The fish tell of the one that didn't get away. This past weekend My Dad and I fished the "Big Bass Bash" on High Rock Lake, NC. Now before I get into the events of the two-day tournament, I need to add some additional information to give meaning to the blog, that's what us amazing story tellers do. (Hope you laughed at that cause I am not an amazing Storyteller. I have ADHD and usually my stories are all over the place!
So first let's start off with what I have been told lately by so many people and what I have tried to live by the last few months. Many people have told me enjoy your parents while you can cause you're going to miss them if something happens to them. Now anyone that really knows me, knows I am a "Mama's Boy!". Even my brother and sister have giving me the nickname "Bless His Heart" because they believe I am the favorite of the 3 of us when it comes to my mom "LOL". But my mom loves all 3 of us the same just in different ways and I know this because I know my mom better than all 3 of us "LOL Just Kidding!'... Now don't let the phrase "Mama's Boy" fool you it may make a man sound wimpy but if you know me you know I will stand toe to toe with any man and fight him till I have nothing left or till they give up! In my situation the term "Mama's Boy" to me means my mom and I have a special bond and we can talk about things, we are going to fuss or fight but at the end of the conversation she knows that I won't be hurt with what she has said, and we will make up sooner or later and we will tell each other we still love one another.
Now when it comes to my dad, he is the Grizzly Bear of the family. If you know my dad, he is only 5ft tall not a big man, sorry for the language but there is no other way to describe him other than, " A BAD ASS!" In his younger years he was an 8 Times Golden Glove Champion Boxer, a MP in the Army, and all his life he has had the mentality I can do it myself and I don't need anyone else's help. But also, my dad who has taught me so many things in life is a man that always listens, knows there is always 2 sides to the story, forgives but doesn't forget and always welcomes and treats everyone he meets with the same respect.
This all being said the last few months I have spent as much time with my parents as possible because no one really knows what tomorrow will bring for any of us.
The last year has been really tough for my dad because his heart has been in A-fib for over a year and 1/2. This is not only tough on him but tuff on my mom because she has been responsible for him making sure he doesn't miss appointments, he takes his medicines at the right time, and just the fact that they have been together since she was 15 years old if anything would to happen to him, she would be lost.
Now the doctors have been able to get my dad's heart back into rhythm and even at 82 years old my dad wants to be on that water catching fish. So, he was so excited to be fishing the "Big Bass Bash" this past weekend.
Now day one was a beautiful day, but we just couldn't find or figure out how to catch that big fish. I caught 4 off the beds but 3lbs was the biggest bass we could land on day one. So going into day two wasn't looking good. Especially since I had to go into work at 1:20 AM Saturday night and on Sunday the weather was going to change to cold and rainy. We just left my boat hooked up to the pier at the lake house because I was going to have to rush home to the lake house after work and just start fishing soon as I got there. Also, we didn't have a game plan on how we were going to fish since we didn't do any good on Saturday.
At 6:40 AM the text went out for everyone to start fishing. It was still a little dark so we decided we would just fish in our creek till it was a little lighter and safe to run the boat. I had daddy a pop-r tied on and I was throwing a buzz bait hoping we would get a big morning bite. The first point nothing, the second point nothing so then we moved into a cove heading out the creek checking to see if the fish had pulled back into the pocket last night. We threw around a couple of docks and then I noticed something. I could not tell if it was the rain hitting the water or fish swimming around the docks, bam it then hit me, it was shad spawning on the pier. Then I looked around everywhere and noticed that what I thought was rain hitting the water was actually shad spawning everywhere. I knew exactly what to grab a 1/2 oz white chatter bait. Within 10 minutes I put 3 fish in the boat, but the biggest fish was only about 3 pounds. Daddy asked me " Hey want you tie me one of those on?". I was hesitating at first because daddy can only throw a spinning rod anymore and the spinning rod, he was using only had 12lb test on it. After hearing him ask 3 times I finally gave in and tied one on for him.
Once I got it tied on, I told him lets go hit another spot because the fish here just are not the size we are looking for. So, we ran up to a deeper bank and sure enough the shad were spawning there to. I grabbed my bait caster and threw my chatter bait about 50ft up the bank and I didn't even get a crank or two out when I heard from the back of the boat, daddy saying I got one (His First Cast). Now at this point I wasn't in any hurry to get to the back of the boat because lately when daddy has said I got one it has either been a little fish, or it's a stick, or he is hung on something. So, I nonchalantly walked to the back of the boat and ask, " Are you sure you have a fish daddy?" He said, " Yes I am sure get the net". With his pole bending I am still not in any rush to get the net. Until I see this large bass jump out of the water behind the boat. Boy that put my butt in gear I grabbed the net as quick as possible and said to daddy," Please don't lose this fish daddy he is a winning fish". The pole was bending completely under the boat, and I am just thinking to myself the line is about to break. You see daddy can't move around the boat like he used to, so he was having to seat on the seat and fight the fish. After about what seemed to be hours to me the bass finally came to the edge of the boat, I missed netting the fish the first time. Now I am thinking to myself Ralphie please don't knock this fish off!!! Daddy pulled up hard one more good time and the bass was in the net, YES!!!!! I looked at daddy and said you just caught a $1000 dollar fish and an hourly winning fish. We fist pumped and put her in the live well!
Now we knew we couldn't make it back to the weigh in time for the first hour so we continued to fish till it got closer to the next hour.
Well, it got to be about 20 minutes till the next hours weigh in, so we put the Ranger into " Warp Speed" to get to the weigh in. We got there with about 7 minutes remaining, the scary part was there was about 8 other boats there waiting to weigh fish. I pulled up and I started asking the other fisherman how big is your fish and each one I asked said their fish wasn't as big as daddy's. My heart was pounding and quietly in my head I was thinking Please Lord let Daddy have the winning fish this hour. Now the biggest fish that had been weighed in for this hour so far was a 5.41lbs, which was my buddy's, Mike Kiser. Man, I really didn't want to knock Mike out of the 1st place spot because Mike really is a super nice guy! But to see my daddy get 1st place would be "Priceless" and a moment in time to remember. The time ticked away and when we looked around and didn't see any more boats heading in to weigh fish I took daddy's fish to the scales with 50 seconds remaining. Boom 5.69lbs and Biggest Fish for hour number 2 and $1000 dollars.
Now I was over the moon with joy not because the money, not so much that daddy had won the hour, but more because my daddy at 82 years old who has struggled every day for the last 2 years even to the point of saying "I am ready to give up" just showed me and all the other amazing fishermen and even you if you have read this... this far "NEVER GIVE UP AND KEEP FIGHTING TILL YOUR LAST BREATH!".
So, this takes me back to where we began, and people have been telling me enjoy every second you can with your parents, so I have. Later that night my mom, my dad, and I had a "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Celebration" at my place and talked about the one that "Didn't Get Away!". Man, what a "Day To Remember!!!".
I hope you enjoyed this blog, and it may be made you smile. MATTHEW4:19!!!
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Thanks Again for Reading!!! Ralphie!!!
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