Playalinda Beach on Labor Day Weekend

I expected Playalinda Beach on Labor Day Weekend to be fully packed and horrible for fishing.

I was almost right!

On Saturday, I wanted to get out and run the boat and try for some reds in the Mosquito Lagoon, but my wife wanted to work on her stained glass project instead.

After Friday's experience with the catfish in my ankle, I decided that discretion was in order so I packed up one of my surf rods, my small surf fishing tackle box, a baggie full of frozen shrimp, and a home made sand spike.

The tide was coming in and the surf wasn't as rough as I expected it to be with the hurricane passing offshore.

I decided to fish parking lot #10 and try for some whiting for dinner.

Walking up the boardwalk, I talked to a couple of people who tried fishing but had no luck at all.

They said they never had even one bite in an hour's worth of fishing but that the tide was coming in and I should do better.

I took some pics and geared up for some great whiting fishing.

The water was relatively cool and I quickly found out how deceiving the waves were. I couldn't hold bottom with 3 oz., so I tried 4 and finally had to go to 5 oz.

I don't like fishing with a lot of weight, but even with 5 oz. of pyramid sinker, I couldn't hold bottom.

I was getting bites but only slight taps that resulted in lost shrimp at every cast. Anyway, I was enjoying the water and the salt water was definitely helping heal my catfish wounded ankle, so I kept at it until I finally caught a hard head catfish in the surf.

For me, that was the last straw! The hell with the whiting and the fish dinner! I didn't need another catfish on my line for awhile, so I packed up my gear, said adios to the other angler who was fishing next to me, and headed for the hacienda.

Tomorrow was another day.

Besides, I made a KILLER Jambalaya for Karen and myself, using some shrimp that a friend of mine, Bob Bewley, had cast netted up in Green Cove Springs, Fl.

Bob, they were great!

Till next time, Tight Lines!