Hello forum members, I certainly hope this story finds you in good health and better spirits. I am not really sure where this story actually began, however, I would like to pick a point that is fresh in my mind and go forward from there. This trip can best be described as follows: Diehard Fishing.
It was about 10:30am on Thursday morning when I got a call from a Man I will call "Joe" requesting my presence in a game of chance that evening...Sure, I'm in, I said. Then just as suddenly, I blurted out, you had better be glad I don't HAVE to be out of town today! Joe laughingly replied, So NO hunting or fishing trips planned, eh? We both chuckled a bit then discussed the cold front coming in that night, and for some unbeknown reason I stated "I would HAVE to be half crazy to go fishing tomorrow." To which, Joe replied "So this is something new for you? Again we chuckled then concluded our phone call.
I was busy putting my phone away when a text message popped on my phone screen. Ketchn. Hmmm, I wonder what he is up to, I muse as I am flipping open the screen on my relic style phone. "Wanna go fishing Friday?" read the message. "Yep, what time?" went the reply. "I will get back to you on time, but its gonna be cccold" So after a phone call wherein Ketchn is in an overly excited mood (by his standards) and busy filling me in on the ground rules, the weather forecast, and proper fishing attire, I ask "what time we leaving and do I need to bring my boat?" I am not sure, I will get back to you as soon as I figure it out, came the reply.
Fast forward to later that afternoon about 5pm or so...Text message says "Be at my house at 4:30AM". Sigh, that means I have to wake up at 3am, get my carcass dressed and get moving...Oh Rats, I mull, I won't get out of that meeting till midnight at the earliest...So no rest for the weary. Gonna make for a long day of fishing, I decide. "Ok, I reply." I look at my spouse ask her if she will wake me at 3am. Sure, she says, so I guess you and Ketchn are gonna go fishing? Yes mam, and we are leaving a bit early, it seems. But by the time I get to Ketchn's and meet up with the other guys, get breakfast and get to Mineral Wells (first in line), I am sure we will be running late somehow. Its' gonna be COLD tomorrow, she states, better wear warm clothes. Mm hmm, so I have heard, but I am more worried about sleep deprivation at this moment. Just before walking out the door, I look intently into the hall mirror, I'm tough enough to handle a little cold weather, I conclude, been doing it all my life and got the clothes to handle it..."Your getting old" came the reply from the mirror "and your beard is turning white" Hmph, stupid mirror, I chide.
Dale, Dale, Dale, its 3:05am, you have overslept. Weird dream, Owww, stop it...Dale wake up, you got to go fishing. I do? With who? Ketchn remember you asked me to wake you up and I turned on the coffee pot for you. Sigh, Ok thanks honey, I love you. Don't go back to sleep, she warns, as she rolls back over in her favorite sleeping position. Man, I wish I could have gotten to sleep before 1am, this is gonna be a long cold day before it is over. Ring, Ring, Yea Ketchn, I am a block from your house. The gate is open and you are waiting on me, we are running late, you say? Sigh
We arrive at the gate promptly at 6:02am and to my surprise there are two vehicles through the gate and in front of us. Ketchn is doing his stress out shuffle "they are gonna beat us to the spot and its only about as big around as a barrel" he says. Oh well, I concede, at least I got to eat and a second cup of coffee, so this day is turning out ok. Ketchn is hurrying me along as I am hoisting my 60lb tackle backpack on my shoulder. Seems heavier this morning. As I approach the loading dock, I see a couple of faces that I met last year over around CC way. Eventually, I got everything unloaded and we start fishing. It's still dark, I think, just then a tug on my line brought me back to reality. Dink, I shout...dang that fish slime is cold, and I shudder. Dink, dink, dink, dink...dink, dink...dink, dink, dink...Keeper!! Oh yea, now were talking. Dink, Dink, dink, dink, keeper...man, I will be happy when it gets daylight, so I can tie on one of those Thermocline lure colors, I have been wanting to try in early am.
Day break rolls in, fish are jumping in the bucket, at the rate of about one to every six crappie plus a couple of gasper goos, several gizzard shad and so on. Basically, we caught everything that swam by...literally. For the day, we used a 1/16 pink jighead with many types/colors of plastics bodies for test purposes. Most caught at least something but some were decidedly better than others. Thermocline's best of the best was the Fort Knox little fry with the Jigum's Guru color a close second. Josh, Lane and Robert all had a bait that worked well...I don't know if we got pictures of all our top baits for the day, but we tried. Someone tossed us some Walmart specials that worked...although, it didn't take me long to abandon that bait, because I was in wide open testing mode today. Our acquaintances were busy hammering fish, as well, and seemed to be doing very well using Roberts baits and Bobby Garlands...I handed one of them some Thump buddys and some Thermocline's...for testing purposes.
About 2pm, someone looked up and said, man I'm hungry...to which Ketchn replied I need to go home and tend to my wife's needs, burp the baby, cook dinner, take out the trash, etc., (or something like that). So we loaded up and went into town got a bite to eat, then back fishing. During lunch, Ketchn discovered he was ALREADY in the doghouse by that time, so what the heck, might as well finish out the day. And he did so with the grace and dignity, that I normally notice in piscatur.
I was on a hotspot, so Ketchn says...Hey Dale, I will let you test out my NEW Bonehead 7ft light action rod (I got one on order) if you will go get my other rod, water, and test baits from the truck. Deal, I says and promptly head toward the truck. Well, I snag that bonehead rod, change the body to a secret color Thermocline lil fry toss it in the water and Kaboom, fish after fish like they were standing in line...I could literally feel the fish open their mouth to inhale the jig, I had them caught BEFORE they realized they were the ketchee...and it was spooled with mono no less...after about 5min of getting pounded mercilessly...Ketchn makes a vain attempt to get his bone head rod back....Oh Noooo, NOT GONNA HAPPEN...After I trudged up an Ice laden ramp all the way to the truck and back acting like a personal attendant...you will be LUCKY to get it back before we get HOME...
About dark, someone pulled out a green light and the big ones came out to play...Ketchn was comparing some of the one's caught, to the "lake record black" that he caught earlier in the day. That fish is a separate story in itself. Our acquaintance that I met at CC, just put the hammer on the fish all day. Actually, he caught more large fish and more gizzard shad than anyone else...I was the dink king today, but held my end up, nonetheless, Ketchn was the DRUM king, between catching drum and beating the drum
on the catchfest. Shortly thereafter, we were loading crappie into the kiddie pool to show photos for forum purposes.
Alack and alas, all good things must come to an end, so to had this day, as I mused pulling off the interstate to my exit. I never really noticed the lack of sleep because we were too busy Ketchn fish, basically all day long with very few slack periods. Plus, I never really noticed the cold, well, except that I WOULD like my hands to quit tingling. As I pulled into the driveway (about 9pm), my phone rang. Joe said, You REALLY ARE CRAZY...BTW, I hear you want to have a fish fry next week. Yep, I said on both counts...Joe said, I got to hand it to you, you are a diehard fisherman. I simply replied, you ought to meet my friends...now THEY ARE DIEHARDS...Later, as I reflected on the days events, I never really seemed that cold, we hooted it up all day, caught fish all day, laughed at ourselves, and enjoyed all of God's bounty, good, bad, or indifferent. Ahh, the things that make life worth living, I gloat, as I stare into that mirror in the hall. Well done, said the mirror, well done. Thanks, I said, I will pass it along to the others...
