A Day at the Lagoon

There is an old saying that says the worst day fishing is better than the best day working. I myself have had some seriously bad fishing days. And yes, they are always better than working.

Case in point, Today. We spent the day at Freshwater Lagoon. I was invited to go with a friend, Cody, and his friend Aaron. We started at 6 am. We hopped in the truck and headed for the lagoon. From home its about a 45 minute drive, and on the way up Cody told me all about his fishing expertise and his proficiency at Bass fishing in Freshwater Lagoon. We bantered back and forth about who is really the better fisherman, and finally arrived at the lagoon. It was overcast, a little chilly, and a little breezy. But otherwise it looked something like this:

A really nice area here. If the bass fishing isn't for you, the Pacific Ocean is right next door and the Perch fishing is excellent. But our goal here was Large Mouth Bass. And we had an agenda that was to be followed.

So we started getting the boat ready, removing straps, getting rods ready,making sure the bait and snacks were stored in a handy place.

Then the real fun began. No, not because we got in the water and commenced our fishing day, but because Cody left the boat keys at home. This could have been a serious problem. Fortunately, Aaron (for reasons unknown to me) thought he could hot wire the boat.

The next 45 minutes, or so, were spent like this. Cody hanging over the side of the boat unleashing a string of obscenities a sailor would be envious of and Aaron doing his best to make our situation better.

Some how, despite this minor setback, Cody managed a smile. So we sat there a little while longer, and not long after that Aaron managed to get the bot running and we were ready to set off on our Fishing Expedition.

(Note to self: Don't let Aaron near my car unattended.)

So we motored off. The boat launch is at the North end of the lagoon, and we headed to the south end. Once there, we baited up and got our lines in the water. There were lilly pads everywhere, and just about anyone who has fished for any kind of fish, Bass tend to like to stick the shadows under the pads and in the reeds. Again, Cody started sharing his vast knowledge of Bass fishing, and while he was running his mouth, I landed a fish.

Not having bass fished, ever, I wasn't sure about the quality of my catch. But he weighed in at 3 pounds 3 ounces. Not to shabby. Once this was done, Cody quit running his mouth and focused a little more on fishing. And not long after that, Cody landed his first of the day.

I would like to point out that my fish is bigger than his.

This may seem like gloating, and really it is. Fishing, if it is anything, is a Bragger's sport. And those who catch more and larger fish have every right to point that out to his fellow fishermen.

Sadly, I have to point out that I really don't have any pictures of Aaron. This is because he did not catch anything at all. This is a sad tale for him, but a fact of life sometimes (truthfully, though, I'm glad it wasn't me).

Well, well, well. Here is another picture of a fine fisherman with, well, a minnow really. But its still a fish landed, and that's what counts a lot of times. Especially on a day like today, when the bite wasn't red hot and the fishing was actual work at times. So I am proud of the ones I have to show.

As we were fishing this side of the lagoon, Cody started talking about this dock and how he has caught many fish around it. So trying to use his expert skills at casting, he flipped his bait off towards the dock, intending to shoot it under the dock. Sadly, this didn't work out so well for him.

I went out of my way to make sure that this picture was taken, and have even made a slight addition to the photo, to point out the Master Caster's skills. Not only did he not make his intended target of under the dock, but he managed to get his hook lodged firmly on the dock itself. Well done my friend, well done.

Here is yet another fine specimen, landed by Your's Truly. Sadly though, not long after this, the bite which was not exactly hot went dead cold. Cody landed one more, and that was that. Motored around a bit more, but nothing really came of it. In a last ditch effort to make something more of our day, we trolled for trout. This too resulted in nothing more than more time spent in the rising wind.

So we called it a day. And a good day it was. Fishing in the company to two fine people and making the best of a day off from work.

It pains me to say that tomorrow I have to return to work, the regular mess that goes along with that. But hopefully, an opportunity like this will come again. And when it does, I hope to take advantage of it.