I remember fishing one day with my father and uncle. We were drifting across Rocky Channel out of Flamingo looking for seatrout. All three of us simultaneously hooked up to fighting freight trains. These were three bull reds, all of them around thirty pounds. When my father saw what they were, I had to beg and plead with him to let me finish catching that redfish. We all three did that and lifted them in together. What I would have given for a camera on that trip!
Speaking of cameras, it always seemed that we only took pictures after the fact – when we got home. We never had a camera in the boat.
My favorite fish… I think the biggest fish I ever caught would have to be a shark. I never really kept track, but I know we brought many sharks along side to cut the leader, and these fish were as long as our boat and almost as wide. I hooked a hammerhead one time while dolphin fishing that made me cut the line long before he got close to the boat. He was big enough to overturn our 20 ft Seacraft and never miss a beat. But, you see, these sharks were trash fish to us.
The biggest “eating” fish was and still is the 347-pound Goliath grouper (jewfish) that my father and I caught. Remember our camera situation? We had to talk a tourist who happened to be at the marina at Flamingo into taking our picture. Then we gave him some money and our address. Several weeks later, the picture of us with that fish came in the mail.
In all of this - biggest, best eating, hardest fighting – one thing stands out. All of kinds of fish held a favorite status at some point in my life. Bass, snapper, jewfish, dolphin, crappie, grouper, kingfish, flounder, redfish, trout, and more all hold a special place in my world. So the question regarding my favorite fish necessarily has to be qualified by a time frame.
I will tell you what has happened over time, however. After bringing up my sons and teaching them to fish – yes, my daughter as well – I have found a real joy in simply being able to fish. I have grandchildren now getting old enough to fish with me, and although my back can’t take the all day strain it once could, I’ll be there fishing with them.
And while I do that and think back on just what my favorite fish is, I believe I will have found the answer. It’s quite simple really. My favorite fish is the one that is currently hooked and pulling my string! I was somehow good enough to entice him to bite - and I do so love catching most any fish - that I have to give this one the current honor. Someone once told me to “dance with the one what brung ya.” So I’ll do just that and be very happy to catch the fish that took my bait – the one that is right now my favorite fish.
