What Was Your Most Thankful Moment This Year While Fishing ?

[lanzbass]

Mine was ; I had invited 3 friends to go fishing with me I had taken the 1st two out earlier in the day and they both got a couple of nice ones...

 

It started raining heavy so I told my last friend we would wait till it let up and I would take him to a good hole...

 

After we ate we grabbed our gear and headed down to the boat...

 

When we got to the boat the waves and rain had splashed up onto the motor...

 

I did not know but the spark plug was a little loose and water had got into the cylinder ...

 

So I took the spark plug out and pulled until the water flushed out ...

 

It was just about ready to start and I was getting ready to put the spark plug in for the last time and it slipped out of my hand and fell into the lake...

 

Frustrated and feeling bad because I wanted to give my friend a shot at getting a nice one , so... 

 

I took a few deep breaths of air and went diving down for it...

 

Feeling with my hands on the bottom after several dives down I found it...

 

My friend ended up doing real well that afternoon and I was very thankful that I found the spark plug ...

 

I carry an extra now just in case...

[bighed]

Thankful that when I fell out of the boat at Dardanelle in full winter gear that the boat didn't get away from me and that I was able to get back in. Ill be wearing the mustang when I'm alone from here on. Had a change of cloths with me which saved the fishing too. Couldn't believe the iPhone even survived after a couple minutes under water!

[Preytorien]

Mine is one that novice, non-boater fishermen have all probably experienced at one point or another.

 

I was invited to go fishing with a friend of my father, who has a very nice boat. He's a tournament fisherman and happened to be pre-fishing a lake near my house. 

 

Of course, any non-boating rookie going with a tournament guy on a boat that costs as much as his house is going to be nervous as a cat, and I knew that he was probably just as pensive about how much he'd have to babysit "the rookie" as I was about not interfering with his preparation.

 

We got out there, and it was a gorgeous day, mist wafting off the water. Couldn't have asked for a better morning. We came up on a small island in the middle of the lake that had a cove in it. He had just positioned the boat, leading into the cove, and I was facing one of the arms that stretched out into the lake. I noticed that past the point's shoreline, it was very shallow for about 50 feet into the water, and had some weeds underneath the water. I had just bought a couple Megabass Cavitrons (black on black) so I tied one on and cast across the point and started dragging it back. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the telltale V-shape moving toward my buzzbait and my heartrate shot up but I kept dragging the buzz. She hit my bait like a freight-train. It must've been her first "meal" of the morning and she wasn't going to let it go. 

 

A good fight ensued and I got her boated. It was a nice 4.5-lb girl. Not the biggest, but I was thankful that I was able to land her. It took a huge weight off my back, but I think I could also tell that the other guy was pretty relieved as well, now knowing that I at least wouldn't be a complete novice.

 

We had a great day on the water, I learned more from him in 6 hours of fishing than I learned all year. He even invited me to go with him several more times that year. I'm thankful because I'm sure if I had wrecked his pre-fishing process or been a complete annoyance, I probably wouldn't be re-invited. I'm thankful I caught the first, and biggest fish of the day!

 

If it's not that, it must be the sausage-egg-biscuits I bring along, hmm? 

[ww2farmer]

That when I put the boat on the trailer at the end of a trip, nothing broke, and I have a wife and kids to go home to.

[MarkH024]

Just thankful I am able to go and fish. Not everyone has that luxury in life. And like WW2 said, get to go see the family when I'm done. 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

First and foremost, thankful for a wife that doesn't have a problem with me fishing. I've got some friends that have a bit less luck in that department.

 

I'm also thankful for the good friends I've made in the past through fishing. Met some pretty cool people along the journey and it just seems to get better each year.

[KyakR]

Boy, PSN81, did your story hit home! Good chance I'll be at the Roadtrip this year and I'm terrified about the prospect of standing on somebody's boat to co-fish! I've never fished standing on a boat (only kayak) and certainly never that close to another angler. If it's Brian Needham he might push me in 

My story: I pulled up to one of my favorite spots and saw another car there. It's out of the way, so I got ready to to turn around, grumbling and cussing a bit, thinking of somewhere else I could go. Before I could turn I saw a woman come up the bank and sit down. She was holding a small bass and trying to extract the hook. I was thrilled! I almost never see another female angler! I parked got my gear and said "Hi! Mind if I put in here?" Didn't want to scare her off! She smiled and looked relieved. A two hour conversation about fishing followed. This was her first solo trip, and she was trying to teach herself. Her boyfriend was a game warden and had taken her out numerous times to get her started. His instruction was gentle and thorough....geared to increase her confidence and provide maximum enjoyment of the sport. She wanted to try it herself to see if she could do it! I gave her one of my rods, some fluerocarbon leaders and a bunch of tackle. I told her about this site and how much I'd learned here! After that I went out and caught a nice 31/2 er on a glass lake in the dark. Great day ;D

[Oregon Native]

Yup...awesome family and being able to just the other day go fishing solo after my bout with acute pancreatitus. Wasn't sure a couple times if it would happen again.

