I’m afraid to jinx it, but it’s really starting to seem like maybe — maybe — winter has moved on. The water temperature has been very springlike, which has been causing the fish to do springlike things. With that in mind, when Capt. Josh Greer of XXL Sportfishing Charters invited me on a scouting trip, I jumped at the chance. Robert Lugiewicz (you may know him from Fishin’ Frank’s or as one of our regular writers) would also be coming out. The plan: To see if we could locate any tarpon, sharks or other large fish in the Harbor. We had all heard reports of such, but we wanted to see for ourselves. Both of these guys are accomplished big-fish hunters, so I figured at least I was in the right company.

The first time I heard of Capt. Josh’s charter business, I wondered about the name: XXL? Then I met the man and immediately understood. He’s 19 feet tall. Alright, maybe it’s more like 6 foot 10, but he still has to endure a lot of Jolly Green Giant jokes. He’s a good sport about it, and he’s a genuinely nice guy. That’s fortunate, because if he were a little meaner we’d all be in danger of having our bones ground for bread.