View Full Version : 4th of July Fireworks!
Hawgeye
07-05-2001, 04:49 AM
I had a great night fishing last night and had to post. I took my 8 year old out with me last night during the "full moon" and decided to fish a lake that is small, good cisco population, deep (130' plus) not to mention some real good scenery (fireworks) Right before dark, after hitting several 27" plus northerns, I hit a great fish. 30" 10lb 6oz walleye! My son got a real quick lesson in netting a fish with an undersized net! (forgot the Beckman at home...see superstition/ritual post!) He was sooo excited that he wanted to crank right on that exact spot the rest of the night. I told him that if either rod gets a hit he can catch the fish. Within about 10 seconds of saying that, his linecounter reels drag began to whizzz. He then pulled in his biggest walleye ever, a 26" 6.5lber. He was ecstatic. It was after dark with a big full moon aglow. We got the photos, let her go, set the distance out on the deep thunderstick and just got the drag set and Wham! He was in for another fight. Guess what, he caught his biggest walleye ever AGAIN! This time he pulled in a 27.5" fish that weighed just under 8 lbs!
He was pretty upset that it was time to go since I had to work today. We got home at 1am. These fish were all released with pictures taken and memories forever. He was talking about it right up until he fell asleep on the drive home. Holy cow is it fun to watch a kid get excited about fishing!
Outstanding !!!! Ofcourse you know you have, without a doubt, inflicted the uncurable fishing pox on your son!!! LOL
Those memories will literally last a lifetime.
Great to hear! I was out last night myself and it was magic out there. I don't think it got dark last night. Found myself cleaning a couple eaters at 1 am and thinking there was no better way to spend the 4th!
I must of killed a million bugs with my face on the ride back to the launch, as I tooled downstream, lit by the moon. But man let me tell you, I think I'm getting old. This going to work on 4 1/2 hrs sleep has got me yawning today.
What a 4th, indeed!
"go outside and play"
sib
Juls_Wi
07-05-2001, 05:53 AM
That's a great story! Thanks for sharing it. Your children are very lucky to have a dad that makes such great memories for them...;-)
I have tons of great memories from fishing with my dad too, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world! ;-)
Juls
RANGER
07-05-2001, 06:20 AM
WONDERFUL!!
Glad to hear it! This is the nucelli of our sport: sharing the love and respect! Love for each other, your quarry, the Great Outdoors and the environment. And the RESPECT of it all, too!
My kids can all remember those fishing trips called "vacation". To this day my daughter (28 years) can, probably, outfish most anyone including myself and her brothers. These memories WILL last - forever!
RANGER
"KEEP YOUR LINES WET, YOUR POWDER DRY and THE BEER COLD"!
GregK
07-05-2001, 09:54 AM
What a great story and something the both of you will remember till your dying day. Those of us who are dads and showed our children how to fish will all have wonderful stories to tell if not quite as spectacular. You point out correctly the absolute joy in taking a youngster fishing. Thanks for reminding the rest of us to get off our butts and take a kid with next time.
Hawgeye
07-08-2001, 07:32 PM
I will apologize in advance for beaming about my son but the 6th of July was even better for my boy. He caught his biggest walleye again twice!!! We had an almost identical night, a little warmer with a big moon. Right after dark, my son caught another BIG walleye. It was his first 28" fish! We took about four pictures and let her go. After getting all readjusted and lines out, he did it to me AGAIN! This time he pulled in a 29.25" walleye! It was chunky and hit the 10lb mark. I told him that to have a mount that I would pay for it would have to be a 30" fish. This was before he caught this one. I asked him if he would like to mount it and he said, "Dad, this is not a 30" fish. You wait and see, I will catch that 30"er in no time."
In the meantime, I am sitting there with a smile tattood on my face! I could believe this kind of luck on maybe Erie or some monster walleye producing lake, but in a small Minnesota lake, never!
We took 6 pictures of this last one and let her go. She swam away strong. My son felt good about that. I will post the link to his pictures after I have them developed to show that it was no fish story....Look out walleye maniacs, I have added one to our elite group!!!