Captiva - Update 2

Wednesday PM - we lounged at the beach as usual. It's been the best weather we've ever had while in Captiva.......best in the 7 trips we've made since 1990. Days were cloudless with literally 1/2 ft waves and aqua blue green clear water. Aunt Ellen Davis bought everyone dinner (thank you Ellen) at Key Lime Bistro and we went to Jensen's Marina http://www.gocaptiva.com/ and watched the manatees that will let you get within few inches of them!!!!!
(Aunt Mary and Preston playing in the surf)


(Kiddos at Jensen's)

Thursday - I actually got Stacey to go fishing with me! This never happens. Dad, Stacey and I left Jensen's at 7am and ran north 6 miles in the Intercoatal Waterway and I got to prove I really can't throw a castnet......which is alot harder than it looks. But truthfully, I threw it well enough to catch 30+ big pinfish and we headed to Redfish Pass to fish the outgoing tide for snook.

(castnetting is an artform)

Apparently the snook were'nt hungry. But Stacey did catch a mangrove snapper and a catfish.

(mangrove snapper)

So we ran to the beach and picked up the kids to watch dolphins which will let you idle right up to them. The kids love watching flipper.

(flipper & son)

I decided since it was very very calm, we would all (Me, Stacey, Kate & Preston) go offshore. We went to a close reef called Pace's Place and anchored. Immediately Kate hooked up something HUGE. My big Star trolling rod almost doubled over as something BIG ran with the bait. I was so proud of her for not dropping the rod....then snap! whatever she hooked must have had teeth because the line broke! Within 15 minutes Stacey caught her first ever Jack Crevalle-----and had a HUGE SMILE!!!



(Jack Crevalle? I think I went to high school with Jack Crevalle!!??)

AND THEN about 2 minutes after Stacey caught her jack, I hooked up on another nice kingfish......THIS TRIP HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE AS FAR AS FINDING AND CATCHING OUR OWN FISH!!!!!.

The kids loved riding in the boat all week. We went back to the beach and all played before heading back, swimming in the pool and cooking a big dinner. Dad, Stacey, Mary, Mom & I all stayed up late polishing off Corona's and laughing about a million stories growing up----some I remember----some I don't!!!!


(The perfect boat for the week)


Friday - Not looking forward to leaving, Dad and I made bait again with the castnet and fished Helen's sunken barges by Boca Grande. We caught some nice gag grouper, spanish mackrel, red grouper, and broke off a few fish we never saw. We bagged a nice legal red grouper and headed to the beach. After playing in the sand witht the kids, we regretfully took the boat back to Jensen's and cleaned it thoroughly. Here are a few pics of this great week.....a week we'll all remember for years to come.

(Friday night dinner -Red Grouper)





11 months and we get to come back.....this time with Scott, Deborah, Hunter & Nathan Cummings....our good friends from Frisco, TX.

Happy Birthday again to Mom & Dad......we 3 kids may give you a hard time, but you've earned many great vacations (including this one) for raising us.