It’s October 31st here in our little fishing town of Port St. Joe Florida. As if on cue for the fall holidays, cooler temperatures have rolled into the area bringing a chill to the air that makes you want to swap the shorts and t-shirts for some jeans and a warm sweatshirt. On this Halloween’s eve one could witness all the kiddos in our community clad in their costumes, from the downright adorable to the just plain spooky, marching down main street and collecting their treats from local business owners. I know the day is coming when my boy will want to dress as something ghoulish or scary, but for this year I was happy to walk hand in hand with a pint-sized Superman, his little cape blowing away in the wind much like these precious times and his innocence.
Speaking of scary, let me tell you about the red tide situation here in Saint Joseph’s Bay. Much to my surprise (and horror, if we’re being honest) the numbers indicate a greater rise in this deadly algae bloom. Furthermore, if you look at a map of positive samples taken, you will see that it has re-appeared at the Mexico Beach canal and is starting to develop in Panama City’s bays as well. Two weeks ago, I fished the Mexico Beach canal and under the George Tapper Bridge. While I knew the red tide was still present, there was an absence of dead fish, and it made me feel as if things were clearing up. This week, however, I fished in the same spots, and it was completely different. The canal had dead fish floating down the current, and you could smell the decay in the air. According to my sources, this is also true at the back of Saint Joseph’s Bay where the red tide count is at its peak. There was also no lack of dead fish in the intracoastal waterway under the Tapper Bridge. Despite the conditions, I fished both spots with what is normally an irresistible lure. I left empty-handed and heavy-hearted for I have no idea what the long-term effects of this red tide will be. Furthermore, we are approaching the time when the trout bite should be peaking, and I have no idea what to expect this season. For now, the only thing I can do is keep my chin up and keep trying; when things change, you’ll be the first to know.
I can’t leave you with all doom and gloom this week. There is at least a little ray of sunshine. Much like when you dig through your kids Halloween candy; you rake away the cheap taffy, you toss the old gum balls and starlight mints, you scoff at the sheer number of Dum-Dum pops, and finally, there it is, the beckoning brown package of some Hershey’s chocolate or the orange glow of the coveted Reese’s peanut butter cup. This week was not a total bust; There is still life out there. Before we took part in the Halloween festivities, I took my four-year-old, Rory, to the marina. Tossing live shrimp, we hooked several juvenile grouper and much to my delight, a redfish. Rory and the author of this report can be seen above.
Stay positive Port Saint Joe, we’ll get through this; we’ve gotten through much worse. Until next week...I hope to see you out there.
-Jeremiah Beasley