April Blogging A to Z Challenge 2026: Y is for Yellowtail Snapper

 We did feed some yellowtail snapper carcasses to some of the ambassador crocodiles in Belize. Yellowtail Snapper are delicious to eat. I did not get to go fishing in Belize, but I did enjoy eating this fish in local restaurants. Living in Florida I have caught this species in the past. With the large reef in Belize the country is a great place to catch this fish,

April Blogging A to Z Challenge 2026: F is for Fishing

 I like to fish! There were many things I was able to do on my trip and I am extremely fortunate, lucky to be able to do. We did talk about getting a fishing trip together but for whatever reason it didn't happen. It was one of the daytrips I blogged about Saturday that didn't happen.

At the docks by Placencia and in the waters looking for crocodiles we saw plenty of tarpon! 

When we went scuba diving, we saw plenty of fish barracudas and sharks included. Also invasive lionfish. We ate at local restuarants deliscious snappers and even lion fish. We did feed local caught fish to the ambassador crocodiles on occasion. When I make it back to Belize, I will certainly book a fishing trip! 

A to Z Challenge: Fishing

I was going to go Mardi Gras this year but I was a slacker on booking my hotel room. When I finally got around to it hotel room prices were sky high in the Big Easy. I new the prices were gonna be jacked up. They are for Jazz Fest too. I was expecting Jazz Fest style pricing and I still had price shock. I missed a parade or two, a show at Tipitina's and apparently a good opportunity to catch Covid-19. I went another direction, literally. New Orleans is three hours West, I went four hours East and South. Spent a night in "a storied hotel" for $50. It was a small, Southern town, that was nothing like Carnival in New Orleans. I never figured out what was so storied about the hotel. I think I fell asleep before I even cracked the cover. As the picture above shows I had things to catch.

                                               Tab Benoit "Sac Au Lait Fishing"

I combine music and fishing. Tab Benoit the last musician I saw in New Orleans when I was there for New Years!

The past year a lot of the lyrics kinda fits my life...

"Don't Ask Me No Questions" Lynyrd Skynryd

"If you want to talk fishin'
I guess that would be okay."

Brad Paisley "I'm Gonna Miss Her"

By the time it was all said and done my face was redder than that redfish!

There you go a fish tale and a few songs!

A to Z: Lizard Adventures

So last year I posted a video about lizards that chill. Staying on that theme I thought I would share some lizard adventures.

This lizard wanted to fish..





This one made friends with my daughter..



At least we don't have lizards like this..



Wonder what M will bring?

A to Z Challenge 2017: Fishing

It is a repeat topic from last year but hey it is what I do. Working out time to go fishing is the biggest challenge. Don't worry I will get my fish time in sometime. Squeezed in with other great adventures.

Even squeezed in a fishing trip this week. This was my view earlier this week..



I did catch an interesting fish...



It's called a Trigger Fish. The bite was slow and the fishing was disappointing. That happens.

So is a bad day fishing better than a good day at work? Sometimes. Even in rough seas, there is something relaxing about being on a boat. I did get to see a ton of dolphins. You don't get to do that in your cubicle. You have to realize there is more to fishing then catching fish. I've been lucky to see sea turtles and other cool things.

I did get a day to me. Still got back in time to pick up my daughter and go on a dinner date.

I did better at the catfish farm last month..



Kind of cheating. But the sure thing of catching is good sometimes.

My boat trip squeezed between two stormy days may not of helped my efforts. However, looking at my calendar I had to go when I could make it work.

Stay tuned to my blog after the A to Z challenge, because I have been known to post a fishing post or two on here,

A Little Fishing

Some how June slipped away without me getting any fishing in. July I went to a couple of house parties on the bay. It was the Holiday weekend. I brought my fishing pole with me. Is that poor party adequate?

It was very cool. Swimming, jet skis, cooking out during the day. Then wandering down the pier about sunset. The sunsets were amazing! A great place to watch fireworks as well. Nice breeze felt good after sizzling July days.

Catching a dozen saltwater hardhead catfish each night. Always fun to catch consistently. Though they got in a few good slices.

