If you say "yinz n'at" they will probably treat you like you are from another planet.

No greater feeling than to teach someone what I been taught.

Just wish I'd of paid closer attention to the "catching" part.

Can't quite put my finger on it but I know somewhere I read "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat everyday". Which in my case,I'd starve but anyway, all y'all can see what I'm sayin.

Some yinz might remember my first attempt at slinging 1 to 4 oz chunks of lead into the frothy crashing waves of the Gulf. "Not" a pretty sight, I might add.

Prepping for our return home, I pondered selling the newly purchased fishing gear but then the fishing was shut down so little chance of finding a sssuc..... ummm, buyer and the gear came home with me.

Once home, with great care, the gear was removed from my vehicle, thrown into the corner of the garage and replaced with my favorite fresh water fishing stuff.

Time came, I hooked the boat, backed into Espeyville launch, fired the motor and looked across the waters of Pymy, as I waited, assuring the boat and motor would be ready to launch.

Shut the motor off, pulled the boat from the water, returned home and sold off the boat and all my fishing gear. All fishing gear except the the stuff I carefully tossed in to the corner of the garage cause I eagerly await, flinging 1 to 4 oz chunks of lead into the frothy crashing waves of the Gulf.

Not that I am now addicted to surf style fishing but it now matters not, that I don't catch any stupid fish, cause I only need to stop at any local restuarant and order fish, someone else caught.

The gooder part, I don't have to first, clean the stupid things. Priceless.

Thanks again to those taking time to teach an old dog.. new tricks.

SpreadEagleBeagle
If you say "yinz n'at" they will probably treat you like you are from another planet.

"All yinzall" sure didn't go over to good. 🙈

BeenThereDoneThat.

Shut the motor off, pulled the boat from the water, returned home and sold off the boat and all my fishing gear. All fishing gear except the the stuff I carefully tossed in to the corner of the garage cause I eagerly await, flinging 1 to 4 oz chunks of lead into the frothy crashing waves of the Gulf.

Some of that freshwater gear would work just fine on the gulf, even in the surf on the Atlantic. There are also back bay and canal opportunities where it could be used. 

Thank you JM, I feel much better about 'hiding' a few pieces of equipment to stow aboard.... but only a few pieces. shhhhh🤗

BTDT - I'm right there with you, plus or minus a few years ahead.  Going to put my boat up soon, and stick the money in the bank for a down payment against a Florida boat.  Selling off all the gear though... that's a bit too much.  Most if not all of my gear is usable down there.  Lots of small water and fish to toy with or use as bait while you wait for the grouper to eat your big rod.  
 
But how about an actual ARTHUR report for the Arthur thread?  Drug my slightly unwilling self and fishing buddy out Friday past.  Was a beauty of a day until 2pm or so.  Got there pretty early for us, like 7:30am.  12-15 trailers in the lot at Bear Run.  Mostly overnight and ultra_early guys by the look of them.  Got launched and headed out into the Porter's finger.  Lousy with dink perch, couple bluegills mixed in.  Had a nice runoff on the catfish rod but no hookup.  Buddy hooked into a nice cat that turned out to be a big softshell turtle.  That's a first for us.  Plenty of snappers over the years but not softshell.  I know better than to clean turtles, so back he went.  
 
Water was low 80s to start and mid 80s by mid day.  Accidentally parked on a tree that had no business being where it was and ended up catching a handful of 12" largemouth.  Managed three channel cats in the mid 20" range for the day.  Action was slow and steady, typical "too hot for fish to be where you are" summer on Arthur.  Tried the bridge for LOLs before we left.  Didn't take long for me to recall why I hate fishing the bridge.  But we did give a young barnswallow a perch for 15 minutes or so.  Got out of there before the heat storms rolled in.  Lake wasn't too busy when we pulled out either.  Couple sails in the main lake, beach looked to be half full.  
 
Two closing stories: first one, I dropped a towel on the way to the boat in the morning but didn't know it.  Found out on the way to my car because some good folk(s) left it on one of the posts along the parking lot.  Thanks!!  Second one, guy in front of us coming in had a 30hp stickered 30hp (that's a new one) and no plates on his trailer.  Figured he wasn't a local.  I swung by to let him know if the lazy POS wardens ever left their padded office chairs he'd get lit up for that 30hp.  He said he wasn't local.  As expected really , especially since he drove past a big 20HP LIMIT sign to launch.  And also he's being more honest than all the rest of the big motor small sticker crowd out there.  
 
That's about it.  It was hot, but not as crazy hot as it was all week.  And dead calm for Arthur until afternoon.  Wasn't super excited to be there and afterwards I didn't think much for the effort to reward ratio.  Keep your eyes open if you're in the market for a nice 20' rig in the sub 5K price range.  Take me a week or two to get her cleaned up in time for the fall season.  Worst case I'll winter her and maybe kill a few spring crappies before selling and heading to a state with a lot more salt in the water.  
 

Are you considering year round move or seasonal?  I was debating with someone that the week or so of 90s here, is basically what they get for 5-6 months straight.  Honestly, I could handle it.  They said the humidity is much higher though.  I have only been there in the spring/fall, so not sure.  The heat makes fishing or just about anything during the day a pain, but heck, I'm not retired and able to mostly work in AC during the hot times...  If fishing for a week, the heat doesn't really bother me.  Doing year round would definitely be different.  Can go fishing early and late to avoid.  Winter, I am going from some sort of heated building to a heated vehicle to heated building, limiting outside to snow shoveling...  I'd take the 5-6 hours of usable day in the heat.  Especially when the fishing is as much better FL is than here.  I don't find myself having the ability to do year round move for 10+ years though.  Congrats if you have figured out a way to do it sooner!

Pork - year round/perm.  My wife's job can be in Tampa tomorrow.  I'm hoping she gets promoted and then I can just spend my days on a boat chasing shrimp, but likely I'll have to work also.  Been in IT a long time, almost everything I need to do can be done remotely.  
 
We don't spend much time down there in summer, but I expect that the heat is something to behold.  That said, I pretty much spend my time indoors when it is crazy hot here, so that won't make much of a difference.  I suspect that evening/night/morning is the fishing game if you are talking June-September down there.  Been there in May and October and both were fantastic.  Once I get down there and have a boat I'll drop you a line.  :)   

Nice.  That is awesome.  Keep my fingers crossed for that promotion for her!  If you need a first mate in 10-15 years, I might be available!
 
If FL is anything like NC, that seems to be the time to fish in the dead of summer there.  Fish can be caught in the sweltering midday sun blasting, but seem to be much more active around dusk and dawn.  My brother just went out with my cousin in New Smyrna and caught some nice grouper and snapper from his 28'er.  I think they were 10+ miles out.  Didn't leave too early in the AM.  Not sure how long they stayed out.

OMG.... 🍤BUBBA ZelieSams SHRIMP. 🍤

🙉


The humidity thingy is like anything else. To some, not a problem yet to others, I'm moving back muup north in May til November.