See the enclosed images, 26 and three-quarters inches on the board, first big Red of the day, and a “first cast” myth. Not exactly the first cast of the day, but the first at the lucrative honey hole. Near a navy vessel, as evidenced in the image.
What made this trip special? Fishing Guide, Reelin-with-Ron, it was on ultra-light tackle. That Big Red might weigh as much as 12-14 pounds. Ten-pound test line, little six-foot ultra-light rod and reel.
I’ve bragged about this before, and the lesson was reiterated with that first fight. I’m not sure who was more worn down when I finally boated the fish, me or the fish.
It was an epic struggle, the first of many. My fishing buddy ragged on me — hard — about being too old since the big fish wore me down. In succession, I caught four more, that first one was the biggest, though. He was a no-fish-catching fool in the front of the boat.
We swapped places. I caught two more undersized Reds, and he wasn’t getting a thing. We swapped again.
He finally did catch up, we boated at least a dozen keepers, and he got his big Red on light tackle, too. He had one that went to 26 inches, for sure. On that ultra-light gear, and he was complaining, as well. Wore him down.
Sweet vindication, and as Oscar Wilde once noted, “Youth. Pity it’s wasted on the young.”
Kindle Edition
ISBN-13: 978-1434805751
A Commonplace Book (full text PDF & cut quotes PDF)