Another awesome day on the water! - 08/10/22
Took a long time family friend fishing this morning. Couldn’t have picked a better day; showers off & on all day yesterday ridded us of the humidity so weather was stellar. We were on the water early, fishing the river I grew up on in the area I knew best. It’s changed a ton but the toothy critters that were in sparser numbers back then are all over the place now.
Judah got on the board with a nice little hammer handle, his first northern ever:
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/0jVTZQBz/4-FCDE306-D0-B3-40-D1-8-A48-920-F524-BD4-A3.jpg)
He really hasn’t fished much at all so it was a great time stoking his enthusiasm, and the fish even cooperated!
Wasn’t too much further upstream that I got on the board with a freshwater barracuda of my own; one that was a little bigger than those I’ve caught in this area earlier this year but not an alpha by any stretch:
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/QNSZj4dj/8-E4-DACBD-D202-48-B7-95-F2-5-DEB4-B121558.jpg)
We got into some largemouth water and I caught a couple dinks but Judah scored a decent one on his gold #5 Mepps:
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/x8jrKHtr/44261-C12-F0-EB-4387-9-EF7-CF913-A1-EC533.jpg)
We could have gone home pretty happy right there but we were working some shadows and I “one eyed jack” on a spinner bait; note his dead eye:
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/yN9zB7kG/2-DD0-BF51-7-A86-49-C1-8-A0-F-9250805-E55-F8.jpg)
We kept going upstream but had no luck and started getting thirsty & hungry. I threw the net and my rods behind me set on getting to the take out. We floated by a cold-looking trib creek and I decided I ought to work the area below it. I started chuckin the 3/4 oz spinner bait I caught my 2nd pike on and had a big one appear out of no where smackin it but not sucking it in.
And this is why I love northern and smallmouth; they just don’t GAS. Trout whip out a freakin magnifying glass to inspect yer lure 45 min after the pool calms from you wading into it. Largemouth look up at ya as yer wacky rigged “magic worm” squirms across his nose. Hook any of em, smallmouth included, and they’re down a while.
I Chuck it back in front of him and WHAM! Zzzzzzz fish on; best of the day!!! We both get excited but i quickly realize how dumb it was to stash the net behind me (Judah was in front)!! I was struggling to keep my rod tip up and get the net and he got off!!!!
Not to be deterred we fished our way down and just as we were getting super close to the take out Judah hooked his second pike of the day! This was super exciting… he kept his rod tip up, let him run when he needed to, and guided him to the net. I got a few extra pics to celebrate:
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/x1BSWXTH/80-CDCBC7-7-CD6-4987-A76-F-AF5-D20-AF245-E.jpg)
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/wM9z0nxG/E46244-A6-845-E-4212-A547-94-B00-B6-FC935.jpg)
We went out to lunch and hit another stretch of river briefly before heading home to “real life” but we decided we’ve gotta get more time on the water before he starts his sophomore year of college.
Judah’s family and ours were in a small group at church when we found out our oldest son was to be born. Judah is just a couple weeks older than my son so my wife and his mom experienced pregnancy together, and I’ve known him all his life. I was his catechism teacher and he and my son play on various jazz ensembles around town. When I found out he wanted to fish I was pretty excited to be able to show him the ropes a bit.
It’s unbelievable watching these boys… our babies… grow into fine gentlemen. So cool that they have a lasting friendship and continue to connect. Super cool when the old guy gets to hang and get to know the younger a little better. There have been men like that in my boys life and it means a ton because they can say things (or really more like be heard) in ways my boys don’t hear me.
Awesome day; thanks for reading!
Judah got on the board with a nice little hammer handle, his first northern ever:
He really hasn’t fished much at all so it was a great time stoking his enthusiasm, and the fish even cooperated!
Wasn’t too much further upstream that I got on the board with a freshwater barracuda of my own; one that was a little bigger than those I’ve caught in this area earlier this year but not an alpha by any stretch:
We got into some largemouth water and I caught a couple dinks but Judah scored a decent one on his gold #5 Mepps:
We could have gone home pretty happy right there but we were working some shadows and I “one eyed jack” on a spinner bait; note his dead eye:
We kept going upstream but had no luck and started getting thirsty & hungry. I threw the net and my rods behind me set on getting to the take out. We floated by a cold-looking trib creek and I decided I ought to work the area below it. I started chuckin the 3/4 oz spinner bait I caught my 2nd pike on and had a big one appear out of no where smackin it but not sucking it in.
And this is why I love northern and smallmouth; they just don’t GAS. Trout whip out a freakin magnifying glass to inspect yer lure 45 min after the pool calms from you wading into it. Largemouth look up at ya as yer wacky rigged “magic worm” squirms across his nose. Hook any of em, smallmouth included, and they’re down a while.
I Chuck it back in front of him and WHAM! Zzzzzzz fish on; best of the day!!! We both get excited but i quickly realize how dumb it was to stash the net behind me (Judah was in front)!! I was struggling to keep my rod tip up and get the net and he got off!!!!
Not to be deterred we fished our way down and just as we were getting super close to the take out Judah hooked his second pike of the day! This was super exciting… he kept his rod tip up, let him run when he needed to, and guided him to the net. I got a few extra pics to celebrate:
We went out to lunch and hit another stretch of river briefly before heading home to “real life” but we decided we’ve gotta get more time on the water before he starts his sophomore year of college.
Judah’s family and ours were in a small group at church when we found out our oldest son was to be born. Judah is just a couple weeks older than my son so my wife and his mom experienced pregnancy together, and I’ve known him all his life. I was his catechism teacher and he and my son play on various jazz ensembles around town. When I found out he wanted to fish I was pretty excited to be able to show him the ropes a bit.
It’s unbelievable watching these boys… our babies… grow into fine gentlemen. So cool that they have a lasting friendship and continue to connect. Super cool when the old guy gets to hang and get to know the younger a little better. There have been men like that in my boys life and it means a ton because they can say things (or really more like be heard) in ways my boys don’t hear me.
Awesome day; thanks for reading!
