The Flounder
Here is what absolutely qualifies as one of the oddest critters on the planet – two eyes, but with a twist – both on the same side of its head. The flounder is almost immediately recognizable to most folks, usually as a “flatfish” or some similar name. Much of the U.S. coastal waters are inhabited by a similar species to our Gulf and Southern flounders.
Snook
Here’s a little flight of fancy for you dyed-in-the-wool bass fishermen out there: Wouldn’t it be great if there was a fish that had a largemouth’s mean disposition, a smallmouth’s strength, was faster than both and grew about four times as large? By the way, did I mention that it loves to hang out around structure like bass…….
Red Drum
The last misty remnants of the pre-dawn fog cling to the water, as the mirror smooth surface reflects a postcard-perfect sunrise. The only sound is the occasional crunch of your guide’s push pole contacting oysters in the soft mud of the marsh. As you stand on the forward casting platform of the flats boat,….
Mangrove Snapper
The wake from the flats boat laps gently among the red mangrove prop roots as you and your guide round a bend in the channel. The boat slows as you approach an oyster bar protruding out into the gin-clear water, creating an undercut ledge some 10-12 feet in depth. Anchoring upcurrent from the promising-looking hole, you drift weightless live bait into the swirling waters, watching as your line dips under the rocky embankment….
Barracuda
Fishermen and divers, landlubbers and old salts tell many legends and stories about barracuda. Some are true, but most are a little truth with lots of embellishment. Even some reputable writers have spread the terrors of the “toothy menace” in the last few years with headlines like “Barracuda Attacks Woman” or “Man Brutally Mauled by Deadly Barracuda”……
Cobia
Ho-hum, another day in the Gulf of Mexico catching snook, trout and redfish. As you speed toward your favorite spot, though, your guide suddenly slows the boat to an idle beside a buoy marking the entrance to the channel. As you peer into the water, you can make out several large, dark shapes circling just beneath the surface….