And some days, you’re riding with the king. Straight up fact, and I have a witness, I, personally, caught 19 Large Mouth Bass on Saturday. The size ranged from small to medium to large. I suppose, that large might be a relative term, though, as I’ve caught larger fish right out my back door.
But what great fun it was. I took my buddy’s advice, and on one pole, I tied on a tiny Launcher and a little spoon, just like I was told to do. “Yeah, we caught 30 or 40 fish last week, using that.” Not that I won’t believe everything I hear, but I do know that some folks are given to a tad bit of hyperbole.
We started one place, could see fish but couldn’t get their attention, so we moved on over to another spot, and finally, back up in a cove, and I was using that Launcher thing, and I got the first tiny fish of the day. He – or she – can’t tell at 3 inches – was as cute as could be. Feisty little thing, fought me all the way in, and something I’d never realized before the juvenile bass have sharper “teeth” that their big brothers and sisters. First blood of the day.
We floated around, and kept getting little hits, but nothing of merit. Caught a total of three in that one spot. Might’ve been four, but those tiny fish, do they really count? Sure. A Large Mouth Bass is a Large Mouth Bass, even if the littlest one was only about three or four inches long. Still counts. And even the little ones, they still fight. Cute little buggers, too. I tried to kiss the first one. It got so upset, it bit my thumb and tried to wriggle away. Kids, huh?
I’d worried a little about the impact of Ivan on local weather patterns, and I’d expressed concern about rain, but I’d also hoped that the rain wouldn’t move in until it was scheduled to do so, in the afternoon. We were on the lake before sunup, but we didn’t hit that sweet spot along the dam until almost ten so it was more like one when we finally rolled back towards town. About the same time the rain was beginning, in earnest. Or the drizzle. We did pull on rain suits, but no sooner do we don rain suits than the rain stops.
That was about the time I pulled in the biggest catch of the day, that medium-sized one. Not really a huge fish, but on light tackle? And compared to the tiny and small fish before it? About right. For that lake, actually, it was a pretty decent fish. Here’s its’ story, see, throwing downwind, I could get a good cast on, sail that tiny lure through the air. Reeling it back in, I felt another little tickle, but as soon as I tried to reel faster, the first little one shook the hook. I kept cranking, though, figuring it was time to throw again, and that big one hit. Big fish. Lots of fight. Back swimming again, wondering what happened.
“I sure am glad you not into Chinese,” my partner explained, as we headed towards BBQ.
“But I am, I mean, I like it fine sometimes,” I replied.
“Yeah, but today? What would you rather have?”
Delicious, properly slow-smoked pork ribs and brisket.
Reminds me of speech by Ulysses in Shakespeare’s Troilus & Cressida, something about how there is order and place with the planets, the this is reflected on earth, and how there is a time and place for everything. (Act I, scene iii)
19 fish. Day-hum. That was some fun. My “bassin’ thumb,” left hand, is all tore up from the puncture of tiny, needle-like fish teeth. In fact, I think even the smallest fish of the day? Its large mouth could easily fit around my thumb.
Tiny
Small
Medium
(photo credit: Pat Drake of Drake’s Guide Service)