Last Thursday, I took my son on a ‘party boat’ to presumably fish for sharks. Having been on this particular vessel before, I knew the tackle, and understood we wouldn’t be catching Jaws or any of his brothers and sisters. Still, my 10-year old had fantasies, if you can call them that, of landing a really big fish, and was simultaneously thrilled and nervous about the prospect.
For my part, I had a feeling we might be lucky to catch a few very small blacktips, or even a less threatening species. Basically, I felt if John and I could each haul 1 or 2 overboard, we should consider ourselves fortunate. There are only so many sharks you can catch in a couple of hours, and only so many whoppers with the provided equipment, if any.
I will cut to the chase, and tell you we went out about a mile; threw our lines over the side, and stared at the water for a couple of hours. I occasionally reeled my line in just to have something to do, and it wasn’t just us. Of the 30 or so people on the boat, only 1 shark, or any other fish for that matter, found its way on to the boat. A few people said they felt a bite or two; however, I am certain they didn’t know the difference between choppy water and fish.
When the first mate, who had spent the afternoon trying to ingratiate himself to folks, told us to bring up our lines and take off the bait, I was a mixture of surprised, frustrated, and relieved. My son was beyond disappointed, particularly after building it up in his mind to the degree he had. It was one thing to not catch something that could take off your hand; it was quite another to stare at the water for as long as we did.
On the way back, I started thinking like a business person. Clearly, the captain couldn’t help it if the fish weren’t biting where he took us. Further, it wasn’t too terrible of an experience, as far as fishing trips are concerned, but it still cost enough that I felt a little cheated; not because we didn’t catch a fish, no, but because the entire boat only caught 1! To read more… August 17 2012 Common Cents
I hope all have a safe and happy weekend. Quitting caffeine this week has been a tough roe to hoe, as you will find out.
Please add Oakworth to your Twitter account; like us on Facebook, and ask an Oakworth associate about our smart phone deposit application!