In my teenage years, I dreamed of fishing trips offshore in search of the Gulf of Mexico’s coolest fish.
I was like a sponge, constantly taking in all the information I could on or off the boat. It was a learning time where my passion for the outdoors grew immensely with a supportive family around me who also wanted to be on the water.
As I’ve aged, the memories of those trips have remained. I can see a picture and remember most details about who I was with, what we caught, the weather that day and more. Memories I’m glad I’ve made and, of course, I also look toward the next trip to make even more. That passion never fades.
This past week, my sister Erika came back to Bradenton for a few days from her panhandle home with three of her sons. Charlie, 15, has been fishing ponds and catching bass but has never experienced being offshore.
The first thing he asked when he saw me was, “Will you take me offshore on a boat?”
Winter weather was upon us and I looked for an opportunity. The best weather day was Monday, but due to some work obligations that was not feasible. Tuesday looked iffy weather-wise and I heavily debated if it would be worth it. Fog and wind? Not a fun combination.