When the heat index hits 115, fish aren't the only ones in danger

Recently, it has been incredibly hot. Afternoon temperatures have been in the triple digits with the heat index in excess of 115 degrees. The Charleston Harbor water temperature is 87 degrees. These conditions are dangerous for anglers and fish. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the optimal fishing tide was in the early afternoon – right in the middle of the hottest part of the day.  

My plan was to fish during the first hour of the incoming tide. I figured the rising tide would bring cooler water into the Wando River and trigger redfish to feed.  

1. Get out.  

2. Quickly catch a big redfish.   

3. Go home before getting a heat stroke.   

Seemed like a solid plan.   

My first red flag was when Brody refused to go. Typically, when I say let’s go fishing, Brody runs to the back door and sits down. On Wednesday, he gave me the “my human is an idiot” look, then fell back asleep next to the air conditioning vent. 

My second red flag was the oppressive heat as I walked from the house to the floating dock. Upon arrival at the skiff, I was drenched in sweat. In the back of my mind, I thought Brody was smarter than me. Then I fooled myself into thinking it would be cooler once I got underway. Unfortunately, it was not. 

It did not take long to locate a school of redfish in the 30-inch class. As anticipated, the cooler water of the incoming tide had them feeding on shrimp. I hooked up on my first cast. As I fought the fish, color began to fade from my vision.  

When I was releasing the fish, my vision was completely gray. No color at all. I thought that this was not good. Then I saw the redfish I had just released laying on the bottom. It was exhausted from the heat and the fight. I took a few minutes to take a picture and revive it. The entire scene was monochrome. 

When the fish swam away, I poured a bottle of cold water on my head. A quick AI query confirmed that monochrome vision is a sign of heat exhaustion. On the ride back to the dock, I concluded that these conditions are dangerous for anglers and fish. My next conclusion: Brody really is smarter than me!