Little Boys catch the Biggest Fish

There's a couple of stocked, man-made lakes in our neighborhood in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.  The neighborhood kids, and a few of the grownups have figured out there's fish in the smaller lake (4-1/2 acres), right in the middle of a neighborhood of houses. The bass have matured to good size this year and are easily visible feeding along the shore. The bluegill are plentiful and hungry.

To my amazement, all my high-tech fishing gear isn't nearly as effective as a pinch of weenie under a bobber.

A friend of mine brought his four year son over to fish with my four year old grandson this past weekend. We had a great Saturday of tangled lines and snags until my friend (a fishing novice) was surprised to catch a 12" bass. I think it was his first catch in many years. The kids were excited and tired, so finally, having gotten something on the stringer, we took a snack break.

After a little play time we got them back to bank fishing. His little boy had one of those two foot long Mickey Mouse rod & reels for very young beginners. It was back lashed and would only cast about 20'. Dad baited a little bream hook with Oscar Meyer and threw it out. Well, that little rod was laid down, picked up, and laid down a dozen times.  Little Dave just happen to have it in is hands when the biggest bass I've every seen in that lake hit it.

Little Dave screamed for Dad. Big Dave screamed for me. Big Dave couldn't reel it in with the little rod. I splashed into the water to scoop the bass onto the shore by hand before he got away. It wasn't the biggest bass I'd every caught but it was close. The tiny little hook was barely in the lip.

Don't get excited. It's not on our wall. We released it back into the lake in good condition. It's there waiting to thrill another novice fisherman. I don't know what it weighed and I'm not going to guess. But it made memories that will be long remembered by two little boys.

Take a kid fishing! Start a lifetime of exploring the unseen. Of finding the unexpected. Of investing effort in the uncertain.

Fishing is magic, but you have to wait for poof! to happen on its own schedule, which is a lot like life.

And remember, its a four year old with a Mickey Mouse rod and a weenie that'll skunk the grownup fishermen with all the gear and lures that Academy offers.