# no pressure, no deadlines, no hurry, no problem



## deerfly

This was to be the last adventure for Trey and I before his school starts up again this Monday, so we were looking to enjoy our time together as best we could knowing it would be at least a couple months before we could do another trip like this. The original plan was to leave Thursday the 14th, but the NOAA forecast for the area wasn’t good, unstable weather, 2’- 4’ seas, higher in the storms and so on. So I decided to wait another day. The delay turned out to be just as well because I had a nail in my right rear tire and would not have noticed it had we took off under the cover of darkness Thursday morning. Plus the inclement weather gave me a little more time to make a list and check it twice as the saying goes. 

By 5am Friday morning we were on the road. Trey and I decided this was going to be a fun trip, no pressure, no deadlines, no hurry, no problem. After a stop or two for gas and what not we were at the Gulf Visitor Center filling out our camping permit by mid morning. The girl at the ranger station made a point to tell us we were the only registered campers at this end of the park so far. As best I could with out laughing, I assured her that things would pick up later in the day and that we were just lucky to be first ones to feed the mosquito’s. 

After Trey had a look at the various displays in the center we were off to Gladeshaven to launch the skiff. Since I had an extra day to pack, most everything but 2 coolers, 19 gallons of gas and a couple of dry bags with clothes were already stowed on board so the launch was pretty quick, which was nice because it was in the low 90’s already. The tide was maybe an hour from flood high so we had plenty of water under us on the way out through Rabbit Key Pass and on down to our destination, New Turkey Key camp site. 

You can google map to it by searching for "New Turkey Key, Evergaldes National Park" switch to satellite mode. 

The ride was nice, winds were light and the seas calm, but the milky brown gulf water reminded us that our decision to wait another day was probably a good one. After about a 20 mile ride from the launch we arrived at our destination a little after noon. 


























Setting up camp out there at midday was tough, but we figured it was best to get it done while the bugs were resting up for their evening meal. Our plan was to head down to Lostmans and fish our way back north, but thunderstorms to the south kept within site of our camp. Fishing the around the adjacent islands was very slow to say the least, like not even one strike slow. Did I mention it was hot?


















By 5pm Trey started floating the idea of leaving. The heat, lackluster fishing and threatening thunderstorms where weighing heavy on him. So we talked about the circumstances and decide that given the time it would take to break camp and the risks of running an overloaded skiff back to the marina at dead low tide during nightfall just wasn’t a viable option. I made sure he felt like he was part of the decision making process too. When I mentioned the low water he came back with the fact that we could see more exposed hazards and he was right, but he also knew it was still a risk. 20 miles is a lot of water to cover in these parts with only a hand held VHF for beckoning help.

Of course the looming storm to the south had me second guessing my sanity to be way out here alone with a 12 year old too. The NOAA weather advisories droning on and on about 40-50mph winds in some of these storms, didn’t make it any easier either. Personally being caught in a few of these before had me thinking about were the best place to anchor the boat would be while the tent and camp was blown off the shell mound of an island we were on. Fortunately the big storm down near Lostmans dissipated. Right around dusk another one brewed up east of us, but after an hour so burned it self out too. Trey was obviously relieved and all I could think of was we just dodged two bullets.

Since we were obviously there for the night Trey decided we had better start looking for fire wood. So off we went. Fortunately there was plenty of wood to be had and soon Trey was exploring the tidal pools for anything he could find, which was a variety of hermit crabs, snails and a couple of starfish. Thanks to his recent marine biology class he was able to describe to me in great detail how a starfish eats. I also learned that snails eat and defecate through their mouth. 



















































After sun was down a few hours the evening started to become really nice, still warm with a slight breeze, but very tolerable considering how the day transpired. The mosquito’s and no-seeums were not bad at all, but sitting inside the screen tent turned out to be a great option because we could sit there in our fishing shorts with out shirts to stay a little cooler and not have any bug spray on us either. I brought a few camp foggers and sprayed the inside of the screen tent every so often and that did it. 

Dinner amounted to a couple of peanut butter and honey sandwiches which Trey volunteered to prepare. We followed that with glazed oatmeal cookies while talking about nothing in particular and enjoying the time together. After all the serious talk earlier about the threatening weather and our limited options out here alone it was obvious that my little man matured a bit this evening. This was nothing like the Watsons trip with 30 people and 14 boats around for a sense of security and nearly infinite back-up options. It was very obvious to him that it was just us and what ever Mother Nature decided. Needless to say, it was a proud dad moment for me too. 

Before too long Trey’s energy level waned and he crawled into the tent to crash. After double and triple checking the anchor lines I tried to doze off myself. Admittedly, neither of us slept too well, Trey from the heat and me keeping the boat floating through two tide stages and running off the raccoons in between.

Although we probably could have just toughed it out, in the event of a bad storm I wanted the option to run the boat into a little pocket of protected water between two small mangrove islands that I scoped out earlier while we were fishing. If I didn’t tend to the boat on and off through the night it may have been high and dry when we needed it most. My dual anchor setup turned out to work perfectly keeping the boat safely positioned throughout the night, but confident or not I wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. 

Sunrise Saturday morning came slowly and neither of us was particularly fired up to fish. Trey took some pictures of the sunrise and the last invading raccoon as he scurried down the beach.

One from inside the screen








and one outside. 









Robbie, the name Trey gave this raccoon is the little bump scurrying down the beach.









