Deep-Sea Fishing

After stressing out about meeting a writing deadline (thank you for your prayers), it was great to get away and enjoy family, friends and the outdoors.

My nephew said Friday, “Aunt Alene, it would be great if you took pictures and posted them on your blog.” So nephew, I hope you enjoy the recap and pictures.

Waking up at 4:30am is really not my cup of tea, but a cup of coffee helped me endure the early morning Saturday. I have to admit I was a little excited because I hadn’t been deep-sea fishing in twenty years or so.

Hubby, Linz and I made it to Port Aransas where we met up with my brother, his family and a group of his friends. We were all anxiously awaiting this BIG trip. We load the boat promptly at 7am.

I should have had a clue we were in for an adventure when the shipmates circled all 22 of us up in the cabin as we were pulling out and gave us the run down.

“We have some good news and some bad. The fish are biting today and we’ll be catching Red Snapper and Shark. The women’s restroom is broken, but the men’s is functioning. (ugh! Clue 1) We will be traveling out about two hours, if our Captain makes it. He is very sick and is waiting results of a MRI he had done yesterday. (ah! Clue 2) For your safety stay away from the bough of the boat and hang on we will be experiencing six to seven foot swells out in the Gulf. (Cool! Clue 3)"

We take our places. It is beautiful and calm. The sunrise is gorgeous.

Maybe the Captain was wrong. This wasn't so bad. We relaxed. Sister-in-law and niece caught up on their sleep.

Then about an hour into the trip the waves really begin kicking up. After an hour and a half we witness our first causality to motion sickness. The Captain begins kicking off the motor so our boat doesn’t slam into these 6-7 foot waves (HA). Seriously, they were between 10-15 feet.

Finally, a little after two hours out we stop. Captain says let down your hooks here, you will catch fish. I let down my hook as I’m being slammed into the side of the boat and within minutes I have something BIG. The reel was spinning and I begin to reel in – then snap! The big rascal got away. I'm sure I would have had the biggest one!!!

The shipmate took my hookless rod and brought me another all baited. (Ladies, if you've never been deep-sea fishing these shipmates are awesome. They tend to your every need. I guess they figure if they can keep you happy, hubby is happy and will want to come back. ha)

I put down again and within minutes I’d caught something so big I couldn't reel it in. I’m being slammed against the side of the boat. Hubby comes to my rescue and reels in TWO Red Snappers at one time. WOW, I must be good.

Shipmate is there again to help me. I love it! As he got the fish off my hook I began to feel a little woozy. I was being tossed all around. I figured if I sat down a minute and got some fresh air it would pass. I rounded the corner to the other side of the boat, only to witness people barfing over the boat. Needless to say that just compounded my wooziness into full blown nausea.

Oh the joys of deep-sea fishing! Stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of the story.

This is amazing -- as I'm retelling this story I'm begin to feel those waves again! Crazy.