Post by sam on Dec 27, 2008 17:56:23 GMT -5
Big walleye and the little guy
3:am Saturday morning Zachary my 6-year-old grandson was pulling me from my bed . With a big smile and rod & reel in hand Zachary was saying" Get up O-pa its time to go.
Zachary and I go fishing every Saturday (weather permitting). Little did I know this would be a day I shall never forget for as long as I live.
I quickly dressed grabbed my gear and headed for my truck. Zachary had already loaded some food & drinks in my boat that my wife had prepared the night before. As I left the house I felt the cold breeze and thought it was a little to windy and cold but Zachary would not hear any of that. Nope! he was ready as ever.
As always, soon after I launched the boat. Zachary took the wheel and headed for one of our 4 favorite flats. After we reached the flat Zachary wanted to use a wax worm for bait. After some fancy talking from me he decided it was ok if we did some trolling until Daylight.
I have a fantasy of becoming a Walleye guy and thought this was a great day because of the whitecaps and it was going to be an overcast day. I tied on a floating worm harness with a neon blade while Zachary opted for a #3 beetle spin and a live minnow. We trolled all four of my favorite flats and found nothing but white bass.
By 6:am the sunrise had begun and Zachary decided it was time to drop the anchor and do some real fishing. (as he calls it). So we headed for the spot I named perch alley and dropped the anchor.
It was 15 feet deep and somewhat of a rocky & weed bottom. I didn't think the anchor would hold us in the whitecaps but it did.
Rocking and rolling with the waves I hoped Zachary would soon decide it was time to go home.
Zachary was using wax worms and I rigged 2 of my poles one with a 3"chub and the other with a shad rap. I had caught some Walleye in this spot many times and hoped I would hook another one.
Half an hour had passed without a bite on my lines while Zachary had caught 6 or 7 nice perch.
Zachary kept telling me "O-pa! You need to use wax worms here if ya want to catch anything" Boy, was I determined not to use wax worms. I just had to show Zachary I knew what I was doing and with
all my high priced tackle I would catch a Walleye if I stuck to my guns and used the right color lure.
About 30 more minutes had passed with my catching nothing and Zachary pulling in crappie & perch, one after another. Suddenly I heard Zachary shout O-pa! I got a big One. Laughing to myself I thought yeah right. It’s probably a 2 lb white bass. Within Seconds I realized Zachary was right. He had a really big fish on his line.
I dropped my pole and grabbed the net all the time telling him to play it out and keep the pole up.
It seemed like hours but was only a few minutes before the fish was in our view. Wow, it was a huge Walleye. I was amazed at the size. Several nearby boats come up close to watch as this little guy of 60 pounds fought this monster of a fish. I was so proud of Zachary.
He was standing up fighting that fish like a man. It took about 8 minutes for the fish to tire enough for me to net it.
By now the guys in the 2 other boats were clapping and telling Zachary what a great job he had done landing that big eye.
That Walleye was 28" and 8 pounds 2 oz of fighting beast. I was so proud I could have screamed.
Then Zachary turned to me with a big ole smile and said " thanks O-pa see I told you if you want to catch a big fish to use wax worms"
the laughter from the other boats echoed across the lake.
"I guess you’re right buddy yup I sure do" I said to Zachary. To my surprise after Zachary told the others what he was using for bait they made a B-line for the bait shop.
After a fish like that we both decided to head for home to show my wife and his sister. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to pull the stringer from the water. Yes, I lost Zachary's trophy. I could have cried I felt so very bad and sad. Once again my pride was renewed
as Zachary said " Its ok O-pa I'll catch him again" wow, can you believe that ?
As the day ended and I sat home thinking of all the sadness and pleasure I thought to Myself, there are two good lessons here.
One: keep it simple. With all the lures and things Sometimes the simplest baits out fish most lures.
Two: sometimes ya just got to shut up and listen (laughing) I wish I had.
3:am Saturday morning Zachary my 6-year-old grandson was pulling me from my bed . With a big smile and rod & reel in hand Zachary was saying" Get up O-pa its time to go.
Zachary and I go fishing every Saturday (weather permitting). Little did I know this would be a day I shall never forget for as long as I live.
I quickly dressed grabbed my gear and headed for my truck. Zachary had already loaded some food & drinks in my boat that my wife had prepared the night before. As I left the house I felt the cold breeze and thought it was a little to windy and cold but Zachary would not hear any of that. Nope! he was ready as ever.
As always, soon after I launched the boat. Zachary took the wheel and headed for one of our 4 favorite flats. After we reached the flat Zachary wanted to use a wax worm for bait. After some fancy talking from me he decided it was ok if we did some trolling until Daylight.
I have a fantasy of becoming a Walleye guy and thought this was a great day because of the whitecaps and it was going to be an overcast day. I tied on a floating worm harness with a neon blade while Zachary opted for a #3 beetle spin and a live minnow. We trolled all four of my favorite flats and found nothing but white bass.
By 6:am the sunrise had begun and Zachary decided it was time to drop the anchor and do some real fishing. (as he calls it). So we headed for the spot I named perch alley and dropped the anchor.
It was 15 feet deep and somewhat of a rocky & weed bottom. I didn't think the anchor would hold us in the whitecaps but it did.
Rocking and rolling with the waves I hoped Zachary would soon decide it was time to go home.
Zachary was using wax worms and I rigged 2 of my poles one with a 3"chub and the other with a shad rap. I had caught some Walleye in this spot many times and hoped I would hook another one.
Half an hour had passed without a bite on my lines while Zachary had caught 6 or 7 nice perch.
Zachary kept telling me "O-pa! You need to use wax worms here if ya want to catch anything" Boy, was I determined not to use wax worms. I just had to show Zachary I knew what I was doing and with
all my high priced tackle I would catch a Walleye if I stuck to my guns and used the right color lure.
About 30 more minutes had passed with my catching nothing and Zachary pulling in crappie & perch, one after another. Suddenly I heard Zachary shout O-pa! I got a big One. Laughing to myself I thought yeah right. It’s probably a 2 lb white bass. Within Seconds I realized Zachary was right. He had a really big fish on his line.
I dropped my pole and grabbed the net all the time telling him to play it out and keep the pole up.
It seemed like hours but was only a few minutes before the fish was in our view. Wow, it was a huge Walleye. I was amazed at the size. Several nearby boats come up close to watch as this little guy of 60 pounds fought this monster of a fish. I was so proud of Zachary.
He was standing up fighting that fish like a man. It took about 8 minutes for the fish to tire enough for me to net it.
By now the guys in the 2 other boats were clapping and telling Zachary what a great job he had done landing that big eye.
That Walleye was 28" and 8 pounds 2 oz of fighting beast. I was so proud I could have screamed.
Then Zachary turned to me with a big ole smile and said " thanks O-pa see I told you if you want to catch a big fish to use wax worms"
the laughter from the other boats echoed across the lake.
"I guess you’re right buddy yup I sure do" I said to Zachary. To my surprise after Zachary told the others what he was using for bait they made a B-line for the bait shop.
After a fish like that we both decided to head for home to show my wife and his sister. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to pull the stringer from the water. Yes, I lost Zachary's trophy. I could have cried I felt so very bad and sad. Once again my pride was renewed
as Zachary said " Its ok O-pa I'll catch him again" wow, can you believe that ?
As the day ended and I sat home thinking of all the sadness and pleasure I thought to Myself, there are two good lessons here.
One: keep it simple. With all the lures and things Sometimes the simplest baits out fish most lures.
Two: sometimes ya just got to shut up and listen (laughing) I wish I had.