Yesterday started as a trip to Waco to put out brush. Left the house at dark:30, stopped to gas up the boat and the truck and arrived at the ramp with just enough light to load up and head out. The water was perfect, with just a ripple of wind and the main lake had little traffic other than �junk� fisherman (beating the bank and the bubblers). HHHaaaa!!!!! Four piles later I contemplated heading north or south and then a thought came. Maybe I can go back to Belton and fish like dad and I did 20 years ago!


After mom passed, every April, dad would make the 1000 mile trek to Texas to fish Central Texas lakes...mostly Belton. I would take a week of vacation and then we would fish after work and my days off every chance we could the whole month of April. Then dad would head back to start his gardening way up in Yankee land. He made the trip for over 10 years, until the drive was just too much for him. Dad passed 2 years ago at 94 years of age with many trips under his belt. Dad didn�t like fishing a straight jig much, he preferred a slip cork and sometimes a minnow. But he would go, rain or shine, wind or cold!


Sooo, I loaded up the boat�.tossed the wood chips out and put the saws and tools in the bed and took off!!! On the way to Belton I was doing a mental inventory. Do I have floats and stops? Which jigs? Which way? By the time I arrived at the ramp, the jigs and directions were firm! I couldn�t resist stopping just for a moment at a transition area to pluck a few good sows out of the deeper brush and then on to the shallows. The fish, mostly dark males were very eager and in just a couple hours I had a limit in the cooler of nice fish and lots of memories of dad and I�..slip cork fishin�!!!!!

Good story and good memories. On my desk I have a picture of my Dad and myself. Though we did not know it at the time it turned out to be his last fishing trip on this earth.

Great Story and good times Bill.

Yes very good story Bill. I to have fond memories of trips with my Dad. I also this time of year go back to where we fished a repeat the same things we did back in the day. This is that month and things still hold true to that successful pattern. It is like we are together again for the day.

Great story.

brought back a lot of memories.

It just don't get any better!

Great story! Thanks for sharing

Interesting story, thanks for sharing. My grandfather taught me the fun of fishing and hunting.