Hi folks,
Last weekend was simply perfect for fishing. The early part of the week was cool, some mornings in the high 30’s. Days were in the low 60’s. But it started to warm up on Thursday and Friday it got to about 75. Like I said, perfect.
Friday afternoon I got home and started laying out my fishing gear. Given this time of year the bass may be on the bed or not, spooky or clinging to shore, shallow or deeper, I had about 6 outfits rigged and at least 3 B-I-G tackle boxes set aside to make sure I had a wide selection of lures, rigs, etc.
I consider myself a fairly good fisherman, but late Spring has always been a challenge for me. The fish move and stir depending on a lot of factors. Wind, water temperature, water clarity, high or low pressure, you name it. Even some pros will tell you it can change hour by hour. So I figured I would load the whole kit and caboodle just to make sure I could fish whatever I needed to in whatever conditions.
About 7 PM that evening I came up to the house. It was dinner time and all this “pre” fishing activity had made me hungry. Friday is usually carry-in night, and I was anxious to see just what Dixie had decided on for dinner.
As I walked into the kitchen I could smell fresh baked pizza (one of my favorites) that was warming in the oven. Dixie turned and said, “What were you doing down there in the garage for so long?”
“Just getting my gear ready for fishing tomorrow”, I quickly replied. “Do you want to go?”
“Did you forget about the wedding?”, she asked.
Crap. I had. One of our pros was getting married that Saturday and we had RSVP’d that we would attend. How could I have forgotten this. How could he be getting married on such a perfect fishing day?! Dixie made no bones about how she enjoys a good wedding. And keeping a commitment.
I resigned myself to the inevitable. The wedding was at 2 PM so fishing before or after just wasn’t in the cards. It was about an hour’s drive from the house, so even an early morning jaunt to the local DNR lake was out of the question. The gear and the plans would have to wait.
The wedding went as all weddings go. It was beautiful and the bride and groom an attractive couple. We enjoyed the ceremony and reception, but my mind was far away, sitting in a boat with rod and reel in hand, imagining that trophy just about to take the bait. Perhaps he’ll wait until tomorrow.
Driving back home I mention to Dixie that just a day delay on my fishing excursion really shouldn’t be that bad. It was about this time she reminded me that Sunday afternoon I had promised to help he plant the garden. She also “casually” reminded me that unless we got the garden in soon we wouldn’t have the vegetables we would need for canning. Argh! Foiled again!
Long story short, last weekend was a bust for me as far as fishing. Try as I did, I couldn’t shed my gardening obligation to my wife. But this weekend I will be on the water and even though we have had some pretty warm weather, I expect to catch some nice sized bass and may even give some crappie a try. I know we don’t have any weddings lined up and unless those tomatoes and peppers grow like Jack’s beanstalk, no gardening either.
I can promise all of you that if I hook into a trophy I will guarantee you that you’ll be looking at it on our Braggin’ Board” next newsletter. And if I don’t? Well, I can probably come up with a fishing story that even you will believe!
This week we have an unbelievable deal on Lew’s rods. Their top end HM85 rods are on sale for a whopping 60% off, making them only $79.99!
Thanks to all of our great friends and customers who have supported us and passed our name on to their friends. We know we are only here by making sure your needs are our first and only priority. Please let me know if we ever fail to meet and exceed your expectations.
Tight Lines,
Tom Ashby
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