A problematic catch

I hooked quite a few stingray while fishing at Indian Pass. Sometimes they put up a decent fight but I can't say I was ever happy to see one of them on the end of the line.

Mainly, that was because an old guy on the beach warned me about the miseries that can result if you come into contact with the barbed tail.

So I was a bit uneasy every time I reeled one in until I developed a good technique for de-hooking. Basically, you just flip the creature on its back, pin the tail with your foot, and work the hook free with a needle-nose. Then you shove it back out to sea with the blunt end of your fishing rod.

Sea trout from St. Joseph Bay

I caught this in the shallows as Jen and I canoed around the bay. Sporty fish but, alas, out of season so we didn't get to sample the flesh.

Check out the teeth in the picture to the left (not my snaggletooth but the single fang on the trout).