‘Fish of a lifetime.’ How forgotten rods led to a 47-inch redfish catch in Tampa Bay

On Sept. 30, 2021, Capt. Mike Goodwine left his Plant City house for a morning charter he had scheduled out of E.G Simmons Park on southern Tampa Bay.

He packed up his boat and made the hour-long drive like he’s done countless times before, backed the boat down into the water and began readying for his clients.

But something was wrong.

“I forgot all my rods at home,” Goodwine posted on Facebook that day.

“That’s the worst feeling ever. I’m such a scatterbrain.”

Thinking the day was lost, Goodwine began to pack up and make the drive home.

“I saw Mike there and could tell he was upset,” said Todd Mayo, who was fishing E.G. Simmons that morning for snook. “I had talked to him many times before, and he told me he accidentally left all his fishing poles at his house and was about to cancel his charter. I told him to go catch bait and I’d run home to get him rods for his charter so he wouldn’t have to cancel.”

Mayo returned with six rods, and Goodwine’s charter went on to have a good day. When they met up to exchange the rods after the trip, Goodwine offered cash but Mayo said he couldn’t take it.

Out of good faith Goodwine offered him a future fishing trip to get Mayo a personal best redfish.

Fast forward a year and a half to 2023, and Goodwine found the perfect opportunity to repay the favor.

“You thought I forgot about you,” he told Mayo.

The destination was across the state along with Jake Wise and his dad, Capt. William Wise, as the group journeyed in search of giant redfish.

“He wanted to fish a few hours before sunset. We had mullet and were using the heads for bait on tarpon tackle. It was big tackle and I realized why when I hooked into one,” Mayo recalled.

“I fought one for 10 to 15 minutes and it was freaking huge.

Absolutely huge. What a rush, when we got it in the boat I couldn’t believe it. It beat my personal best by 10 inches.”

The giant was netted and put on a tape measure, extending far beyond the tapes 40 inches which needed an extension for full measurement.

Goodwine came through on his promise and put Mayo on a redfish that went an astounding 47 inches. Wise would also catch one a similar size.

It was a fish that Mayo will remember forever.

“I didn’t need repayment but that was a fish of a lifetime. It was a reminder to me that the Tampa Bay fishing community is great.”