Then last night I went fishing at night on a pier close to the beach. A hot summer night with a refreshing sea breeze. Interesting mix of people throughout the night. Someone appeared to get busted on the road by the pier. Watching the strobe lights of the sirens, watching as the tow truck towed the card, and everyone on the pier appeared relieved it wasn't them.


I wasn't fishing for anything big. Ended up catching a half dozen fish including catfish, croaker and ground mullets. Just a good way to spend a night for an insomnia suffering person.

Yesterday was a Good Day!

Yesterday was a good day. Today I am paying for it like a drinker who drank to much. Instead of a hangover I think I have a sunover! I feel it primarily in my neck. Yes I used two  rounds of sunscreen but the sun was deceivingly brutal.

I am amazed how the weather can be different in a matter of just a couple hundred yards. Where I was there was a constant wind and plenty of cloud cover. The sun did have time to peak out frequently. Apparently the sunscreen lotion I sprayed on was basting oil.

Yesterday could easily have gone the other way. I had to get up early to get her somethings from school. Funny how parents are told about those things at the very last minute. Then I drove about an hour to find my fishing spot only to discover I left my tackle box at home. The nearest tackle store was about a half hour away and if I went there I would have to pay the toll again. Then there was the big fish who got away, taking the hook line and sinker. So easily the day could have turned the other way but it didn't.

I had enough fishing gear in my car to make it work. I also had a wonderful view to watch some of the finest pilots work.

 I am talking about the Blue Angels. My pictures don't do them justice.  They came a lot closer as they were practicing and I was treated to several flyovers and they practiced most of their formations and stunts. What they can do certainly wows me! That being said I also saw several other Navy pilots flying during the day.

Yes the big fish got away. It wasn't good. The pole was bent, people were coming over to see what you have and then snap! Sometimes the fish wins! As a consolidation prize  think I caught the ugliest fish of the day.



I also made a new friend..



Then before I left I went over to the other side and took a stroll on the beach. The dunes blocking the wind. The water coming from another direction. No chop in this water.




To top the day off I was able to pick my daughter up from dance. I was able to take her to dinner and shopping for her teacher and Mother's Day. In other words I was able to squeeze in some quality time!

Not perfect, but a darn good day!

A to Z Challenge 2016: Wetlands

Wetlands are important me. I fish and check out the scenery in my local wetlands. In Louisiana the wetlands and the land is disappearing. Over the last two years I have supported some grassroots efforts by attending the Voice of the Wetlands Festival. As you know from reading my blog I love music. Combine music with a worthy cause which I support and you have a winning combination. Add in the fact my daughter has a blast each time I is a winning combination.

My local wetlands..



My daughter in the Louisiana Wetlands...



Alabama wetlands..




Here is Bill Nye the science guy talking about Wetlands..

Here s musician Tab Benoit talking about them..

A to Z Challenge 2016: O is for Osprey

Today I am going to post about one of my fishing buddies. Usually I fish with the Blue Herons which I have blogged about before.

Ospreys like to choose their spots wisely...

In a lot of areas they migrate, where I live they stay year round. Here is a video of ospreys in action..

They are fun to watch. Sometimes they make me a bit jealous when they fly by with their catch in their talons and I haven't even had a bite.

A to Z Challenge 2016: F is for Fishing

Fishing isn't always about the size of the fish you catch but the size of the smile on your face.



Heck sometimes even sharks are small...



Sometimes fishing can make you crabby..



sometimes it leaves you deflated..



Sometimes it makes you want to blow up...



Everyone is a sucker for a bigger fish...



They make bigger smiles...



This one had a lot of fight..



but this one made me smile..



and this one was a little stingy...



Well I got to go I have something on the other line...

Some me time and Big Red

A week later I come back to finish this post. Life is still pretty crazy. It has been a crazy week. Sunday I was out and about with a friend getting ready for the 4th of July when my boss called and asked if I wanted to work some overtime. So when I got back home I changed and went into work. I thought I would just do a couple of hours of work and then spend the evening at a fishing hole for some much needed me time. I was wrong the overtime lasted longer than I expected. Not that I am complaining.

