Wow, there’s something about that picture of Mr. Handsome standing next to his ocean fishing rod that makes him look like a giant. During our weekend trip to the Florida Panhandle earlier this summer, he spent a couple hours fishing off the shore one evening. Mr. Handsome is an avid angler, but he has very little experience in saltwater. With waves and the tide to consider, it’s a whole different ballgame than fishing in lakes and rivers.
While we were on our trip, we made about half our meals in our tiny condo and ate the other half at restaurants. Fresh Emerald Coast grouper cannot be beat, so we indulged in that a few times without any ounce of regret. Sauteed grouper with a savory butter sauce is probably my favorite meal ever. Sadly, the fish found in Nashville doesn’t hold a candle to the stuff you can find on the coast. Nothing beats freshly caught, and you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get it. Santa Rosa Beach is filled with locally owned, ocean-view eateries that serve incredible fish.
Our hope with Mr. Handsome’s fishing excursion was that it would yield a prize fish that we could cook in our condo, but sadly it did not. He caught one small trout that had to be thrown back, but that was the extend of his return. Boy did he make a good effort, though!
Little Buddy giggled as Daddy waded out into the choppy waves with his 10-foot fishing pole. He was less than 30 feet from the beach, but the water was so deep that he had to start swimming to make it to the sandbar. He stayed out there for a while and came back with blue lips.
Do you like eating fish? Have you tried freshly caught?
Anonymous
Used to live in New England right down the street from the waterfront where the lobster boats and fishing boats pulled in. You could get a whole lobster for $2 and you could have your pick from the pile of discarded wooden lobster crates behind the lobster pound. Dinner for $4 and all the free bookshelves you wanted. Couldn’t beat that. We could get scallops and all kinds of fresh fish. There was a restaurant whose slogan was “Where the fish jump out of the ocean and into the frying pan.” I still have some of those lobster crates 40 years later, BTW. Also some fruit crates from fruit markets there. I was into reusing and repurposing before that was a thing.
Ellie
That sounds like an incredible place to live! I’m sure you miss all the fresh seafood.
Anonymous
Mr. H looks 8 ft. tall. I believe it’s the background. I love eating fish,my husband use to go fishing and we ate what it caught. Oh, there’s not much activity on the Duggar blob. Are the Duggar’s giving up the blog?
Ellie
The blog is still going. ๐
Justine Kessner
Ellie, I have gone fishing, and always wanted to go!!!!
Justine Kessner
Ellie I’ve never been fishing, but 1 day I’d love to, I do eat fish, and I love it, and I love U 3!!!!!
Anonymous
why is Mr. Handsome fishing while standing out in the ocean? We caught some nice fish in the Florida ocean standing on the shore with our pole.
Ellie
Good question. I wondered that too. He had to get to the sandbar so he could cast into the deeper waters.
Ann
I wouldn’t eat any of the fish out in the ocean it’s not safe. A friend of my sister died from eating the fish down their.
Eileen
Mr H does look like a giant in that pic. It was my first thought and I am happy to see you thought it first Ellie! The second pic looks like Mr H would need superhuman upper body strength to cast off with the water so high up plus the waves. Superman at work indeed! Lol. We love fish and eat it all the time as we are working on going more and more to a Mediterranean diet. Meals of fresh caught fish with salads is something we have really enjoyed in Hawaii. Did you eat that type of meal too?
Ellie
Fresh caught fish and salad/veggies is my favorite combo too. And I’m always up for some creamy mashed potatoes, although not healthy, LOL. We loved the fresh fish when we went to Hawaii a few years ago.
Anonymous
I haven’t been fishing in a while but love fresh seafood. If ya’ll ever go to Ft. Walton, try Stewby’s. Their seafood is very fresh, and their Georgia cornbread is soooo good. As much as I love the ocean, the waves look too rough for me. Mr. H is brave!
Ellie
Thank you for the recommendation! Ooh I do love cornbread, LOL
Anonymous
Their Ga cornbread is actually a brown sugar blondie type bar with the pecans ground fine to resemble cornmeal. It was so good and moist and not overly sweet. The name threw me off when I ordered it.
Ellie
LOL! I was picturing a delicious, buttery piece of cornbread. But that sounds really good, too!
Ellie
Ellie
Hey Justine. I usually only answer comments that are questions or discussion starters. ๐
Jennifer
When I was a little girl, my dad and his buddies would go fishing in rural Georgia. We had a lot of family fish frys back then.๐
Now, my husband and I enjoy grilled or baked Salmon or Tilapia with a spicy sauce or lemon better.
Glad your family had a good trip๐.