It Always Shows in Their Face

Let a young 'un catch a fish, even a tiny one, and 99 percent of the time, you can tell it from the expression on their face. D'ya think the 8-year-old lad in this photo is as proud as punch? You can bet he is...and for good reason. The largemouth bass he's cradling in his arms weighs a hefty 8 lbs. 4 ozs.

Here's the story behind it.

One February day two years ago, Anderson's dad had taken him to a local farm pond. Before they ever got there, the lad had told his dad that he was going to catch a "monster fish" today. And don't you know, he delivered on his prediction.

According to the boy's father, Anderson said, "I'm going to catch a monster because I was watching a show on Netflix this morning called 'Chasing Monsters.' The funny part," said the father, "was that we each caught one fish, and mine was 5 lbs.--a nice fish--but his outweighed mine by three pounds."

The youngster felt compelled to console his father, saying, "It's OK, Dad. One day, you'll catch a monster like mine."

I'd say that's a pretty clear-cut indication that Anderson already is showing signs of a true bass angler--prowess, compassion, sense of humor, and quite possibly, a little bit of rubbing it in. Too bad the high school fishing team will have to wait a few more years before Anderson can join 'em.

Regardless, the lad deserves a pat on the back for such a fine catch. Thanks to his dad, too, for taking him fishing in the first place.

Incidentally, if you listen to the pros, they're consistently telling you to use big lures if you want to catch big fish, but don't try to sell that idea to Anderson. Why? Because he used a black and yellow beetlespin to catch his monster. As he pointed out, "I catch my biggest (and most) bass on beetlespins and tiny torpedoes."

To each his own, but if you're having little or no luck with monster-sized lures, you might try downsizing a bit. What have you got to lose?