The last time I went fishing had been a couple of weeks before and I went with my daughter. The fishing was slow. I was able to show her some big fish in the water, a couple of stingrays, and dolphins. Plus we caught some of the Blue Angels practice. I made some adjustments so she could catch some pin fish. Kids like to catch, so do I. I ended up catching some crabs.




Well my next journey out I checked with the family and they were heading out somewhere to eat. So, I responded okay I am going fishing for a while. Well it was already 10 PM so I decided I would try this new Wal-Mart Neighborhood store out and get some bait instead of going to the bait store. I managed to find the only Wal-Mart store in the area that doesn't sell bait. The fish had to eat something so I went to the seafood isle and found some frozen shrimp and whiting fillets.

I wanted to try night fishing at this spot I had fished before which was closer to home. I found it had been barricaded up so I couldn't park there. My plans were not going to well. So, I tried my normal place but the spot I wanted to fish was quite crowded. I fished a while and caught some fish nothing to brag about. A saltwater catfish, a couple of croakers, a grunt, and a few pin fish like my daughter is holding. My night of things going not as planned continued as I ended up getting snagged a couple of times at a place I never get snagged at. However, the scenery was beautiful..



Oh had my fishing buddies drop in throughout the night and towards dawn..




Finally I got to my spot. I also kept one of the pinfish I caught and was using it for bait. Once I was at my spot something decided it wanted pinfish for breakfast!



I ended up catching a nice size Red Fish (red drum). He ended up being put back in the water to swim away and I ended up packing up to head back home. After all I had a growing list of things I had to take care of at home and at some point catch a little sleep.

Bad Day, Good Day

My morning was put on hold waiting for the Air Conditioning repair man. Florida is not the place to be with no Air Conditioning. Of course he needed to order a part so it could not be fixed today or this week!

Weather forecast this time of year upper 80s low 90s and plenty of humidity. Of course I had to pay for the service fee and the part will be half a grand. So, like I said bad day.

Well I was off from my day job. I could stay home. However it is hot in the house. Of course I could go fishing. I mean it is hot outside too. So do you melt inside or melt outside? My choice lets go fishing.

The fishing wasn't great. Early morning, night time usually is better. However, I did get to see some friends...



A pod of playful dolphins. Humans were scarce. Work week and the heat of the day probably playing factors.

I did catch a nice size hardhead catfish..



Still I made it home in time to pick up my daughter from daycare. Was able to let her play outside for a while and catch a short nap. Then I got to play Magna-tiles with her. I then treated her and her brother to dinner where I played cards with the kids for a while.

So yes it was a bad day but in the end I ended up winning. I was able to fish, take a nap, and spend times with the kids. That is a good day anyway you look at it!

A to Z Challenge: D for Destin

Above is a picture of a sunrise over Destin, Florida. The city claims a great motto "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village." I've had some luck fishing out of there so I can vouch for the slogan.

The town is also a popular destination for tourists. Jimmy Buffett has one of his restaurants down by the water...

Jimmy's Margaritaville...



You might even see a Pirate ship...




However, I like the peacefulness of the wee hours. When people are scarce and the bustle comes from the towns other residents,.



Makes me wonder if the early bird gets the fish? I hope you enjoyed the photos I took of Destin, Florida. Thanks for visiting! I will have an A to Z post regarding E on Monday!

A to Z Challenge: Catfish

My post is a little late. My daughter did not have school today and I was off from my day(evening/night) job. So, I took my daughter out to one of my favorite bayous where I was having some luck of late to try and catch her a fish.

A view from the Bayou..



Luck wasn't on our side at the bayou. However that was fishing wise. Sharing a picnic lunch with my daughter, seeing an Osprey, turtles and spending quality time of course makes me very lucky. I made the call to go to the catfish farm about an hour drive from where we were..

The drive was through the countryside so we had plenty of rivers to cross and plenty of horse farms. My daughter loves animals so seeing horses was a small bonus,

When we reached our destination we were joined by another fishing enthusiast.

  

That is a Bald Eagle.

Now the mission was for my daughter to catch a fish and she did!



She ended up catching a 19" catfish, which she reminded me is an inch bigger than my big catch of the day. However, it was worth this smile..



