September 20, 2001 - The snappers of SeptemberThe Suffolk Times • September 20, 2001
The sna
ers o
September
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
September is snapper month. These little silvery fighters probably provided
most of us with our apprenticeship In fishing. Our creeks and bays provide the
Ideal nursery area for these future tigers of the sea (bluefish).
I GUESS IT.WOULDN'T BE right to say
how great the weather's been because
by the time this gets in the paper, who
knows what will be coming along.
Nevertheless, the recent weather has
been perfect for any outdoor activity,
and what better activity than to try our
luck at snapper
Focus fishing. I guess
snappers were
QH the fish that
NATURE introduced us
kids to the joy of
by Paul fishing. It's the
Stoutenburgh easiest fish for
young people to
catch and after all, what better place to
start learning the art?
I can remember as a kid using long
bamboo poles down at the edge of the
channel and catching snappers there.
Once we hooked them, we'd swing
them up over our heads onto the
sandy beach in back. Those were our
apprentice days in fishing. Even today,
those silvery little fish keep fighting
and still lure us to their capture.
Time has changed and in the place
of the bamboo poles we took a cou-
ple of spinning rods and reels in
hopes of catching a few of these sil-
very fish in the creek. As we
approached the dock, with its lush
green marsh grass all around, we
noticed how the spartina alterniflora,
or thatch grass, wants to perpetuate
its kind. How lush the salt marshes
are at this time of year.
As we walked out on the dock,
from underneath flew a green heron,
the small, almost dove - sized, bird
with long legs and pointed bill. It had
been at the water's edge hoping to
catch an unsuspecting killifish that
came within striking distance. It flew
away to an area where its solitude
would not be disturbed. To see these
small herons hunt is to see slow
motion in action. Often this motion
stops altogether as the bird poises
itself for the next meal that passes by.
I wonder if this is the same green
heron that has nested up the lane
from us. For the last 10 years I have
seen a green heron fly to our pond to
dine on goldfish. It then flies back up
the lane to its stick nest in a locust
tree. I expect each year to be its last
hooks draped in a piece of brown tub-
as development encroaches around
ing; and they really worked. We must
it. As a nest builder the green heron
have gotten 13 or 14 before deciding
leaves much to be desired. I can
we had enough, so we headed back
remember photographing
home. It was an easy day of fishing.
a nesting pair over on Fire
Six or so of
Some might say those little snap -
Island. You could look up
pers aren't worth the effort. The
through the nest and see these little
problem is they don't understand how
the eggs. Overall it was
fish have
to eat snappers once they're cooked
quite a flimsy thing but
somehow they survived whet our
properly. We merely cut off the heads
and tails and gut them, leaving the
and brought off a brood. appetite...
tiny scales on. We then wash them, let
When we got down to
them drain and put them in a brown
the boat the tide was high.
bag with flour and salt and pepper.
We untied it and got the motor start-
Give the bag a thorough shaking and
ed — yes, thank goodness it started
they're ready to be cooked.
— and we were off. It was one of
We use an electric frying pan to fry
those sparkling fall days when you
the fish in. This keeps the fishy smell
were glad to be alive. Yet, with all the
out of the house. When they're golden
glory of the day, few people were out,
brown, we take them out and let them
so we had the creek to ourselves. We
drain on a paper towel. Now they're
trolled up and down with our lines
ready to eat. Yes, I said ready to eat.
running out in back about 30 feet.
Like corn on the cob, little fins and
Sure enough, we had the first one
scales and all can be eaten. Their tiny
on the line in no time and in it came,
soft bones are hardly noticeable, leav-
fighting all the way. They never give
ing only the backbone to be tossed
away. This is true only when these
snappers are very small; when they
up. One even bit me as I tried to free
get bigger, it's a different story. The
it from its hook.
taste of these little snappers makes it
Up and down we trolled and as the
all worthwhile. (Barbara: Of course, I
hours went by the marsh flooded.
get the last shot at this story when I
This made it-an ideal hunting ground
put it in the computer, and in my case,
for great white egrets. They were fin-
and maybe many of you ladies would
ished nesting up north and were
agree, you'll see those tiny little bones
leisurely heading south. We
lying on the side of my plate when I'm
watched them hunting in
finished.) Six or so of these - little fish
their own deliberate way in
have whet our appetite for another
the marsh, which was just
trip out on the next good day.
another McDonald's stop
While we were fishing, I, took time
for them.
to move the boat up to the edge of
With the marsh now
the marsh where sea lavender grows.
flooded, the killifish took
Sea lavender is that dainty little blue
advantage of these new
or lavender flower that grows on a
grazing lands. Here they'd
cluster of stems out in the salt marsh.
stay until the tide started to drop:
It's past its peak now and yet there.
Then it would be back to the deeper
were still a few clusters of blue that
water of the creek. Each has its rea-
we couldn't resist. With the bow of
son for being, the killifish finding ne
the boat pushing against the marsh,
feeding grounds and the great egrets
Barbara got out and picked a small
finding a new source of food and
bouquet of these dainty little flowers
energy to help them on their journey
that later, when dried, will remind us
south. All this triggered by the short-
of a beautiful day when we went
er days and flood tides.
snapper fishing in our creek.
We were using manufactured white
Styrofoam floats with three -foot lead-
ers trailing behind with their tiny