I haven't a son but my daughter, Kassie, has been more than enough for a girl and a son. From the time she was able to run good, she has been my shadow in all my activities. Especially all my outdoor activities. She loved being outside in nature and naturally enjoyed hunting and fishing. While she wouldn't harvest animals, she would love being there with me in what ever season was in. She has been in duck and deer blinds when the weather was cold enough for grown men to stay indoors. Many a day as I picked her up from school, she changed into huntings clothes as I headed us to the woods or water. I still can remember the day the late afternoon sun warmed her up in the cold hours causing her to fall asleep with her snores bringing in a buck that paced up and down the field trying to locate us in the thick fence row.
While she would not shoot an animal, she loved shooting and I soon had her firearm skills to the point that she has hurt several boy's feelings later in life by her bullseyes. Her true love was fishing. From her first bream caught on her Barbie pole, she was always fishing in the ponds with me surrounding our home. However, the pre-teen/teen years arrived too soon with boy's, drivers license, and girl drama crowding dad from number one to lower on the standings list in my girls life. In a flash high school was over and she was off to college and then "The Boy" showed up and I was walking her down the isle. Dad seemed to have slipped a little further down the priorities pole. Finally, new job offers enticed her and Ben to Nashville. Dad's shadow seemed further away.
While keeping tabs regular, our daily contacts are mostly text messages. Mom gets the vast majority of the phone calls. However, last week I got a call from her asking if I could take her fishing. Hey, maybe my shadow is getting closer? Kassie said she could get off Thursday and would met me at Kentucky Lake. I checked the weather after getting off the phone and discovered that the day would be beautiful but very windy. Soon yesterday arrived with me getting up with the wind chimes playing loudly as I packed the boat with lunch and ice for the live well. My fears of dealing with windy conditions had arrived but I decided with wish decisions on boat launch and fishing location we could pull off a crank bait pulling trip.
During my early morning boat packing I received a text from Doug, aka Mrdux, telling me to call him. We try to fish together when we can but stay regular in contact as buddies do. He knew I have been putting off placing an order for Pico crank baits until every color was in stock. I am the type that likes to buy things in bundles and get it over with. Our recent trips have produced several nice catches with his Pico lures. Upon calling him, Doug stated that he had put all his Pico's in a tackle box and if I'd meet him at JoJo's on the way to the lake I could use them. He wanted our day fishing to be as good as it could be. I took him up on his gracious offer and after coffee and mornings laughs with the JoJo breakfast crew, I was headed to met Kassie with the boat loaded with an additional box of Pico's.
I soon had the boat launched and was ready when Kassie arrived. After loading her we had a rough ride to the cove I had selected with the maximum wind protection I could think of. While Kassie has been drugged all over both lakes in tubes her entire life, she has never fished either of the two lakes over the decades of lake vacations or lake day outings. After a few minutes to familiarize her with the mechanics of line counter reel usage and fish reeling in techniques with multiple lines, off we started cranking.
Soon she had her first crank bait crappie and the smile on her face told me she liked it. After three hours of fishing, Kassie landed 13 keepers, 2 short's, 3 bass, 1 large blue catfish, 1 nice bream, and many yellow bass. While Bandits did put some fish in the boat, the Pico's, I call them Taco's, put 90% of the fish in her hands. Doug buddy, thanks again for help making a great day even better. Sorry about two Tacos. Technically they are not lost since I can take you the the brush piles where they are resting.
Soon it was time to put up the rods and head in. As she was helping stow the gear in the boat this ol' dad felt like first place again and my little girl was in my shadow once more. Plans were made for more future fishing trips. She has been bitten by the crank bait bug and has the fever. Thats ok cause her mom and I both have it too. As we endured the harsh boat ride back in we were both grinning as the water spray soaked us. Truly, life does come full circle if you wait long enough. Love you bug.
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