This is my post for #freewriters Monday prompt bread and butter hosted by @daily.prompt
To make a living and raise our 5 kids we net fished, it was our bread and butter. We did not know what we were going to do to make our living when the State of Florida passed the net ban. We were very worried.
We put everything we had into growing clams, we bought seed clams when they were the size of a grain of beach sand. We grew them until they were the size of a pencil eraser then put them in bags and placed them on the bottom of the river. When they grew to the size of a nickel we pulled the bags and put them in what we called grow out bags. We put them back on the bottom of the river until they were big enough to sell. But when the river crashed, we lost everything, 50 thousand dollars worth of clams died.
We started castnetting, but when I hurt my back I could no longer throw one. My husband castnetted until last year and after 3 hernia surgeries, he had to quit castnetting.
We kingfished and longlined sharks until laws were passed knocking us out of these fisheries. Even though we had fished for many years, we did not qualify because we did not catch enough kingfish or sharks to keep our license.
We started rod and reel fishing, and this worked for many years, but with each year the river declined more and more. This year is the worst. There are only 2 fish that we are allowed to catch and sell on a rod and reel. There was not many pompano this year and I am not sure yet about trout. I went 2 days and caught 3 but it is early in the season so I have not given up yet. My hopes are not very high but I do have hope that there will be enough to pay the bills.
If there are no trout, I am not sure how we will make it, but I know somehow we will, something will come through for us, it always has. I am just not sure what it will be. We have tried all types of fishing so I do not think we will be making our living from the river.
photos are mine
