Page 153 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2019

TOP: SALTGRASS OUTDOOR LODGE.
ABOVE LEFT: SALTGRASS dish made with fresh catch of the day. ABOVE RIGHT: NICE CATCH of Reds.
We ran through a series of bayous until we reached open water and crossed to an area where we began to work the marsh banks. On my third cast, I was hooked up with the first of many rat reds. A few fish later, I hooked a nice slot red and we began filling the box with decent-sized fish.
While initially focused on taking care of business, as the day progressed Chief warmed up and we began talking smack with each other as is typically the case with my regular fishing buddies. He had spent his career serving in the Navy doing things that probably would have
killed me. I will say that the discipline and emphasis on excellence he learned in the service has served him well in becoming an outstanding fishing captain. Our team on the second boat found Captain Ike to be every bit as capable.
Chief had told me that with the dirty water they hadn’t seen many trout, which I found difficult to believe. Yet in the entire time catching our three man limit of redfish, I caught one small sheepshead and neither one of us hooked a single speckled or white trout. Not even a catfish, though I’m not complaining.
It was a great trip and am looking forward to the next of four planned for this year.
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June 2019 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 153