EDITOR’S NOTE

Reeling in the Years

I’ve been fishing more than a time or two in my life, but I am by no means an expert. I am usually along for the ride, just happy to get out on the water and enjoy some sunshine. This past year, during pandemic lockdown and with travel restrictions in place, more and more locals got out on the water and dropped their lines, too. It was the best thing to do when you suddenly found your calendar wide open! Captain Morgan Henderson, who owns Fisherman’s Discount south of Fairhope, says it was a bumper year at his little shop, with all the locals looking for live bait, cast nets and crab traps. In honor of that, we decided to devote this annual Coastal issue to fishing our local waters — the boats, the bait and the big catches!

It’s funny how my idea of a big catch has changed as I’ve grown. I once was overjoyed to reel in the tiniest of fish. We would have croaker tournaments with friends and family on the dock at Little Lagoon when we were all kids. I then graduated to landing my first sheepshead under the Dauphin Island Bridge when I was maybe 10 — that was a fight for my puny little arms! Later I went after snapper, and I finally landed my first sailfish after I was married. These days, unless the fish will feed a crowd or it has a giant bill on the front, let’s say it doesn’t make it to Instagram.

A few weeks ago, my kids’ elementary school had an in-shore fishing tournament as a fundraiser, and let’s just stop right there. You’ve got to love where you live when that’s the school fundraiser. My husband took the kids and some friends out with rods, bait and plenty of juice boxes, and he came back in the early afternoon, disappointed by their catch. Just a few croakers and some catfish, he explained. But then, the real anglers unloaded from the boat with the biggest smiles you’ve ever seen. As each kid posed next to their croaker for the money shot, grinning from ear to ear, I remembered that feeling. You went out to sea, threw out your line and brought home the big one. When you’re only 6 years old, you see, even a croaker counts as the big one. Hope you all get to wet your hooks this summer and find happiness in even the smallest wins.

Maggie Lacey

EXECUTIVE EDITOR maggie@pmtpublishing.com

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