Tight Lines

[AK-Jax86]

I'm thankful that I have a girlfriend who enjoys fishing and allows me to go fishing with my boys. Without a good woman us men are nothing! Remember that and treat you significant other right.

[A-Jay]

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Watching my friend release this Beast.

 

A-Jay

[Preytorien]

First and foremost, thankful for a wife that doesn't have a problem with me fishing. I've got some friends that have a bit less luck in that department.

 

I'm also thankful for the good friends I've made in the past through fishing. Met some pretty cool people along the journey and it just seems to get better each year.

 

Man I can sure agree with this. My wife has always been fine with me fishing, as well as my other sports (I used to race bicycles on a low-professional level). She even usually has something fishing related for me under the tree. This year it's a Crucial dropshot rod and a Seibert Stocking Stuffer Pack! 

 

Add to that she brought our beautiful little daughter into the world this July, and she's already talking to her about the "many times you'll go fishing with daddy".....I can't wait.

[Loop_Dad]

Like Mark024 said, I'm thankful that I can go fishing.

 

Thankful that when I fell out of the boat at Dardanelle in full winter gear that the boat didn't get away from me and that I was able to get back in. Ill be wearing the mustang when I'm alone from here on. Had a change of cloths with me which saved the fishing too. Couldn't believe the iPhone even survived after a couple minutes under water!

 

bighead, glad you were safe. What was the water temp? And were you wearing the survival suit from mustang or something else? I'm looking into what I should be wearing as I mostly fish alone.

[Dwight Hottle]

One of my better moments was taking this picture of A-Jay's new PB. An 11-11 on 11-11-13, Veterans Day. He will never forget that one.

 

[roadwarrior]

...and your post is timed at exactly 11:00 CST 

 

11-11 on 11/11

 

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

[Dwight Hottle]

Nice touch Kent.

[SirSnookalot]

Thankful for lousy weather.  When the surf is up the fishing can get hot, 1 day in particular earlier this year my buddy and venture offshore, 20 mph with 5 footers.  About 9:am a squall comes thru, heavy rain, wind and surf pick up, then the bite turns on.  For about an hour either one or both of us had a king, bonita or sailfish hooked, squall passes thru and the bite was dead.

[Throw Back]

Daughter reelin in her whoppin bluegill

[SpinnerbaitSlinger]

Catching my this toad, new PB smallmouth on my Bday. Right about 4lbs, 19 1/2" long

[Fishes in trees]

Several things come to mind.  Nothing serious broke this year - that is good . . . . . .once this year I out fished a buddy of mine who is a MUCH better fisherman that I am . . . .. .and it wasn't a rotten day either where just a few fish were caught,  he caught 7 or 8 keeper fish and I caught a dozen. . . . . . . .I fished the Fishing for Freedom event again this past October at Truman Lake, so I'm thankful that I have a job where I can take a week off in October and I drew a guy who just needed to take a day and ride around in a boat and chill     . . . . have a couple of barley pops, etc.

[Dwight Hottle]

Catching my this toad, new PB smallmouth on my Bday. Right about 4lbs, 19 1/2" long

 

PB smallie on your birthday. That's kinda special.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Improving on how I utilize all of my lures. Instead of my trusted few. I'm a much more versatile angler and now am better equipped.

[whitwolf]

I'm like others on this thread In that I'm thankful for having a fiance' that completely understands that to me fishing Is more than just catching.

 

She has a taken an Interest and whether we catch fish or not we ALWAYS enjoy eachothers company, laugh a lot, talk about many things , and generally are grateful we are able to spend that type of quality time together.

 

The one thing she laughs about Is the day she caught her first bass I couldn't have been happier. It literally made my day!

[papajoe222]

My most thankful moment this year had to be the moment I finally caught up to my boat on a cold, breezy, rainy day in April after falling overboard. Without my PFD and knowing I was alone on the water, well aware that I am out of shape and the cold water would sap what little strength I still had, when I finally grabbed the transom and was able to hoist myself aboard (with the help of the power trim) I can honestly say that it was not only my most thankful moment this year, but in the top ten of my life.    Thank You Lord!

[Long Mike]

My most thankful moment happened yesterday.  My bride and I celebrated our forty-fourth wedding anniversary.  It's great to spend that amount of time with your best friend.

 

My second most thankful moment occurred early this year when I took my kid fishing for the first time.  On her second cast she caught about a two-pound bass.  She's forty years old.

[camovan]

One day I was drifting down the Shenandoah in the kayak fishing with 30# braid. Got hung up in a tree overhanging the middle of the river. River was moving pretty fast this time of year and soon i was downstream while still hooked to the tree. My dumb arse grabbed the line forgetting it was braid, wrapped it around my hand and gave it a tug to try and break off. Braid didn't give, tree didn't give and kayak kept going. I was about half a second away from cutting off a finger when I was thankful I had line clippers tied to my chest. I was even more thankful they cut the braid on the first clip. That was the last time I direct tied braid on a float trip, always use a 10-12# leader just so I can break off if needed.