Green Trout

A friend of mine called me and said he wanted come down to Apalachicola and catch a mess of "green trout". Now for those of you not fortunate enough to be from the southeast, a green trout is also called a black bass or large mouth bass, in other parts of the world. Now people bass fish all over the country, but "green trout" fishing entails a different technique. First you have to have the proper equipment. No fancy, high dollar rod & reel...nope you have to have a 11 or 12' bream buster pole...no reel, just your modern day cane pole. This coupled with a bucket of frisky shrimp and you'll be prepared for a day of "trout" fishing.

I picked up 8 dozen shrimp and met Mike at about 1100, just as the tide started to come back in to the bays and creeks. We rode the tide up the creek dabbling shrimp in likely looking holes as we went. Somehow it very therapeutic to watch your cork shimming around, just before it disappears.

Four hours later we were out of shrimp and had boated 50-60 "green trout"and kept a half dozen for supper. We had laughed, solved some of the world's problem, watched eagles coming and going from their nest and now it was time to enjoy on last treat that Apalachicola offers...oysters! We put the boat on the trailer and headed to Papa Joe's at Scipio Creek for an ice cold beer and equally cold oysters shucked while we watched. A fitting end to a most enjoyable day.