Winter Arrives Along With ...Mullett Roe?

The first of December brought cold and blustery winds to Florida. Biking around town I noticed people in shorts with their hoodies pulled close to their heads, their hands covering their faces like shields. I even wore jeans for the first time in months, and a sweatshirt I had stashed at the bottom of my closet.

When I arrived at the dock I immediately saw several small fishing boats not far into the Bay. One or two would come back to shore, dislodge a cooler to guys on land, then head back out. The pelicans swarmed the area in hopes of a treat. What were they catching?

The answer as provided by a guy having a smoke at the St. Petersburg Marina: Once a year mullett lay their eggs (green and red roe) and fishermen harvest the mullett for these eggs. It is kind of a domestic caviar that they can sell for $1.95 an ounce.

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