Excerpt:

Taken from Chapter 12 FLORIDA

EXPLORING NEW PLACES

We had started to explore new areas farther from camp. One day some of us took our boats out to the Gulf and headed south. We went all the way to Plover Key, which was the farthest we had been along the gulf, and it took over an hour to get there.

Wandering around, we found some shells different from any we had found before, also some very large sand dollars, and I found a seahorse!

From there we stopped at Mormon Key. As we approached the beach, we were amazed to see that it was literally covered with large white whelk and horse conch shells. We pulled ashore and took some of the nicer ones. Someone had lived here at one time, as we found an old cistern.

Sometimes we would spot floats from crab pots on the woodsy shores, and if possible, would go and retrieve them. By the time the winter was over I had quite a collection of these floats hanging on the posts on our dock, and even took some back to Washington to add to other floats I had found on various beaches during our travels.


THE WHOPPER

One day while fishing along the edge of an oyster bed, I hooked onto a small stingray! They have a sharp barb on their tail, and I was afraid to take it off the hook, so Rodger did it for meand in doing so informed me to Crimp the doggone barbs off your hook so itll be easier to release the fish you dont want!! (A habit from fishing in Washington waters, where often this is required by law.)

Nearly out of hooks, I took one smaller than I usually used, crimped the doggone barbs and then noticed we were down to one piece of bait shrimp. I was mad by now, so grabbed that last dried up piece of shrimp, baited my too small barb-less hook, and cast it out. It was a dandy cast though, landing on the very edge of the oyster bed!

Almost immediately a big fish took that bait. I was sure I was going to loose it with that small barb-less hook! It was strong, and wanted to head for the oyster bed, and then I never would land it. Meanwhile, Rodger was hollering out directions to me (but I didnt hear a word he said!) Finally we did land that whopper, and it was an 11-pound redfish, 30 inches long! I got over being mad in a hurry, but was so excited I was shaking in m boots!

We went in then, and as usual, John came running over to pull our boat up to the dock and see what we had caught. He grabbed my big fish and took it all over the waterfront telling everybody Look what Elaine caught now! We took it to the marina where they took a picture of me with my fish for the big fish bulletin board. It was the largest redfish caught by anyone in the park that winter.


BOATING ACTIVITIES

Someone told us that oysters could be found at Chevalier Bay. Since it was a long run down there, we had to wait for an especially calm day. Finally, one lovely day Rodger and another couple took our small boats, crossed Chokoloskee Bay, and went up the Turner River then through various creeks, crossing several bays until we reached Chevalier Bay.

The water was so shallow we were able to wade and easily pick oysters off the bottom. Rodger and I collected two plastic pans full of oysters to take back with us.

Heading home, we decided to pull into a small stream with a bay at the end called Sweetwater. Here, the National Park Service has built quite a large platform up out of the water for canoeists to camp on overnight.

We pulled our boats up to the platform, got out, and were sampling some of the fresh oysters. They were small, salty, and very good. Then along came a giant alligator. He must have been at least 16 feet long and had a huge head. From this platform, a narrow boardwalk led to a portable outhouse. I was walking along this narrow walkway when that gator swam right under it! He looked up sideways at me and I just know he was thinking, Hmmm, tasty morsel!

We had a picnic lunch along, and all the while we were eating that gator kept hanging around. It came time to leave, and he was right there by the boats. I know it was littering, but having nothing else to throw, I threw my pop can at him, hitting him right between the eyes. Only then did he slowly turn and swim a little ways from us. Rodger took advantage of the situation, hopped in the boat and got the motor running. I climbed down off that high dock as fast as I could and we took off! Im surely glad I didnt fall off the dock getting into the boat!

One day while out in the boat, we spotted a crab pot on shore up in the mangroves. It was pretty beat up, but we brought it home, Rodger straightened it out, and it served the purpose. Whenever we caught fish, I would bait it with the scraps and put it down off the end of our dock. If we hadnt had fish for awhile, when the charter boats came in, Id ride my bike down and get some bait from them, as they cleaned their fish there in the harbor.

It was fun to go out, to the end of the dock first thing each morning and pull the crab pot. That winter we caught dozens of crabs in that pot!

Blue crabs are smaller than the west coast Dungeness crabs, more difficult to clean, but the meat is delicious. We enjoyed fresh crab cocktails, crab quiche, crab salads, and many other crab delicacies that winter.