Fishing memories

[BobT]

I thought it would be fun to share some fishing memories we have. Here’s probably my most cherished.

When my son was about 4 years old, like just about every parent I know, I bought him one of those little 2-1/2’ fishing rods with the plastic molded handle and reel. His was themed after the Peanuts character, Snoopy.

At that time money was a little tighter than it is now and so all I had for a boat was an old 18’ cedar strip canoe that I bought for $25 and repaired to make sea worthy. The two of us were out targeting largemouth on Ely Lake near Eveleth. Incidentally, if you enjoy largemouth fishing, Ely Lake and St. Mary’s Lake are a couple good options to consider; at least they were 20 years ago when this story takes place.

I rigged him up with a jitterbug surface lure and I was using a jig and pig combination along a rocky point. I could certainly appreciate the 18’ length of the canoe as he had only recently learned how to cast well enough to let him try it from the boat and having about 16’ between us helped me feel just a little safer. I thought the surface plug would be fun for him since he could see the lure’s action and especially if he could see the strike from the fish.

After a while he began to get a little bored with the lure and wanted to change. We were just rounding the end of that rocky point and heading back toward the inside turn where there was an outcropping of emergent lily pads and reeds so I suggested he wait just a little bit. I don’t think he made two more casts when the water exploded and his jitterbug was engulfed. He was in for the fight of his life at 4. That bass gave him quite a tussle and lodged itself down in the weeds at the bottom. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he turned to me and just half yelled, and half whispered, “Help!” Well, I new that fishing pole had about 15lb. test line on it so I just told him to pull on it, which he did and in the process of forcing that bass out of the weeds he broke the rod. When he finally boated the bass it turned out to be a nice 4-1/2lbs.

He was so excited. Our day was cut short because I didn’t have another fishing rod with us so we decided it was time to upgrade to a little better rig on the way home. After that the jitterbug became one of his favorite lures.

Bob

[Fishin4Life]

That is a great story, a memory of a life time for you and him I am sure. Thanks for sharing

[oil painter]

that s great way to start em off!! I was with my dad also in a canoe on graves lake noted for big sunnies anyway I didnt want to fish for sunnied I wanted to catch gators, I put on a johnson silver minnow with a rind and proceeded to chuck it towards shore, Oh s457!!! line broke!! paddeled over and could see it on bottom, I want it back he told me so I stripped down to undies and slid out of canoe trying to touch bottom it only looked 4-5 feet deep. after nearly drowning it was more like10 -12 ft, I got it back!!! after an hour or two I didnt feel so well, puked my guts out for 2 days but by gad got that darn spoon back!!! it was 40 years ago and have never owned a silver minnow!!I was about 10