Ouch! A pin!

While fishing the other evening, I caught a small fish in the net. I was attempting to catch a few menhaden to use as bait when I saw something a bit larger in the net. It was a tiny fish that was about five inches long..sort of silvery olive or gold in color with five darker bars that vertically cross the body. It was a pretty little fish..until I went to toss it back into the water..Ouch! Now I knew exactly why this fish was named Pinfish! The dorsal fins are sharp like pins and these fins are capable of stabbing the hand just the same as pins if you are not careful. Although some fishermen use the Pinfish as bait, I flipped the little rascal back into the water..it shall live another day!

The Pinfish is a saltwater fish that gets only about five inches in length. The adult fish usually prefer to be in deeper waters while the juveniles will hang about docks and piers. Here, there is a ready supply of its favorite food..shrimp. This fish is considered a pest by most fishermen just because they are so adept at getting a bait shrimp off the hook. They will dart in and riddle the poor bait to pieces without ever touching the hook. This nip and run frustrates the angler as they have problems catching the little fish but lose baits at an enormous rate! Plus, the Pinfish never seem to get full or perhaps they just like to aggravate humans! I have lost many of bait to the Pinfish and have yet to ever hook one. They are pretty sneaky little critters! A lot of fish actually eat the Pinfish which in itself seems extremely odd. Why in the world would anything want to eat something that pokes holes in the mouth??? I can only imagine that if I get stuck by the fins while trying to save its life, the Pinfish must be hard to swallow. When threatened, the Pinfish will straighten its fins in a defensive position. This causes anything coming in contact with the spines immediate pain! Even with this reflex action, the Pinfish are supposedly great bait to use when fishing for Red Drum, Speckled Trout and Flounders. Hmmmm..perhaps I should start fishing with them instead of tossing them back into the Bay!

Last night, there was a beautiful sunset. It was the perfect way to end the day! Hubby and I sat on the pier watching as the sky changed colors. It was quite the spectacular show! At one point, the sun's rays hit the cloud cover at the perfect angle to create a prism of colors. It was like the Southerner's version of the Aurora Borealis! Watching the sun set over the Bay, is one of the most beautiful visions ever! There is a certain peace about the Bayou at this time of evening..quiet, serene, peace........perfect ending to the day.