A Summer With my Family! Wonderful Memories... (Summer 2019)

Hey...what's up, Blog Readers?! 

Wow...in a heartbeat, I kinda realize that it has been thirty-five weeks and three days since I have written here on the Blog. Time passes fast; life gets busy! 

Well...for those who have been following EPF on social media, a gentle reminder that I have been uploading YouTube videos on the Channel every few days. I have also been on a streak of daily stories on my Instagram Page. Thus, if you folks want to get your daily dose of EPF (for whatever reason), make sure to follow me on those platforms! I do intend to work a little bit more on the Blog in the future; however, with time being a commodity nowadays, nothing is set in stone. 😀

For those who financially support me via Patreon or the Monthly Membership on YouTube -- and thanks for all your love and support, I have been posting a bit on my SnapChat and uploading photos on my Smugmug Fish Photo Database

So yeah, ladies and gentlemen...although you haven't heard from me over here, I have been doing quite well! I have been exploring new places and catching different Species of fish; some of them new to my lifelist

EPF with a Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) in Pittsburgh -- Summer 2019

On top of that, I have had the pleasure of fishing with my mother and my father, who came to the United States of America for a one-hundred and fifteen days vacation! Below are the highlights of our Summer fishing trips:

--- WILLIAMSBURG, VA ---
June 30th-July 4th

- Explored and fished 4 different locations, including the College Creek, Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, Powhatan Creek, & the King-Lincoln Fishing Pier.
- Landed multiple different Species of fish, including my first ever Spotted Weakfish (Cynoscion nebulosus), Atlantic Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), and Largehead Hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus).
- Non-fishing related: visited and explored historic Jamestown, took the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, drove to Newport News and Virginia Beach.  

Spotted Weakfish (Cynoscion nebulosus)

Atlantic Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus)

Largehead Hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus)

Below are the YouTube videos for this fishing trip:

EP1: Fishing the brackish waters of College Creek

EP2: Exploring & Fishing the Powhatan Creek

EP3: Combat fishing the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier

EP4: Fishing the King-Lincoln Fishing Pier

And here are some additional photos from this fishing trip:

A nice Bowfin (Amia calva) from the Powhatan Creek

My mother with a nice sized Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus)

My father standing on the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier

On the Jamestown Ferry! My nephew CreeperKid creeping from the car

My mother with a "double up" Atlantic Croaker on the King-Lincoln Jetty

My nephew CreeperKid with a creepy Oyster Toadfish (Opsanus tau)

My mother with a lost Silver Perch (Bairdiella chrysoura) -- the only one of the entire trip

--- PITTSBURGH, PA ---

August 5th-9th

- Explored and fished the three big Rivers at the Point State Park: The Monongahela River, the Ohio River, & the Allegheny River.
- Landed multiple different Species of fish, including my first ever Mimic Shiner (Notropis volucellus), Channel Shiner (Notropis wickliffi), and Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus).  

Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)

Channel Shiner (Notropis wickliffi)

Mimic Shiner (Notropis volucellus)

Below are the YouTube videos for this fishing trip:

EP1: Fishing the Monongahela River

EP2: Revenge on the Monongahela River

EP3: Fishing the Allegheny River

EP4: Graveyard Shift on the Monongahela River

And here are some additional photos from this fishing trip:

My father with one of the many Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) from the Monongahela River

Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) from the Monongahela River

A Mimic Shiner from the Monongahela River

The biggest Channel Catfish from the Pittsburgh trip

My father with a Smallmouth Buffalo

My mother with her biggest Smallmouth Buffalo of this trip

My up-to-date smallest Channel Catfish on the Tanago hook

A Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) from the Monongahela River

--- MIAMI BEACH, FL ---


September 7th-11th

- Explored and fished the south point of Miami Beach, including the Melloy Channel, the Government Cut, Biscayne Bay, and Baker's Haulover Inlet. 

- Landed multiple different Species of fish, including my first ever Channel Flounder (Syacium micrurum)Redtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma chrysopterum)Redfin Needlefish (Strongylura notata), Dwarf Sand Perch (Diplectrum bivittatum), and Slope Soapfish (Rypticus carpenteri).   
- Correctly identified the Yellow Sea Chub (Kyphosus incisor) from the Bermuda Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix) via meristics. Added the Yellow Sea Chub to the Species list.