After all that is what fishing is all about, the big smile!  I was going to get a picture of her holding it which she tried but did not have success. Now I am enjoying a big catfish feast! I will be back with a post related to D.

A to Z Challenge: Blue, Great Blue Heron

Maybe at one time these big birds were daytime creatures. Sure, I have seen them many times during  the day. However, I have found them to be my fishing companions in the overnight hours. Maybe they are like people open 24 hours a day. Maybe I was were they come to roost and maybe they liked the company.



They are big birds. Large beaks. They are predators. I have come to discover they are also very intelligent. The one below spent part of the night sneaking around trying to steal some of my bait.



They don't need hand outs as they are quite capable of catching their own meals.



They really don't mind me sticking around and taking pictures of them. All photos were taken by me. What I do when I am not working, booked up with the family, or writing. Just hanging out with birds of a feather!

Today was for the Birds

When I booked my fishing trip I wasn't sick. Then yesterday when my trip was cancelled and they left a message offering a shorter trip I assumed that was for today. The same day as the longer trip was scheduled. I tried to call back but no living voices answered the phone and my calls weren't answered.

Anyway, I prepared myself for the trip. Was it 6 or 7AM I didn't know. I made sure I was there early for the 6AM trip. My wife looked at me like I was crazy and said "they gave you an out, you're sick, you should take the out." She was right like most wives tend to be, husbands just hate to admit it.

The light frost on the top of my car may have been a hint from a higher power this wasn't a great idea. However, I was determined to go fishing!  I was at my destination by 5 including a pit stop at some gas station to stock up on cough drops, a vitamin water, and regular water.  I took medicine and downed vitamins before I left home.

When I got to my destination the only living thing around was the "early bird" and heck he may have stayed up all night. It could have been the "party bird" as the place looked like a night time fun stop.



The familiar hurry up and wait game we all have played a million times before. I waited, I walked around checked out all the boats. Sat on a bench and waited. Repeated those last two sentences a few times.

The light inside the boat I was supposed to go on was on. I could hear the radio playing from the vessel. Could it be a glimmer of hope?

6AM came. No one. Time kept ticking. Even the sun got out of bed..



The time moved closer to seven and with no one showing up I knew the only one going fishing was the birds!



Shortly after seven, I said goodbye to my feather friends like this one...



I took my bag and walked to my car. I drove to a local fishing pier. I debated fishing from the pier and when 8AM struck I was on the pier casting my line.

My adventures with birds would continue. I met a curious crow who decided to check out my bag, He hopped on top of it and peaked his head inside. Then he checked out my bait. I walked over and the crow barely moved just kind of looked at me. I picked up the bait and stated "mine." If I knew how my fishing luck was going to be I certainly would have given the bird a piece. Hindsight is always 20/20.

The only thing I caught was a seagull and a sunburn! The sea birds were chasing baits most of the morning. Then some kids decided to feed them creating a kind of feeding frenzy for the gulls. The next thing I knew I had one tangled in my lines.

I reeled the bird in which kept it from going into the water. The gull had twisted himself up quite well. Another angler grabbed the bird with a towel and we both began the task of untangling the poor bird. The bird had tangled both wings! Amazingly the bird stayed rather calm and we were able to untangle the critter. He lost a couple of feather but was able to fly away unharmed. Later I saw a one legged seagull and I pondered how it had lost it legs. Then it dawned on me that bird may have gotten tangled in a fishing line and may have endured a worse fate than the bird I had caught.

As far as fish I didn't catch a single one. The only fish that was a caught by anyone was a puffer fish. Oh well that is why they call it fishing.

The sun was shinning and when I looked at the coast I saw white sand beaches as far as the eye could see.



Gazing out into the Gulf of Mexico this was my view..



Add in the fact I was able to watch a pod of dolphins swim bad the the day was that bad. Years ago I probably would have been more upset about the fishing trip being cancelled or not catching a fish. I guess I am mellowing as I age. Maybe I am just able to look at things with different perspectives. After all I could have stayed home and be sick just as well. Of course being sick and sitting in the sunshine looking at beautiful scenery works just fine. As Jimmy Buffett sings "changes in latitudes changes in attitudes."

Until my next adventure take care!