Florida man goes fishing first-thing in the morning. Then he opens his Coleman cooler: ‘We have a serious problem’

A Florida man went fishing early in the morning. He now has a “serious problem,” no plans and a Coleman cooler filled with fish.

The angler @kissimmeespecial shared the viral video with 349,800 views. He may have created the perfect fishing day problem after heading out to Lake Kissimmee to catch some shellcrackers. The plan worked a little too well.

The creator said they started fishing around 6:30 a.m. and by just 8:30 a.m., the cooler was already full of fish. That’s when the real dilemma began.

The fishing trip was apparently a massive success but it also left one important question. What happens when you’ve caught everything you came for before most people have even had breakfast?

Did the Comments Have a Solution?

The comments were quick to solve the problem.

Several people suggested that the angler shouldn’t waste the unexpected free time. Instead, they recommended spending the day cleaning the catch, drinking some beers, eating and eventually taking a well-earned nap.

Basically, the internet’s official post-fishing schedule appeared to be clean fish, eat fish, drink beer, nap, repeat.

Why Was Everyone Saying Not to Tell the Wife?

One commenter offered a warning that may have been more important than anything involving the fish.

“Don’t let the wife know,” they joked, suggesting that revealing the fishing trip was already over could result in the angler receiving an entirely new list of things to accomplish.

And that’s where the comments turned the fishing story into a relatable marriage joke.

What Are Shellcrackers?

So, what exactly did the Florida fisherman spend his morning catching? 

Shellcrackers are redear sunfish, a species of freshwater panfish that gets its nickname from its unusual diet. Redear sunfish have specialized teeth in the back of their throats that allow them to crush hard-shelled prey such as snails and small mollusks. Hence the name “shellcracker.”

Shellcrackers are also prized by anglers because they can grow considerably larger than many other panfish. FishUSA notes that they can commonly reach more than 2 pounds in warmer parts of the country.  Lake Kissimmee is specifically listed as one of the notable shellcracker fisheries in the U.S.

Is there a limit on how many shellcrackers you can take home?

That full cooler may look like a fishing jackpot.

However, there are limits on how many shellcrackers an angler can legally keep. 

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC),  shellcrackers fall under Florida’s 50 fish per person per day panfish limit. 

That means the fisherman may have filled his cooler by 8:30 a.m., but he could have reached his legal limit. Although this depends on exactly how many fish were inside.

@kissimmeespecial What should we do now? #floridafishing #fishtok #lakekissimmee #shellcracker #bluegill @Popmore @Gamakatsu USA @gregbondurant7 @K9 Fishing Products @Slick Sticks Custom Rods @Scales & Tales Outdoors @XinXin_Lue @captain justin @KFRED Kendall Frederick @colemanusa ♬ original sound – Kissimmeespecial

So What Should He Actually Do With the Rest of the Day?

According to the comments, the answer seems pretty straightforward.

Clean the fish, cook some of them, enjoy a cold drink, and take a nap. Most importantly, try not to make eye contact with anyone who might have a chore in mind.

The Mary Sue reached out to Kissimmeespecial via TikTok direct message for comment.

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