My oldest son (thirteen in three weeks) is here for the summer and we havent had much one on one time. He heads back home in another week so we spent the day together and headed out to Grapevine this morning to try to get some more cats for the freezer.

Managed some shad with the net, mostly small ones but a few cutters. I showed him how to work the castnet and within two throws he had it perfected.

Bite was slow at first and we managed one small channel about 14". We rebaited our lines with some bigger chunks of the large shad and waited. One of the rods started screaming and I grabbed it. Set the hook and it felt like a freight train taking off. Made a nice birdnest of my reel as the drag was screaming. Had to run backwards to keep the line tight while I tried to reel him in. Finally got him on the bank and it was a seven pound blue. Got him on the stringer and proceeded to try and untangle my reel. Another reel goes off my son grabs it. Nice three pound eater. While still trying to fix my reel, another clicker goes to town and my son grabs it and the fight is on. Took him a few minutes and he was ready to quit and hand me the rod as the fish was putting up a good fight. I told him he could handle it and that I had confidence in him to finish the job. The fish was putting on quite a topwater show. He persevered and landed his new personal best of an almost nine pound blue (the scale kept jumping between 8 lb 12oz and 9 lb). Needless to say he was in heaven. I was proud that he stuck it out and finished the job. Everyone he has told, he has emphasized that he did it on his own.

Well we baited up again and a few minutes later another reel goes off and he ties in to a monster. We where both excited as the fish got near to shore. He was putting on a topwater show as well and this one dwarfed the one he had already landed. Well, to our dissapointment the fish became unhooked a few feet from the bank. I was so hoping he would land it and break his pb twice in one day.

Enough of the story of our great day. Here is the pic of him holding his new pb blue.

Robert, that is a great story and a great PB! Congrats to your boy and hope he remembers this story forever. That was awesome!

Nice fish and congrats. Watch those fins.

Excellent story and way to go kiddo

Cudos dad.

Way to go guys!

Great job to both of you! Looks like Grapevine was the place to be.

Great cats, and great memories for you guys.

Congrats!

nice catch -- & story CONGRATS

Congrats.

congrats.... and happy eating..

Nice catch.

nice cat.

Nice Cat!!! It's great that you were able to spend some quality time with your Son! I'm sure that catching a new PB that size made it a day both of you will remember for a long time. Having the bigger one get away will just make the memory that much sweeter.

Tell the boy Congratulations, & Good Fishin',
LlindeX