Yellow Sea Chub (Kyphosus incisor)

Channel Flounder (Syacium microrum)

Redtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma chrysopterum)

Redfin Needlefish (Strongylura notata)

Dwarf Sand Perch (Diplectrum bivittatum)

Slope Soapfish (Rypticus carpenteri)

Below are the YouTube videos for this fishing trip:

EP1: Fishing the Melloy Channel

EP2: Fishing the Melloy Channel -- Part 2

EP3: Fishing the South Pointe Park Pier

EP4: Fishing the Biscayne Bay

And here are some additional photos from this fishing trip:

My mother with a Yellow Fin Mojarra (Gerres cinereus) from the Melloy Channel

My father with a Checkered Puffer (Sphoeroides testudineus) from the Melloy Channel

My mother with a Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis) from the Melloy Channel

My father with a Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) from the Melloy Channel

My mother with a Yellow Stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis) from the Melloy Channel

My mother with a Green Razorfish (Xyrichthys splendens) from the Baker's Haulover Inlet

A Scribbled Leatherjacket Filefish (Aluterus scriptus) from the Baker's Haulover Inlet

A French Grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) from the Baker's Haulover Inlet

A Spotted Soapfish (Rypticus subbifrenatus) from the Baker's Haulover Inlet

--- FORT MYERS BEACH, FL ---



September 24th-28th

- Explored and fished the Big Carlos Pass and Little Carlos Pass in Lovers Key State Park, as well as the Yatch Club Fishing Pier in Cape Coral. 

- Landed multiple different Species of fish, including my first ever Gulf Kingcroaker (Menticirrhus littoralis)Tidewater Mojarra (Eucinostomus harengulus)Tidewater Silverside (Menidia peninsulae), Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio), and Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis)   

- Correctly identified the False Herring (Harengula clupeola) from the Scaled Herring (Harengula jaguana) via the basihyal and basibranchial toothplates. Added the False Herring to the Species list.
- My father caught a once-in-a-lifetime catch: the Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata). This critically endangered fish is portrayed in video 3 of this series.

False Herring (Harengula cluopeola)

Gulf Kingfish (Menticirrhus littoralis)

Tidewater Mojarra (Eucinostomus harengulus)

Tidewater Silverside (Menidia peninsulae)

Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio)

Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis)

Below are the YouTube videos for this fishing trip:

EP1: Fishing the Big Carlos Pass

EP2: Fishing the Little Carlos Pass

EP3: Fishing the Callosahatchee River

And here are some additional photos from this fishing trip:

An Atlantic Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) from the Big Carlos Pass

My mother with a Bighead Searobin (Prionotus tribulus) from the Big Carlos Pass

My father with a Striped Burrfish (Chilomycterus schoepfii) from the Big Carlos Pass

My mother with a Gulf Toadfish (Opsanus beta) from the Big Carlos Pass

My father with a Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from the Big Carlos Pass

My mother with a Gafftopsail Catfish (Bagre marinus) from the Little Carlos Pass

A Nine-Armed Sea Star (Luidia senegalensis) from the Little Carlos Pass

A Pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera) from the Little Carlos Pass

My father with a Hardhead Sea Catfish (Ariopsis felis) from the Little Carlos Pass

My father with the biggest Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) that I have ever seen -- Little Carlos Pass

My mother fishing the Little Carlos Pass

An Atlantic Stingray (Hypanus sabinus) from the Caloosahatchee River

My mother with an Atlantic Stingray from the Caloosahatchee River

My father on the balcony of our hotel in Fort Myers Beach -- the Lani Kai

My mother in the "backyard" of our hotel in Fort Myers Beach

I hope you folks enjoyed this little summary of the 2019 EPF Family Fishing Trips! 😁

Sadly, today -- October 8th, 2019 -- marks the day that my father and my mother are going back to São Paulo, Brazil. Until next Summer, I am going to miss them a lot! Thus, to quench my saudades, just like you -- the reader, I will be coming back to this post quite a bit to check out the wonderful species and memories that I made with them. 😎

Stay tuned for some more updates coming shortly! After all, I do have a California fishing trip coming at the end of the month.

Best of luck to all of us!

Long Days and Pleasant Nights,

Tight lines!

Sincerely,

Leo S. a.k.a. Extreme Philly Fishing