[EdKaz]

Sorry for the length, I was/ am kinda stoked and wanted to share a never forget kinda day I had Tuesday.

I was blessed with a grandson On June 16,2000.
As he grew, we had little time to share on the water fishing due to the distance his mother (my daughter) called Home for her family. More often than not we seen each other during holidays and birthdays ….Family time where sneaking off for some fishing for the two of us was sorta frowned on.
We did manage a few fishing sessions here and there, but mostly quickies at nearby ponds for some panfish.
Fathers day this was no different as we met with our kids and grandkids quickly before heading up north for some poking and prodding. The lil guy told me to “hurry up and get back so we could do some ‘real fishing in your boat ,pa” as we left. I told him we would go this Tuesday NO MATTER WHAT, and he, and his mother agreed to the date.

He spent the night Monday and when I bent over to wake him up at 4:15 Tuesday he sprung to his feet like he was laying there awake all the time. We loaded up the boat with enough snacks and goodies to feed a small country, and some drinks, shrimp and crawlers………just in case.

After ½ hour of tossing the net and coming up empty it was looking like we may have to resort to using the shrimp and crawlers. I knew I only had a few tosses left in me and that if we were going catch any fish of size I would have to get at least a few shad. The next and last few tosses wound up giving us 10-15 SMALL shad. Good enough……….we headed into the sunrise and toward an adventure I had hoped would have came years sooner.


I bait up some lines and heave em into lil cat territory. I wanted to see how he would handle the rods with something a bit bigger than the bluegills we had caught together, Within minutes we start getting tapped and he’s reeling in the first fish of the day.


Turned out to be a Drum, but the lil guy was pretty proud of it.




A few minutes later we hooked into the first cat of the day. A little apprehensive about the first cat because mom and his step dad have “taught him the dangers” of catfish jumping up and stabbing people with their whiskers or something silly like that.



We square away on the ‘danger’ part and get back to fishing. This fish had Drake up on the old man 5 to NOTHING!



Next fish with that “hurry up and take the picture cause Im not too sure I want to hold this fish” cheesy grin.









He was gaining a lil confidence and giving this old man lots of ha has and told ya’s with each fish he reeled in and posed with














It was TRULY a day of days.
Each time he would start to get a little fidgety between fish, we were provided with a lil something to entertain us.

We watched as a pair of deer played what looked like a game of tag in the shallow water near us. Drake got to see two real beavers swimming along the shore, and had me laughing so hard I had tears rolling from my eyes when one of the beavers slapped his tail, and scared him a foot off the floor of the boat. We were treated to a just over our heads buzzing over of a Heron, who we than watched pick up a shad while standing on a rock near shore, for his breakfast snack.



By 11 I was behind in a BIG way 19 fish for Drake, ONE for me, and my ONE was a drum.



As we headed back in, I told him my friends will be laughing at me and would be calling HIM up and wanting to go fishing with HIM instead of me. Without missing a beat the lil guy turns to me and says “Pa, it was just my lucky day. Maybe next time you’ll be lucky and have all the fun”


The echoing of the little guys “PA help me! This fish is HUGE!. I don’t think I can reel him in” and THIS image of Drakes triumphant laughs and smiles after he reeled that fish up to the net, (by himself) and held up THIS “monster fish”, are now permanently ingrained deep within in vast emptiness of my skull.




I don’t know which one of us is more excited about our NEXT trip out.

I do Know……..8 years, 7 days and 5 hours I waited for this day to come. It was worth EVERY tick of the second hand waiting.

[Finman]

Very good report looks like Drake had a blast with Granpa and good fishing to boot.
Priceless
GLGF
Fin

[Marc]

What a great report pa, glad to see you back in the saddle!

What a good grandfather to have, Im sure that day will be filled with memories and great tales when he gets home to tell his friends.

[Tom]

Very nice Ed. You know he is going to remember that day for a long time.

[born2fysh]

Ed, I too will be looking forward to taking my first grandson fishing. I have to wait a few years yet, since he's only 4 mos. In the meantime, i can change Billy's diaper LOL.
I see you're feeling better and hope to read more of your catfish reports

[Fish/n/thusiast]

Very nice G'Pa... Very nice.

[PondProwler]

My son is fifteen months. I can't wait till I can get him out on the water!


Trying to start him early!

[DANCES WITH FISH]

What a great tale ED! You brought a smile to my face! I hope you have many more enjoyable days on the water with him....maybe, if you're good, he'll teach ya a thing or two. Those pictures are priceless.

[Bear]

Great report Ed, good to see you out fishing and to top it off with your grandson!

[Kyle]

Ed, thats awesome and this trip with all of you've been through will go down as one of your great trips out.

Kyle

[EdKaz]

Thanks for the follow up posts guys

To those of you with youngsters of your own...My son now 24, provided me with years of laughs and smiles as we fished together often while he "grew up". That 24 years of fishing with him went by in the blink of an eye, and hes moved on with his own life leaving little time for us fishing together lately.

NOTHING during them 24 years of fishing with my son could have accurately prepared me for the first real day on the water fishing with my grandson. Couldnt have hoped for a nicer day for fishing, and the wildlife we saw through the day was icing on the cake.

To those of you that havent experienced it yet, FIND, MAKE, STEAL the time, to take your children fishing as often as you can....it is those moments in life, that WILL go by in a blink of an eye, that might help lessen the overwhelming feelings YOU WILL experience when your grandchild looks up at you after a day of fishing, and says "maybe tomorrow will be YOUR lucky day".

With tears of joy and pride already rolling down the cheeks of Your face, will YOU be able to hold back even more SURE to come, when he sees them tears and says "dont worry pa, we can tell everyone YOU caught all the fish"?



Im gonna let you all in on a little secret ..........This weathered, overly opinionated grumpy old fart couldn't.



.

[MR. Fish]

Nice. Real, real nice.That'll give you a real warm and fuzzy.

[digitalbluecat]

good to see another youngster learning the old school techniques with a baitcaster and the right baits.

Kids who fish do not have time to get into trouble and when they fish with the seniors its a lifetime memory for both and a bond that endures forever..

Good job!

[bigling97]

Great story!!! Thanks for sharing. Amazing how a little one can turn a big tuff guy into a teary eyed lump of flesh.

[dylanapollo]

bigling97 wrote:

Great story!!! Thanks for sharing. Amazing how a little one can turn a big tuff guy into a teary eyed lump of flesh.

RIGHT!!! I gotta tell ya that's what it's all about. Great report. Greater smile!

Thanks,

[GETDANET1]

Great report Ed.
As some say....We only have today, tomorrow is not assured.
You certainly put in one great today!

Very happy to see that you are well enough to venture out again.
GDN!