Fishing in Paradise (If You're A Fish): A Sunshine State of Mind

Florida would have a tough time today coming up with the name Sunshine State as rain continues to fall pretty regularly. After yesterday's great fun visiting with and sharing with you the story of Mr. Stan Good and his not-to-be-believed clocks and fan museum, I find the quiet and solidarity of this fishing pier shrouded in gray and drizzling sky a welcome respite. Even though fish certainly do come up to the surface for the anglers as rain falls, and they are of course just as interested in the fresh bait shrimp as they are when it's clear and 90 degrees, the fishermen aren't quite as comfortable in the water as are the creatures with fins and gills. (Although it might be worth our while to check out those gills as a possibility for the near future if the blue sky doesn't return soon.) As for me, I've never posted a black and white photo before but this day seemed to call for it. The many shades of gray, the white whites and black blacks perfectly define our mood sometimes. Right? And, the pier takes on another personality altogether. (Black and white does have its creative purposes.) Plus, some subjects just beg to be captured and defined devoid of color. The only question I'm left with is, Are the fish we can't see still in their vast array of colors?

It sure beats ordering off the menu. Everytime.

The sun is really beating down and our humidity is climbing. This gentleman knows how to spend his afternoon. He's properly outfitted in his long-billed cap, Guayabera -style shirt, rubber flip flops and dark sunglasses. He's a serious bait hunter and knows what he's after in these shallow waters alongside the sea wall. To be successful at catching some small bait for his fishing on the nearby Ballast Point Pier, this fisherman throws his cast net out onto the water and then pulls it back in with 15-20 feet of line. Small weights help pull the net under the surface and then he ensnares the little guys and hauls them in. It takes several throws to catch enough bait so he can resume his real afternoon's activity of catching dinner-size fish from Tampa's Hillsborough Bay. The city just spent almost $1 million on a major upgrade to the pier's pilings, railings, decking, benches, fish cleaning stations and renovating the shelter area at the end. This concrete dock is at the boat ramp and it too will get a major overall this year allowing for boats to tie-up on a floating dock. A variety of underwater critters can be found in these waters such as crabs, oysters, snook, sheepshead and even the occasional Tarpon. I'll bet that at this moment his catch is sizzling in a hot pan, lemon, butter and fresh tartar sauce - plus a bottle of chilled white wine - set to cook and garnish. Delicious.