish Tales


This week's Fun Monday is a fun one, thought up by my good pal, Olive .

Hey, we are starting a new month and will be celebrating our Day of Independence soon in the US so let’s make the next FM a fun time. I would like to hear about your *whopper* of a fishing story. Yes, you heard it correctly whether it is fictional or non fictional I want to hear a fishing story from you. An example would be if you catch a minnow and tell it that you caught a swordfish (exaggeration is the operative word here). Did you hear me say show your photo(s)? Of course you did – be creative.

*****

I love fishing! My 12 years working at a marina afforded me many times to wet my line. It also gave me the opportunity to come face to face with some famous folks.

I could tell you about the time I went out to the ledge and fished for grouper with David Boreanaz. He got SO seasick on the way out! The seas were about 8 foot, which isn't so bad if you're used to it, but man... he wasn't. He chummed the water for about 30 minutes, but as soon as he had a fish on his line, he snapped out of it. Watching his muscles pump as he fought what turned out to be about a 150lb. Jewfish...ah....*slap!* Back to the story...


Or the time I sat on the jetty in the rain with Brendan Fraser, and showed him how to tie a blood knot. Hehehe, yup, that was a fun day. You should have heard him whoop and holler when he FINALLY hooked jack that was swimming by (garbage fish that are no good to eat, but try and tell him that!). We drank Coronas and watched the sunset... ah.... *slap!* and again, back to the story...

















There was the time Mike Rowe landed in a seaplane in the basin, asking directions to Bimini. I told him, but he said he'd feel much safer if I just went with him. I locked up the office and jumped in! 20 minutes later, we were landing on a smooth inlet on the island of Bimini. I soon found out that Mike was out for sharks! Cool!!!! We jumped in the inflatable Zodiac he had in the back of the plane and sped out about a mile and started chumming. It didn't take long for a feeding frenzy to start! Blacktips, Tigers and Lemon sharks were all around us. Their crazed attacking of the chum we threw out soon turned dangerous when they started bumping into the Zodiac. Mike no longer wanted to catch one. He just wanted to get away safe, as did I! He pulled the old Mercury 9.9, but nothing happened. Seems Mr. Dirty Jobs had forgotten to fill the 3 gallon gas tank! D'UH! I was seriouslly worried when I started to hear music. I looked behind us and saw our hero approaching...

Yes, it was Jimmy Buffet. He came cruising by in his sailboat. He was standing at the wheel humming something about "fins to the left, fins to the right..."

He tossed us a line and towed us back to the islands where we sat around a fire, drank Coronas, ate conch fritters and told some whopper fish stories! Ah....*slap!* BACK TO REALITY!!

*****



Ok. In. My. Dreams. But the following tales are real. Not nearly as yummy, but they are real.

My old boss from the marina also took charters out now and then. One day, he took a couple guys out. They had a good day, caught some good fish. The guys were real funny. When they got back to the ramps, one of the guys took off to their truck and pulled out a couple t-shirts to bive my boss. He didn't bother opening them up right then, just thanked them, shooked their hands and "adios!". When he got home that night, he unfolded the t-shirts. They were promo, concert-like shirts for Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White. The two guys he had taken out fishing. D'OH!

*****

Now I'll tell you a couple of my own fishing tales. I started fishing young, as this picture proves. Yes, I used peanuts as lures back then. (Can you believe I still have that hat? I no longer fish in it, though).
When I was in 1st grade, we went up to Orange Springs where my uncle had a nice house on his own lake. That was where I caught my first fish! I found this stuck in the photo album.

I was so artistic back then!
Here I am holding up that bass. (My scanner isn't working, so excuse the reflection of myself taking a picture of a picture).


I was ecstatic that day. I remember it well.


For Sam's 9th birthday, we went out fishing in the Everglades. I don't do that Chuck E. Cheese crap, no ma'am. It's a fuzzy pic, but wasn't he cute in the rubber boots? Unfortunately, we didn't catch anything that day, but we did have fun and it was memorable.

Well, those are my fish tales, hope you enjoyed them. Now be sure to go to Olive's site and click on all the other folks who signed up for this whale of a Fun Monday!

18 comments:

Unknown said...

FTF!

Unknown said...

Ah dang you! I was wishing I could have been in that raft with you and Mike.

*sigh*

You naughty girl!

Anonymous said...

Those are some really nice stories that you have told. I especially like the photo of Sam. hehehe

How can you not love Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White.

IamwhoIam said...

Love your fish tale and your Fish tails. Some good memories for sure.

karisma said...

Wow, that was some tall tale there! You are very artistic though and isnt taking a photo of a photo the ONLY way to do it??? Who can be bothered using the scanner, to technical for me! You were sure a cutie as a kid!

ChrisB said...

You have some great stories and you were such a little cutie in that little hat. I've never understood the appeal of fishing but I guess it must be very satisfying when you catch something.

Hootin Anni said...

Oh man.....you had me....hook line and sinker there for a minute!!!

Then---I can't believe that you still have your original fishing hat! That is way cool.

Loved your Fun Monday fish tale.

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

You had me hook, line and sinker in the beginning of the story. I thought, WOW, she is one lucky girl! :0)

Sayre said...

Those are some real whoppers - you are a true fisherman.

Faye said...

Ah, here's a girl who always manages to be in the right place at the right time! Nice to see who figures prominently in your whoppers.

Only a girl who's had a lifetime of fishing experience could tell such believable tales.

storyteller said...

What fun! I love fantasies myself … and yourz are doozies!!! I enjoyed your ‘real illustrated tales’ too. Well done. Mine’s at Small Reflections.
Hugs and blessings,

Anonymous said...

What a fun read! You certainly can tell a whopper!

Anonymous said...

Great stories & loved the flashbacks and the old time pictures. Fish on Glades!

Anonymous said...

Great stories & loved the flashbacks and the old time pictures. Fish on Glades!

Jo Beaufoix said...

Oh I want all that to be true, especially David Boreanaz. And you were so cute. :D

Alison said...

great fish stories!!! that must have been a very fun job to have. I love your art work also...a budding painter I can tell.

I would have never thought of taking a picture of a picture...great idea...

Peter said...

Great stories, I'm glad you decided to stick with the true stories!!!

Anonymous said...

very entertaining post! loved it