I’m Not Going Home Until I Catch One

            I met my dad in the driveway at about 7 A.M. I went in and talked to my mom and let the dog lick my face for a little bit then we packed up and were on our way.

            We drove down to Hopewell and put the boat in the water. Another cold morning. They were calling for 75 degree weather but it definitely wasn’t there yet. There was a chill as we were running and it was windier than they were calling for. There was enough chop on the water that we got splashed a few times to make the run even colder. Luckily we were going to the closest creek to the boat ramp.

            We pulled into Herring creek. This is probably my dad’s favorite creek to fish. It’s not mine but I say that like I haven’t caught a bunch of fish in there, I have. We started fishing at the front of herring creek while the tide was way up. We started throwing buzz baits around all the lily pad islands.

            One thing about the front of Herring creek is it is very open. There is lines of lily pads but no real trees to keep you out of the wind. So before long we decided to head to the back.

            We got out of the wind a little bit fishing down a more wooded bank. We got down to the opening of a little creek with a down tree right at the mouth of it. My dad and I were both throwing spinner baits and off that tree he caught the first fish of the day. I kept casting around it and had no luck myself.

            We crossed the creek and were fishing another grassy bank. In pretty quick succession my dad caught the second and third fish of the day.

            I started to question what I was doing wrong. We were throwing the same baits in the same areas.

            Before long we worked are way back up to the front of the creek. The wind had died down a bit. We started circling these small lily pad islands and throwing spinner baits and chatter baits into them. We fished for about 5 hours or so and by the time we decided to head back to the boat ramp my dad had caught 9 bass and I had caught none.

            I haven’t caught a fish on the river this year. I had caught a few on a pond. But I was really questioning why I was having such bad luck and wondering if maybe I have just become a terrible fisherman.

            We headed back to my parents’ house. They live on a golf course with a decent sized pond basically in their backyard. We have put some fish in there that we caught on the river. So, while nothing is guaranteed I do know for a fact that there are fish in there.

            I sat in the house and talked to my parents and loved on the dog and played with my nephew for about an hour. Then I said I’m going down to the pond. I grabbed my rod with the plastic worm on it and the needle nosed pliers out of the boat and walked down to the pond.

            On the side of the pond closest to the house there is basically a mud flat. There is also really no grass or any sort of cover on that side. On the far side there is a little bit of grass along the whole bank of the pond.

            I started throwing the worm down the mud bank side. Throwing it 3 or four times in different directions and bouncing it a few times with very little action. But as I worked my way toward the corners of the pond I started thinking I felt a few bites on the worm. But when I reeled down and set the hook nothing.

            I finally got to the far corner of the pond from the house. I had maybe been out there 45 minutes or so with nothing to show for it.

            My dad came out on the screen porch and yelled “You catch anything yet”. I told him no. But the next cast I felt the distinct feeling of something pulling the worm. Sometimes you feel things that aren’t a fish and you just hope it is. And sometimes there is absolutely no doubt it is a fish. This was a no doubt situation.

            I reeled down to it and set the hook and there was no doubt I had one on. The fight wasn’t much though. I quickly reeled in one of the smallest bass I have ever caught.

            I was mostly just happy that I had finally caught a fish and wasn’t completely skunked for the day. Also good to know these bass are reproducing in the pond and keeping it stocked for us. Although going down to the pond could be considered cheating my stubbornness wasn’t going to let me go home until I caught a fish.

            The next cast I caught another one even smaller than the one before but I was happy I was on to something. And I also felt like I wasn’t terrible at fishing anymore.

            I thought I had a stroke of luck and was going to keep catching a fish every cast. But that’s not how fishing goes. It slowed again and I decided to work my way back to the other side of the pond where I came from.

            I kept telling myself I would catch one more and then go up. I also kept thinking I had caught two and should just count that as a win and just go inside. But the theme of this story is I am stubborn. So when I said I was going to catch one more I would not give up until I caught one more.

            I worked my way around the pond and got to the opposite corner from where I had caught the two fish and thought I have mostly caught fish in the corners of this pond.

 I made a long cast basically down the bank from one corner to the far one. I bounced the worm about three times and felt the distinct pull of a fish on it. I reeled down and the fight was on. I had a little more of a fight than my other two tiny fish but mostly because of how far I had casted the worm. I was reeling it in fairly quickly when all of a sudden, the fish jumped out of the water. This happens a lot in bass fishing so I didn’t think much of it until I felt the slack in the line. The fish had spit the worm out and came off the hook.

I debated if I should count that one as my one more before I went up but my stubborn pride wouldn’t let me. I kept working my way toward the far corner. I thought because I had just hooked one there had to be more fish over there.

I kept working my way down the bank toward the far corner. I was about halfway down the bank and casted into the corner where I had hooked the last fish. The second the bait hit the water I felt a pull on the worm. I quickly reeled down and set the hook. At first I thought it was just another small fish. Then I felt the strength of it as it really made a run. It was pulling my line straight away from me and I got excited about having a good fish on. I reeled and reeled and knew I had to put a little more on this fish to get it in.

After a fight that was probably only 30 seconds or so but really felt like ten minutes I pulled up a good healthy 3 pound bass. Not a monster. I have put a 7 pounder into that pond. But this fish had a lot more weight and strength to it than the other two I had caught and third one I had hooked. Now I am not saying a three pound bass is bad, I would never not be excited to catch one that size.

So I finally felt accomplished and my stubborn pride was satisfied. I was able to confirm I do know how to catch a fish. Bass fishing is full of ups and downs and occasionally you have to spend the day getting skunked on the river and respond by going to a stocked pond. I think successful outdoorsman are the ones who refuse to quit despite a million failures and sometimes nothing will make you more successful than simply saying “I’m not going home until I catch one”.