Apalachicola River 1/12/09

[tallydude]

The day started out innocent enough. I got out of class and decided to go fishing. Due to the recent cold front, I figured stripers were in order over at the Woodruff dam on the Apalachicola River side of Lake Seminole. I called up a classmate of mine that had told me he didn't know a lot about fishing and would like to learn some more.

I thought it would be great to get some stripers and maybe some skipjack for catfish bait. My friend Daniel needed to relearn everything. I taught him how to tie his lure on and even had to show him how to cast a spinning reel. He had a big learning curve but soon got the hang of it.

After throwing bucktail jigs and spinnerbaits out into the current for a while, we decided to move downstream about 50 yards where I had noticed some flooded timber. I started casting my spinnerbait into a particularly "fishy" looking area. Daniel soon got hung up and broke off his lure, meaning I had to retie for him. I gave him my rod and told him to fish the area I was fishing and to cast between two sets of trees.

See where this is going?

As I am retying his lure, I hear grunting over my shoulder and a call for help. It was Daniel, hooked into this bass pictured below. I lipped her and showed him how to hold her. He had never caught one this big. All I could do was laugh at the fish that could've (should've?) been mine.

He asked me if we could keep it and I explained to him why that wasn't a good idea. I released the fish and watched her swim off, knowing that a new bass angler had been born today.

[Olebiker]

That's a pretty good fish for that water.  Those bass on the river relate to wood more than any place I have ever fished.

[tallydude]

Yeah, I was surprised at her size. I wasn't expecting a bass to hit so close to the dam, especially considering today's weather conditions. But, I'm really happy for my friend, who couldn't stop thanking me for bringing him.

[Bassn Blvd]

Is your friend a guy or a girl?  I thought I saw man boobs.

I'm sorry Jason, that was horrible of me to say.  It's nice to see you are passing what I taught you on to new anglers.

[Jimzee]

Awesome story. I think this has happened to everyone of us that has taken someone fishing for the first time. In my case it was a musky that my friend caught with my rod while I was getting a $40.00 lure out of a tree that he cast into. Funny stuff

[M_Fields.]

Tallydude,

That's the way it goes sometimes.  I grew up around there, about 10 minutes away or so.  I was down for the holidays, wish I was able to go fishing.  I have cought so many sunfish, flat head, and bass.  I also used to do alot of other things at the dam to.  I had a good time growing up there.

M_Fields

[Bassn Blvd]

Does he have any male relatives that went to FSU and is married to an attorney.  He looks like a younger twin of someone I know up there.  They actually got married in Apalachicola and I believe reside in Tali.

[tallydude]

No, I don't think so. But the next lesson you taught me I'm passing on is how to grow long hair and look like a hippie  8-).

Just kidding, bro.

[Bassn Blvd]

You need to find a saltwater partner and go fish the Gulf.  You will have a blast catching all different species.

[tallydude]

Yeah, tell me about it. There's an attorney at Christine's firm that wants to go out on the water with me. Just gotta make the time. With St. Marks so close, I'd really like to work my in-shore techniques and catch fish I've caught before. I already got my flounder, now for redfish, seatrout, snook, etc...

[Bassn Blvd]

I don't know how the snook action is up there but the redfish should be GREAT.  Get out there for some kings and grouper.

[burleytog]

Why would keeping the fish not be a good idea?

[tallydude]

I'm not turning this into another catch and release post.