Ron's friend was very excited last evening as the two of them launched from West Neck about 6 p.m. on the friend's first fishing trip ever in a kayak. Aiming to get his friend started right, Ron had loaned him one of his rods rigged with none other than a Whopper Plopper.
The duo headed northward and into a feeder creek. Little could either one of them known that, on the friend's very first cast, he would log his very first topwater catch--a nice 2-lb. 9-oz., 19-inch bass. This fish was just 3 ounces shy of his personal best.
Fifteen minutes later, Ron's friend experienced one of the reasons I refuse to ever sit my behind in a kayak. He was reaching over the side, trying to free the snagged Whopper Plopper, when he suddenly found the kayak's tipping point and went into the drink. Fortunately, all he lost was a pair of cheap pliers and some humility. If you're wondering about the fishing rod, it was OK because it had a float attached (note the yellow piece on the rod handle in the accompanying photo).
With his enthusiasm still intact, the friend went on to also score a dink before the evening was over.
But now we come to Ron, who had been struggling all evening to preserve a two-week-old streak of fishing trips without a skunk. At 8:18 p.m., just as he was beginning to think the streak was going to end, he found a nice 2-5, 17-inch bass--his only fish of the night. Because he couldn't get his phone camera to work (as I learned from a friend Saturday, some high-dollar phones don't like the heat), Ron didn't get a picture, but his friend said he'd vouch for the catch, in case anyone should question it. Ron went on to explain he had several very large V-follows that just would not hit
the Whopper Plopper.
All in all, it was a good evening for both student and instructor, and that's what really matters.
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