Fishing With Tucker, Then a Storm!

Tucker with fearsome friend.

This fishing trip with Tucker started out as usual about fifteen years ago. We were headed for Knapp's point on Sanibal's south eastern shoreline, for years considered the premier tarpon shark location in the area. I always mention tarpon and sharp together because when you fish for one you're fishing for the other, too. Sharks love to eat tarpon, and it would not be unusual to hook a tarpon, and then while fighting him to the boat, have a shark come along and bite him in half.

The difference in fishing for tarpon/shark is the leader you use. Joan learned the difference right away. When tying the hook on for tarpon you should use monofilament leaders. When going for sharks you must use stainless steel leaders.

After we had caught many sharks Joan decided that we had enough and we should fish for smaller fish. Before leaving the dock Joan would check out the leaders to make sure we were fishing for tarpon not sharks. Tucker and I spent the morning baiting the waters with every small fish we caught, without success. We then hauled in the anchor, and moved around the corner and fished the south shore line of Sanibal and did not drop the anchor but drifted slowly with the wind and tide westbound towards the western end of Sanibal. Once again we had no luck at that spot, and headed back towards Knapp's Point and home.

I started the motor, and turned the boat around to face the wind coming at us briskly. The boat would move a little slower into the wind. I saw the black clouds coming towards us as I turned the corner heading towards Knapp's Point, and I saw large whitecaps coming directly at us, driven by the black clouds coming westbound in our direction. I made Tucker put on a water ski jacket, left over from Monticello. As we continued northbound the storm hit us from the east and the waves started to hit us broadside, pushing the boat towards the Sanibal eastern shoreline.

With the tide coming in and the waves getting larger all the time it finally happened: a large wave came over the top of the gunnels and flushed right down to the inboard motor and wet the wires causing the motor to miss and sputter, threatening to stall. I quickly shifted to neutral, revved the motor hoping to dry whatever got wet. It did and I turned the boat around and headed directly into the oncoming storm, headed miles away from home towards Fort Myers Beach. I knew we would not have to take on any more broad sides that were capable of turning the boat over.

The trip across the open water from Knapp's Point to Fort Myers Beach on a good day is difficult, but the trip we made directly into the storm was most difficult and long. But as we were moving towards the beach the sun came out a long distance away, and I knew the storm would be ending before we reached the beach. Just as we reached the channel markers we could turn towards home, as the storm ended, and the sun shined on us all the way home.