The Paper
07-01-2003, 02:58 PM
I just had to share this story. I was out fishing with my eight-year old son this weekend. Usually he would target bass or pan fish, but on this day he wanted to target pike and pull the big one's in like dad. We started out by heading to the spot were I usually catch pike. While heading there I let my son troll with the bait (a small grub jig with a spinner) that was on my pole last when I was fishing for bass at my brother-in-laws pond. As a brought the boat to a stop, the pole took a big bend and his first fight of the day was on. He was so excited thinking this may be his first keeper pike. He struggled to keep the poll in the air, but he managed. Though the pike was only 21 inches and was returned, he was pretty pumped for more. Once anchored, he tried a variety of baits, with no hits. I had pulled in one 23-incher as he was trying. So he wanted to change baits. I gave him my pole, which I was jigging a chartuse bass assassin. I told him to give it a few cast as I changed his lure. On his third toss, I told him to burn it. Just as he got the bait next to the boat and was about to pull it in, the pole suddenly slammed down against the boat and the tip of the pole bent into the water. I told him to hold the pole in the air. He managed to pick the pole up about 4 to 5 inches as the drag on the reel sang. He was so excited and scared. He struggle to hold the pole so much that he was afraid to reel the pole. I finally calmed him down a little and got him to hold the pool a little higher and reel. When the fish approached the boat I could tell it was a nice pike. I actually flubbed the first attempt to net it, and did my son chewed me out. After another run by the pike, I finally netted his 29-inch pike. For him, it was a monster. He caught two more bass that day 13-incher and a 14-incher (which he decided to throw back). I suggested throwing back the pike, but no way. That is dinner tonight.
By the way, all I caught was 1 more bass. And when my son told the story to Grandpa, he surely let him know he out fished dad.
By the way, all I caught was 1 more bass. And when my son told the story to Grandpa, he surely let him know he out fished dad.