"Bayou" Mackerel?

   Yesterday's catch from the pier was a gigantic stingray.  I am still a bit sore from battling that monster but it was about as fun as it gets for anyone who loves to fish.  The challenge of landing a huge creature is thrilling.  Thankfully, the stingray will live to see another day.  That catch had me a bit pumped about heading back to the pier this morning.  After catching more menhaden for bait, Mark and I settled in for the morning of fishing.  It was not long before we had a few bites from catfish and trout. The morning looked promising!

  Then...leave it to me...an odd thing happened.  While watching a pod of dolphins making their way toward the pier, my line started zinging out.  Setting the hook, the battle began.  This was not nearly as tough as the stingray but, boy, did that fish jump about the place.  Thinking perhaps I had a ladyfish that are known to do a lot of jumping when hooked, I kept reeling.  Once I pulled the 18in fish onto the pier, I realized that this was definitely not one that I should be catching in our brackish water.  How in the world??  This was a Spanish Mackerel!  This fish should be out in the salty Gulf...not here by the pier!

  Actually, the drought has caused the salinity of the Bay and Bayou to go haywire.  What is normally considered brackish water has become quite salty do to the lack of rain.  This saltiness allows Gulf fish to venture up into the Bay.  With the overload of menhaden around the pier, it only makes sense that the fish will follow.  Without much promise of rain in the forecast, my daily fishing may continue to bring a few surprises.  As with the stingray (which we do occasionally catch here...salty or not), the mackerel went free.  I really did not want to clean that fish with all the "pin" bones.  Call me lazy but I prefer something a bit easier to fillet.  Go free, fishy!  I wonder what tomorrow will bring?