The Big One that did not get away!

It was still a bit chilly on the pier today but not so much that I was going to miss another sunset! I meandered down a bit early and just sat watching the water. As the Otis Redding song says.."watching the tide roll away". I was not..I repeat NOT..shirking my duties at the house...hehe..I was not wasting time! I was making sure that the sun would set in the west like it should!

My "Not" Red Drum!

Long before the sun set, I noticed fish making swells along the shoreline. Ahhh...Red Drum! Yes! A Red Drum would make a right tasty supper! I caught a menhaden in the net and baited my hook..this bad boy would be mine! The fish was now right near the pier. It was playing the marsh grass which I am supposing was a method of chasing bull minnows and little mullet from their hiding places. I could tell by the movement that as soon as the minnows would leave the safety of the marsh, the larger fish would swoop in for the kill. Keeping this in mind, I threw my baited line right against the marsh. I was in hopes that the fish would move on down the shoreline and find my ready bait just dangling there. I was also in hopes that this fish would be supper!

The business end of a stingray!

Sure enough, I saw my line wiggle just a bit! A bite! It sure did not act like any Red Drum. They were usually the "hit and run" type of hunters. Most of the time, a nice red fish would grab the bait and head out from the shore at a lickety-split pace. This was more like a nibble..perhaps a flounder? They are known to snatch a bait and then settle in the mud to digest their meal. There they would lie in wait for another hapless minnow to swim within range. Oh well, a flounder would make a nice meal, too! I tugged at the line a bit..yep..something was holding it! I eased back a bit more. Whatever had ahold of the bait just sort of came along with my pulling. Perhaps it was a crab? I pulled again. This time, things got a bit more active! Keep in mind that all of this was in about eight inches of water! The critter on the end of my line decided it did not want to be pulled from its shoreline haven so it pulled back! It pulled...I pulled! The tug-o-war began! Then there was such a sloshing of water and mud that I thought for a moment the fish would win the battle.

The underside of the stingray...looks sort of like an alien to me!

I almost wish he had as I soon found out just what was on the end of my line! A stingray had taken the bait and was giving me a hefty pull! Now what??? Stingrays are not something that a fisherman wants to tangle with if there is any way possible to avoid it. Their tail is armed with a nice barb that will cause significant damage if given the chance and although this was not an enormous stingray, it still was dangerous. I pulled it to the side of one of the pier posts and looped the line around a handy-dandy nail that just happen to be hammered in the post side. Ok..photo-ops time! After a few pictures, I decided the fish could have his freedom. Not wanting to get within range of the barbed tail, I merely cut the line as close as I dared and let him have my hook! The hook that I use will rust out in a few days and he will be none the worse for wear. Happy day for the stingray..leftovers for me for supper! I looked at the shoreline...ooohhh!...a break! I wonder if that is a Red Fish???

Oh...and the sun did set in the west..I made sure of it!

~~As an added note..Son and I counted numerous stingrays in the shallows near the pier. It seems that the Bay is full of them! I suppose that fishing will just have to wait until the mass of rays moves on and the area is clear.~~