Are You Lost???

   I have lived near or on the Bayou my entire life.  During that time, I learned a good bit about the fish and other inhabitants of the waters and marshes.  I felt relatively sure that given a chance, I could just about identify any fish caught from the pier...until lately.  For some odd reason, the Bay is filled with unusual (for here) critters.  Some...I have even had to go to one of my "fish experts" to identify.  The young man, Taylor, is a friend of Son's from way back when they were youngsters in elementary school.  Taylor loves all things fishing even though he has moved from the Coast.  I rest assured that if I send him a photograph with the query "What is this?"  He will have an answer.  I did just that a couple of days ago. After putting a name to my unusual fish, he mused "I think you have the most diverse group of fish around your pier than anywhere on the Coast."  Well, he may be right.  

  The salinity of the water is sitting right at 23% which is odd for the Bayou.  We are known as having "brackish" water not high salt water.  Salty in the deeper portions but not in the shallows of the Bayou.  So, imagine my surprise when I caught, not one, but three different Ribbonfish...also known as Atlantic Cutlassfish.  I had no idea what those crazy things were!  So...I photographed and sent the pictures off to Taylor!  After getting a name, I also sent the picture to my oldest son, Mark, since he has seen just about every fish imaginable while living on the island for several years.  His response was "What is that doing at the pier?"  I replied that I had no idea but perhaps it was lost!  He agreed and made a similar remark to Taylor's about there being a lot of odd fish in my old fishing spot.  I will say this about the Ribbonfish...STAY CLEAR OF THOSE TEETH!!  That is one snappy fish that can whip and snag a finger right quick!  Thankfully, I was a mite faster because it has a mouth full of wicked fangs!

  That said, the shrimp are still plentiful so I have taken to filling everybody's freezers.  I throw the net catching a five gallon bucketful in a short while then give the shrimp to those who cannot catch their own.  With our three chest type freezers filled to capacity, nearly 800lbs of shrimp have found their way to our extended family members and elderly friends. Fresh, free food is always a good thing.  This comes on the heels of an investigation of some shady dealings by some of the shrimpers along the Coast.  It makes me happy to supply these folks with free Bay shrimp vs the foreign shrimp that were being passed off as Gulf shrimp.  Dirty dealings irk me so this is my small way of saying "No" to the underhanded ways of some people. 

  So...bring on the unusual fish, plentiful shrimp and knowledgeable young men that keep me up on what I am catching!  The Bayou is a happy, healthy place right now.