Daughter 5, IB 1, but almost none

[islandbass]

My daughter and I went fishing Friday, June 5, for about three hours on the shores of Lake Union again, just five days since our first trip.

It was one of those forgetful days. I forgot to pack her rod so she I let her use my Compre spinning rod. She opted for 6# mono over 8# and it was a wise choice.

Fortunately, I had two casting rods and two Curado D reels, one with 8# and the other 10# test.

She hooks into the bass number one in the first few minutes, a 3/4-pounder by eyeball scale. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera in the car so no picture for that one. It was her third bass ever and biggest to date.


Taken shortly after the first caught bass. Great concentration!

Daughter 1, Dad none. Then I feel a bite and lose it (the bite/nibble). Then another, and another and I keep losing them. Either I have a great excuse that drop shotting with a casting setup is awkward to me or these are super dinks or I am just losing my finesse touch. I am hoping it is none of those choices.

We move to another spot. I switch to a Rapala X-Rap just to try it out. My daughter scores bass number 2, another small one. It didn’t matter to her because she was going for numbers. The best I could get were a few stares and follows by dinks with the X-Rap.


Bass #2

We decide to move to another spot but this time I tell her to pick it. She scouted ahead but within my visual range as I gathered our stuff. She signals she has found the spot. When I reach her, she says, “This is a fishy spot.” One of my adages is, “Go with your gut.”

We throw our baits in and I finally hook into something of fair significance. I get it close enough to the surface to see its whitish belly and it manages to get off somehow. I am a bit dejected after this one and my only consolation is that all of these strikeouts could get me listed as a DH for the Seattle Mariners.

I am glad that my loss was my daughter’s gain. Her bait wasn’t too far from mine and seconds after I lost mine she nervously says, “Papi, I have a strong one.” She was excited and a bit scared she might lose it. I calmed her down as much as I could and told her the steps to properly play the fish and in time it was hers. It was a new personal best. Two in one day; that is sweetness in my book.

The bass I lost was probably not the same one that struck her lure, but I have observed on many occasions in my short fishing experience that when one bass gets excited into getting onto a lure, nearby bass sometimes get just as excited. In addition, they tend to be about the same size. This is 100% an observance.


Third Bass


She was totally stoked but she didn’t want to lip it at all. A passing cyclist was kind enough to take the photo.

Bass number four came just a little later, then number five (a dink, so no photo) and it was time to wrap things up. By tally, dad was crushed defeated, pummeled, pulverized, and… proud. I don’t like to lose at anything (but never am I a poor sport) but this is a loss I don’t mind at all.


Fourth Bass

As we were walking back to the car, I asked if I could have one last chance with “just a few more casts” at the first spot and she said, “Okay”. We bump into an acquaintance of mine through a local fishing forum and fished with him. And finally, praise the Lord! We had a double on, the guy and I. It was a decent sized bass, about the same size as the one I caught on Sunday. I am relieved that I would not be going home skunked.

This was a phenomenal day for both of us, especially my daughter. I’m going to chalk this one up for the memory books.

-ib

June 5, 2009

Conditions: Partially cloudy, occasional sun. A short, but quick cooling trend the night before.

Daughter’s Rig: 6’6” Shimano Compre rod, Abu Garcia Cardinal 101a reel, 6# Trilene XL mono, Sniper Snub
Dad’s Rig: 6’6” Shimano Clarus rod, Shimano Curado D reel, 8# Spider wire Red mono, Sniper Snub
Extra Rig: 6’ Daiwa Strike Force rod, Shimano Curado D reel, 10# Sufix Siege mono, Perch Rapala X-rap.