Last May, (the beginning of Tarpon season...) I had my ACL replaced from an old football injury I suffered about 18 years ago. I hyperextended my left leg when I got hit from behind going up for a wounded duck pass. (Which I caught by the way.) Back then I had arthroscopic surgery and they said it was still 25% so they didn't repair it. 16 years later I was playing soccer with my kids at a cubscout campout and I whiffed... and the rest of my acl tore. I walked and fished on it for about a year and a half until I finally decided I wanted it fixed so I got it replaced. Dr. Eddie Echols at Florida Orthopaedic Institute is the man! I ended up getting my acl replaced along with microfracture surgery because the cartilage in my knee was messed up pretty bad and I was starting to get some symptoms of arthitis. The physical therapy part of my rehab required 3 visits a week for 3 months, and light duty for several weeks after that. My knee is just now feeling close to 100%. Anyway on to the fishing related stuff.
My first fishing trip after the surgery was in July of last year. One of my charter captain friends took me out Tarpon fishing. Of course as luck would have it I hooked a 90 pounder that really gave the newly reconstructed knee a good workout. Since jumping around on the gunnels to follow the fish around was out of the question. I ended up sitting on the bow of the boat using a newly developed fighting technique I like to call "Sit and Spin" I would stick the rod tip in the water when the fish would swim under the boat and turn to the other side to fight it some more when it was clear.
Finally we landed the fish for a quick photo and released it to grow some more for next tarpon season.
That believe it or not was about all the fishing I did in 2008 after my surgery. I did start fishing again on my own in 2009. I havent had quite the success on a daily basis as I was having before my surgery. I think alot of that has to do with the high fuel prices being prohibitive to daily fishing trips, as well as just being to lazy to go by myself. I enjoy fishing much more when I have someone along to share the excitement.
This spring the redfish bite was hot. I got on a couple of schools and they kept me occupied and provided a couple good meals for friends and family as well. But the highlight of the year so far was my birthday. My lovely wife got me a charter with Capt Joe Gonzalez down in Biscayne Bay for Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon. I hooked several bonefish but unfortunately got broke off every time because they were over fan coral and new what they were doing while alas I did not.
We saw several tarpon but they were not in the mood to eat. The highlight of the day was when we pulled up on a sand bar and saw dozens of huge sickles mulling around on the flat. Permit everywhere. Unfortunately they were not in the mood either, but after about 300 casts with nice tasty crabs, I finally got one to eat. This fish was easily 25 lbs. and pulled like a freight train.
This photo was taken by my good friend and fishing buddy ApolloBeachSam of SaltyShores.com. This photo is also in the July 2009 issue of Saltwater Angler magazine. So I guess I finally get my 15 minutes of fame.
And here I am with my big ol Permit. Quite the birthday present eh? I know I was pumped.
Joe Gonzalez is one of the best guides in Biscayne Bay and I would recommend him to anyone looking for an experience of a lifetime.
Thats the update for now. I will definitely make an effort to keep on posting reports.
If any of my readers are interested in fishing the Tampa Bay area with a professional guide dont hesitate to contact me and I will do my best to find a guide that will customize a trip that will provide you with some awesome fishing and some great memories to take back home and share with all your friends and family.
