A couple of weeks
ago Nathaniel and I spent a morning up at Tallulah Falls lake fishing. This
place has been our new go to spot for a while since we decided to try new
waters that are also more local. I'm going to go ahead and say that I was way
under prepared for what happened. Both gear wise and mentally.
The first moment was
up at the power plant. I was fishing my new Lews baitcaster in the tailwaters
of the power plant using a large white spinner bait on 8lb test line. I made a
cast to the right of the structure and it was on. I know that current can make
any fish seem larger than what it really it, but when that bass jumped out of
the water I knew that this was the fish of my lifetime. Finally. After fishing
most of my life since I was a young boy, I knew I was close to my 10lb bass!
Unfortunately I will never know how large that bass was, but I do know it was
strong enough to break 8lb test like it was thread.
After the bass broke
off I sat there in disbelief of what seemed like an eternity. I was speechless.
But on the inside I was throwing a tantrum that would compete with any 2 year
old in any department store. I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs. I wanted
to beat the boat into a metal hunk of pulp. I wanted to jump over board and get
swept away. Just like the one that got away.
Instead I placed my
head into both my hands and bent over. Cried. I cried. Not necessarily tears of
anger or even pain. But more like a catharsis of sorts. Memories of fishing
from my childhood came up and went down with that bass in such a way that it actually
felt good. From the lure selection to the placement and reading the structure.
Every thing that I did was because of years of fishing. Now my selection of 8lb
test was pretty irresponsible considering that several people told me that big
bass are in this lake. So other than that, it felt good. I got to
share that moment with a real good friend and in my moment of vulnerability I
wasn't judged but I was allowed to experience that moment in the best way I
knew how.
A while later while
fishing a buzzbait another lunker of a largemouth bass struck. And though it wasn't as
large as the first, it was still hefty. This one jumped and threw the lure out
of its mouth. For a moment I thought that these fish were descendents of Moby Dick. Well, the composure that I had with the first loss was used up
and I'm pretty sure that the old couple across the lake looked over our way and wondered
why one of the guys on that johnboat was yelling damn! damn! damn! while beating
on the aluminum seat of the boat.
After that loss I
knew that I had to up my game. By that I mean I had to up my line test and
focus.
Nathaniel and I
thought that we'd try to see if we could duplicate what we experienced on
Sunday by going back out on Monday. Though we didn't get anything to hit that
was the size and caliber that we had on Sunday, Monday did produce more bass of
good quality and size. Oh, I believe that this was the first fishing trip where
both of us were either really tired and sleepy the first hour or extremely
focused to the point where we had tunnel vision for wanting to hook into any bass over 5lbs. Either way,
it was a Monday well spent. Fish being caught or not, spending time with buds
while on the water, in a river, or on the banks is time well spent.
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| Caleb and Nathaniel @ Tallulah Falls Lake |
