Day 3: Port Aransas

Sunday

What a full day! It began in earnest about 7am when we met Grandpa Dick to get everything ready to go fishing. It didn’t take long to hook up the boat and off we went. After stopping for a fishing license, we (Grandpa Dick, Dad, and Joel) landed the boat and headed out on the water. We didn’t have to go far to get to the first fishing spot, which yielded only a few small Croakers, so named because they make a noise when you hold them next to your ear. Actually, I think they always make the noise when out of the water, but you only hear it when they are next to your ear. Otherwise, they are much smarter than they look!

We moved from spot to spot and caught fish, but none of the larger Sheephead that we were seeking. We caught some small Sheephead and a few small Hardhead (like a catfish with poisonous spines on the fins and back), but no keepers. We did stay entertained by watching the birds and dolphins. The dolphins surfaced continually, and on occasion we would see one with a fish in its mouth. A few times they surfaced so close to the boat that we could hear the air coming out of their blowholes.

There were pelicans, cormorants, blue herons, terns, gulls, and little shorebirds that would run down to the water’s edge, eat at something on the rocks, then run up as the waves chased them, then run back down when the water receded. Very agile little critters! The pelicans were very friendly, and would come right up to the boat when we were releasing a fish, hoping to make a meal of it. Grandpa saw a Sea Turtle right by our boat, but neither Dad nor Joel were looking in the right direction during its brief appearance.

We finally found the big Sheephead we were after when the current started to move because of the tide. When we got to the right spot, we caught them one after another! They were probably mostly around 2-6 pounds (with the largest 21 inches in length) and we were able to keep our limits of five each. Wow do these fish fight! They also have very sharp spines and several drops of human blood were shed in the effort. We were using small “Ghost Shrimp” as bait on a hook with a pretty heavy sinker. They are soft biters and very hard fighters! Grandpa Dick says they are about the best eating fish around, so they should make some pretty good meals!

Mom and Grandma Gayle went shopping at some gift and clothing shops, went to the grocery store, had a quick lunch and took a short walk on the beach. Mom enjoyed sitting in a chair in the sun and reading in the afternoon, soaking up the sun after being cold the last few days.

The biggest event of the day was the grudge match on the tennis court between Dad and Joel. This long anticipated match finally took place on the courts of Port Aranasas in front of a sellout crowd. The first set was close all the way, with neither player leading by more than a game, but somebody had to win and Dad squeaked out a 6-4 victory. The second set was closer than the score indicates, with Dad winning 6-2. There were many fantastic points that exhibited tremendous skill and athleticism by both players and it was a shame that somebody had to lose. The loser paid for a treat at the Port Aransas DQ.

Dinner at Grandpa Dick’s was tasty and after that Grandpa, Dad and Joel took on the task of cleaning 15 Sheephead. It was a team effort that resulted in six bags of fillets that Grandpa will freeze and bring up north for us when he migrates in a month or so.