"Floundering" through education....

[bigscoop]

Picture this, (took place on the dock the other day.)
A grown man (ok Miller, "a small, but fully developed man") has recently moved to east Florida and in this scene he is fishing from a pier in the intercoastal north of Mosquito Lagoon. So there he is, eyeing the tiny flounder that had attempted to eat his bait, maybe 7 or 8 inches at best, hook squarely lodged in his little jaw. Sure, everything in the ocean has teeth, that's pretty much a given, but this little guy couldn't possibly put the hurt on the full grown man staring at him. Not a chance....right? That's exactly what I had concluded before I decided to stick my finger in his mouth to dislodge the hook. Well, a minute later this full grown man is flailing around on the dock with a tiny flounder clamped down tight on his left index finger. And I gotta tell you, I was stunned by how much pressure this tiny little fish was putting on the end of my finger, even drew blood. Ever try to get a tiny flounder off the tip of your finger when he'd rather not let go? I'm here to tell you, it takes some real effort!

[Felinepeachy]

ROFL Great story!

[Red James cash]

Cant say i was ever bit by a flounder bigscoop.
But i can tell you about being bit by a king snake

[packerbacker]

So bigscoop........you left handed??

[bigscoop]

So bigscoop........you left handed??

No.....was actually holding the little tike in my right hand when he decided to turn into a vicious, flesh devouring, river monster!

[packerbacker]

You're supposed to eat them scoop. They are quite tasty.

[Red James cash]

Back in the town i grew up in.You use to be able to rent row boats, 3 dollars for 8 hours. Me and my friends use to put our money together and go out flounder fishing in the harbor. We use to bring flounder home by the 5 gallon bucket, plus mackerel, silver hake(you dont want to get bit by a hake) sometimes small bluefish.

[ivan salis]

just be glad you didn't catch a "doormat" sized flounder --you'ld be minus a finger -- oh and DO NOT try that with any sized bluefish BECAUSE you will be minus a finger if you do.

uh do not let size fool you EVERYTHING in the ocean is nasty and mean * (it has to be to survive) even the little stuff -matter of fact some of the little stuff is very deadly * (poisonous spines)-- I strongly recommend that you obtain a set of long needle nosed plyers and a good strong glove to use for fish handling / hook removal --if you plan to fish salt and brackish water areas in florida

PS --NEVER EVER STICK YOUR FINGERS IN A SALTWATER FISHES MOUTH --well seems you learned that "lesson" already

told a "visitor" aka as a tourist * once long ago that the bluefish were running and if he got one to not get his "fingers near the mouth as they could bite em off"-- the smart butt said --I been fishing for years youngman--- (uh musta been freshwater )--cuz a bit later he lands a good sized bluefish and went to lip hold it like you would a bass -- snick there went the tip of his thumb off bye bye thumb tip ---hello hospital.

[Rooter]

Ivan is 100% right. If it's in saltwater it has teeth. Many years ago I caught a doormat Halibut (that's a west coast flounder)in Malibu ,CA and I carefully pulled it's lower lip down to show some kid how big and sharp his teeth were and it actually bit me. I ended up with a razor blade quality slice on my thumb that bled for an hour. I have also actually been bitten on the leg by bluefish while surf fishing. Even the harmless looking queen shrimp can slice you finger wide open. Stainless steel, long nose pliers are a must. I don't need a glove as I have perfected the hook twist and flip release and usually never touch the fish except to put it in the cooler.

[bigscoop]

Don't get me wrong, I've been fishing around the ocean quite a bit since I was kid, know everything in it has teeth, but if someone would have told me that a little flounder like that could really put the hurt on me I would have laughed at them. Wasn't the teeth that surprised me, knew he had the teeth, but it was the clamping pressure of the little guy's jaws that really surprised me. I just never dreamed a small tike like that could clamp down with so much force.

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

big scoopp: hmm I take it that you have never encountered human females? You find them
in the surf in nicely filled out Bikinis.

They have other weapons to watch out for.

Don Jose de La Mancha

[bigscoop]

big scoopp: hmm I take it that you have never encountered human females? You find them
in the surf in nicely filled out Bikinis.

They have other weapons to watch out for.

Don Jose de La Mancha

Don, for sure, most of the women I've encounter have been completely alien to me.

[pat-tekker-cat]

Ever try to get a tiny flounder off the tip of your finger when he'd rather not let go? I'm here to tell you, it takes some real effort!

No, but my bro-n-law can tell ya about the prance and jerk dance to get a squirall unhinged from between his thumb and first finger!

That was funny, huh, ivan?

I'm glad someone said, long needle nose pliers. Sorry bout ya getting bit dude.
Will you need to learn that lesson again?
And I'm kinda curious, you said you eyed him, was that one eye, or two? Like had they rotated over yet?

tropichop, I so got your number! Antonio might hafta pass by your way, I'll hafta pm ya bout it. I got something to send ya! LOL!

[bigscoop]

You know, I just don't recall if both eyes were on the same side, think they were but can't say for sure.

[manorman]

never been bitten by a fish, but a freind have mine had his lip bit off by a horse, he told me latter that what realy pissed him off was the horse them chewed it up and spit it out at him. true story he was a tuff SOB.

[ivan salis]

strong jaw grip & teeth is the only way a flounder gets fed.

[FarmerChick]

this was funny to read
even the 'babies' of nature got big jaw power....he wanted that finger as extra bait!

did you throw him back so he could get bigger and take off a whole finger in the future?

[thrillathahunt]

"A minute later this full grown man was flailing around the dock with a tiny flounder clamped down tight on his left index finger"

Now that is a classic line!

[Ray S ECenFL]

Where is the video......

( Ouch)

Will have to keep that in mind.... no sticking the finger in salt water fish mouth.

Hope your finger is better.

[truckinbutch]

You got my sympathy .
Night fishing one of my ponds one late August night with a know-it-all bass fishin buddy . He brought in a 20"+ fish to the bank that I wanted to net .
"I know what I'm doin,"he said as he slid his thumb down the line and got a lip hold on a 5 pound
walleye . Ever hear a 220 pound young man squeal like a pig ?
I've been the victim of grabbing a tree rat that wasn't dead , too . Lighter guys can also squeal like a pig to ammuse their friends .