|
WHAT
FATHERS DAY IS ALL ABOUT
By:
Ron Wilson
June
19, 2003…. Saturday I started celebrating father’s day early by
taking my grandson Derick black bass fishing at Lake McClure. For me one
of the benefits of being a father is having grandkids to enjoy in the
outdoors!
One
of the best things about being a grandparent is that you can spoil them
rotten and then take them home and let their parents put up with them!
I
would have preferred the faster action of trolling to catch fish but
that's old man fishing according to Derick, he prefers to black bass
fish where he stays active casting and reeling.
We
arrived a little after 7 a.m. I quickly went through my list of what I
brought, baits, poles, plenty of drinks and food, oops, forgot the
camera to take picture of my grandsons fish! Oh well can't think of
everything, I’ll blame that one on old age. Being forgetful is one of
first two things you do when you reach that magic number and I can't
remember what the other one was!
We
launched at Barrets Cove and drove straight across the lake to the other
side. It's a plain bank but I can usually find fish along it, as long as
I’m fishing with the right baits.
We
started off with 1/16-ounce dart heads and Keeper 082 worms, both with
chartreuse tail and without. However the fish didn't seem to want them.
I switched to a 1001B 6 inch Keeper worm and missed a fish and then
stuck a small one. Derick quickly put on a bait and started catching and
missing fish right along with me!
The
fish were biting good enough that I didn't feel I needed to experiment
anymore! I did try topwater baits a little with no action. I soon put
the rod down and never picked it up again!
Derick
said, “you know grandpa this sure isn't like Kelsey's Bass Ranch. It's
like shooting ducks and clay pigeons!” I said “what!” Derick went
on to explain, “well when you shoot ducks you have to be patient and
wait for them to come around, but when shooting clay pigeons all you
have to do is say pull!” I chuckled at that!
Kelsey's
is not quite that easy, but once I figure out what they are doing and
what they want Derick can go along the bank and almost call his shots!
We
worked upstream across from Piney Creek and then headed across to the
quiet solitude behind the boats in the creek.
We
had a limit in the boat by the time we got past the houseboats so I
fired up the big engine and started trolling to the back of the creek
using lead line and Ex-Cel lures. I put on a firetiger pattern bait
along with a blue/silver lure. Derick was rewarded with a nice trout on
the firetiger just as we got to where we wanted to start bass fishing
again.
The
action on the bass was still good and it was 11 a.m. The fish were still
biting our shad pattern baits.
We
never caught any monsters, but fish up to 17 ½ inches long. We worked
back to an aluminum boat were it got real narrow and then decided to
troll our way back out.
I
had 3 colors out, just clearing the top of the submerged trees and got
another nice trout. I thought things were looking up on the trout bite
but we went all the way to the houseboats without another strike.
At
the houseboats we started bass fishing our way out and quickly started
catching them again, the fish had slowed down but we were catching one
every now and then.
We
fished back to the buoy line; by that time I had enough rocking and
rolling from the ski boats, pleasure boats and bass boats.
We
decided to call it a day at 12:30. Ten bass and two trout wasn’t bad
to take home for a good fish dinner!
For
a good fish recipe I use 2 cups cornmeal, 1-cup floor, salt and pepper
along with whatever seasoning you like, then put it in a zip lock bag.
Cut your fish into desired sizes, place in the bag and shake real good
to cover the fish with the cornmeal mixture. Then dropped them in hot
grease and fry until the cornmeal is crisp.
Well
I don't know about you but its dinnertime, so I have to get the fish
ready! Until next week tight lines!
|
