FISHING: A PERSONAL BEST
As a child, I did pretty much everything I could to be outside, but some of my favorite memories were made while fishing with my dad. Before we had a boat, we’d go out to a friend’s boat dock, a fishing barge, or sometimes even just fish from the banks of Lake Tyler or Lake Palestine. Sometimes we’d get skunked but even when we didn’t catch fish, I always enjoyed the conversations we’d have and I realize now how much I learned while waiting for the poles to bend. Like any fisherman, I’ve got my share of fish tales, but when I visit my parents I occasionally come across a picture that reminds me of a lunker from back then.
Now that I’m older, I don’t fish as much as I’d like, but I’ll still take the kayak out with friends from time-to-time here in Austin, Texas for bass and crappie. And like any good central Texas fishermen we try to get to the coast at least once a year for reds. I enjoy those trips with my friends, but the trip I look forward to every year is the catfish trip I take to Cedar Creek Lake with my dad and our favorite guide, Jackie Kennedy in late January to mark the end of whitetail deer season.
This year’s trip was cold and rainy. And after an hour without a bite and pondering whether it could get any colder, things started to heat up. We reeled in our first catfish, a nice keeper, and the poles started to bend regularly for the rest of the day. This time of year, you’ll find them in the deeper sections of the lake and boy were they there. We ended the day with 13 keepers in the Brute Cooler totaling well over 100 pounds with the largest weighing 28 and 25 pounds, which is a new personal best. Despite all the fun that comes with that, I have a feeling that in a few years from now the thing I’ll remember from this trip is the conversations and laughs we shared in the boat.
I am looking forward to fishing for bass spawning on Lake Austin this Spring and also carving out some time to fish for reds and trout in Port Aransas. There’s also talk about a trip to Falcon Lake in the summer to go after a monster bass. I’m sure I’ll have a great time on all of these trips, but I know that the one I am excited about most is the next time I go after catfish with my dad.
Tight Lines and Big Tines,