1st day of summer

1st Day of summer came and I knew Id spend it on the water. Rob Choi had already caught a citation sheepshead and I wanted one bad. I couldn’t sleep the night before with all my nervous / anxious energy. It seems I always fish the best when I won’t be able to fish the next week and this time would be no different, I am set to leave the country for the next 7 days and needed to get this sheepshead! I began getting some solid bites after about an hour of fishing, finally I set and connected with something solid. I pushed away from the pilings and began the fight. After what seemed to be an eternity I got color and it was striped, vertical, a sheepshead! I legged her into the boat. I looked down to find a fat bloated sheepy ready to take some pics. I took a couple snaps and revived her. I never keep these guys because by the time they reach 24 inches they are close to 30 years old. That’s a long time, so I’d rather let em go to fight again.



My buddy Tripp hadn’t gotten one yet but just before changing locations I told him I was getting bitten. He reaches over my kayak and drops down next to my line but it was too late, I set the hook on my second Virginia Citation sheepshead of the day. After some pics she was released but came back to the surface. Tripp revived her for almost 10 minutes and she finally swam back to the depths.







The action slowed for everyone so not wanting to be greedy I switched to flounder fishing. I immediately hooked a 16”, on the next cast I hooked something a bit larger. Once I got color I knew it was a doormat. She went 22”. I took her to Rob (check out his artwork at Angling-Addict.com) to get a print of the beautiful flatty. I am looking forward to glancing at the fish on my wall and having the memories of that day flood back. I ended the day with that fish knowing it doesn’t get much better!






This makes my fourth species citations, 7th overall for 2012, 46” & 45” Stripers, 25” Speckled Trout, pair of 48” Reds, and now a pair of trophy Sheepsheads. Not a bad year….. so far.