Family Reef Day, Mangroves for Dinner

Some trips are for customers. Some trips are for family. This one was family.

Took my brother Matt out with his son Matthias and our dad Chris. Three generations on the DirtyBoat, one plan: run to the reef, catch enough mangrove snappers for dinner, come home.

The setup

Thursday morning was as nice as July gets down here. Northeast to east breeze at five to ten knots, one to two foot seas in Hawk Channel, a smooth to light chop in the bay. Water hot on the surface, satellite reading in the mid 80s across the reef line. Waxing crescent moon at eleven percent, so small tides, but the fish were on the move.

The mangrove spawn is winding down but the fish are still stacked on the reef. That is the whole reason we picked this week.

On the reef

Ran out to a spot, dropped the chum bag, and got the light tackle out. Nothing fancy. Small hooks, fresh bait, a little bit of patience.

Matthias got in on it right away. Five years old and already fishing better than most grown men I have taken out this year. Matt worked the rods with him, Dad ran his own bait, and the fish cooperated. Mangroves for the kid, a couple bigger ones for Matt, and Dad hooked into a nice mutton that put a real bend in the rod.

We kept what we needed for dinner and left the rest alone. Same as always.

The Fish House

Took the biggest fish, Dad’s mutton, up to the Fish House in Key Largo that night. If you have never had them cook your catch, that is the move down here. They know what they are doing with a fresh reef fish, and Dad was pretty proud showing his off before it hit the plate.

Nothing better than eating what you caught the same day, with your kid and your dad and your brother at the table.

Always a good time aboard DirtyBoat.

Want to take the family out for a reef trip? Book your trip today →