The plan today was the same as yesterdays foiled plans, head down to Lostman’s and fish the points northward back towards camp. However, that would be it for the day and the trip. I didn’t have to ask Trey but I knew after yesterday and last night I did not want to make him go through any of that again. Frankly, given the relatively slow fishing, I wasn’t remotely up for it either. So after coffee and breakfast we started breaking camp a bit so there would be less to do when we returned later in the heat of the day. It did set us back a little from a fishing standpoint, but again we wanted to keep it fun, no deadlines, no pressure, no worries. 

The 9 mile or so ride down to Lostmans was beautiful in the calm morning air. The 20 mph breeze afforded by the forward motion of the boat was just the A/C we needed. We could have just gone back and forth a few times and been totally content with the trip, but Trey really wanted to catch a snook. 

After a few a casts and missed blow ups at the north end of Lostmans Key, a ladyfish came aboard first. A few more casts to the same spot a small snook was lost at the boat before I could drop the push pole and grab the camera. Maybe 5 casts later Trey had his snook.

Lostamns Key in the background









Highland beach in the background









Yes it was small, but not in his eyes considering the journey.


----------



## Brett

Good trip, nice pics, great post


----------



## cal1320

Good read. I envy yall living so close to the glades. I am looking forward to fishing there one day. You're making memories that will last him a lifetime. [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif] Sometimes it's the journey and not so much about the fishing part.


----------



## iMacattack

[smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif].


----------



## tom_in_orl

Great report. Awesome father/son adventure.


----------



## JRH

Great story and report!


----------



## HaMm3r

I fully enjoyed reading that report. [smiley=1-thumbsup1.gif] Your son is one lucky kid.


----------



## B.Lee

Great report, sounds like a good time, even without huge numbers of fish.


----------



## MATT

that old boat is starting to look good.


----------



## Guest

Great read. Was it hot? ;D ;D ;D ;D


----------



## deerfly

> Great read. Was it hot? ;D ;D ;D ;D


 good question, I almost forgot to mention that. 

actually theres a funny twist to that. His mom is constantly riding both him and his sister about never drinking enough water ever, no matter where they are.  On this little escapade we went through 22 20oz bottles of water, 8 juice box thingy's of Gatorade and about 6 Capri Sun lemonade squeeze packs in less than 24 hrs.  

I told him he can now tell his mom he's drank more water in 24hrs than he has in the last 3 months, so she can back off a little.


----------



## Brett

I thought you said no pressure?

After that much fluids I know I'd be feeling some pressure! ;D


----------



## zero_gravity

great report 
your son has grown alot since the last time I saw him


----------



## Kemo

I love to read the dad-son and dad-daughter reports. Dads seem to become more eloquent when they report about a trip with one of their kids because it is so special. I don't have any kids (though I been married 4 times - lucky or unlucky?). So, my dad-kid memories are all of fishing with my dad, so I know what these days will mean to your kids. My dad and I almost never got along. But he loved to fish, and out of 5 kids, I was the only one who would go at the drop of a hat. And I could catch fish, which seemed to please him to no end. He would sometimes come up with excuses as to why my siblings shouldn't come along. That didn't dawn on me until much later in life, when my brothers and I would reminisce and little hints would be brought home to me. At any rate, he was often a heavy drinker and for whatever reason seemed to pick on me the most. Most of the time I would avoid him like the plague and really didn't like him very much. But when we were fishing, everything was TOTALLY different. Over the years after his death, I had the opportunity to fish with several of his older fishing buddies and they all told me what a great fisherman he was, and that I was definitely a chip off of that block, and that they enjoyed having me along beacuse I reminded them so much of him. I hardly ever go fishing by myself that he doesn't come to mind. All you dads can rest assured, no matter how proud you are and how touched you are by those moments, the kids will have more years than you to reflect, enjoy, cherish and love those moments.


----------



## Windsplitter

Trey is blessed to have a dad that takes him fishing.
Great report.


----------



## deerfly

Kemo, captnron and I were discussing that very thing the other day. These kinds of "bonding" trips also help keep you "bonded" with your dad during those rebellious, I know it all years or usually right around the time you get thrown out of the house. I can think of more than one occasion where I caught myself from mouthing off and saying something regrettable to my dad, but memories like these rose up in front of my eyes first. Of course he wasn't above punching me in the head either, so that had something to with it now and then too.


----------



## Apollobeachsam

One lucky kid..

great report..!


----------



## axe11924

I like all the trees you can see at low tide in front of the camp as opposed to the hight tide pics.


----------



## deerfly

> I like all the trees you can see at low tide in front of the camp as opposed to the hight tide pics.


yup, good observation. Both predator cover and prop hazards.  Things were pretty quiet a long the predator lines while we were there tho. We had steady streams of 3"-4" finger mullet going by all afternoon, night and morning, but other than a small shower every so often, nothing much seemed to mess with them. A couple boats did stop to throw pilchards at a few of the stumps while we were breaking camp Saturday afternoon, but moved off after a while with no action.

Those stumps made for a timely exhibit when discussing the risks of heading back to the ramp at dark fully loaded with camping stuff too.


----------



## backwaterbandits

Good report on a great trip. Glad you decided to go it alone...
The not so subtle difference of being just you two 20 miles 
out in the 'glades versus the large group trip obviously was 
not lost on Trey...A little scary... yet thrilling!


----------

