Rewards

REWARDS

No matter what type of drought one experiences, there will be the rewards of a harvest and plenty for those who persist.

It has been an embarrassingly long run of fishing since I have caught a reasonable number or a reasonable sized fish on excursions alone or with one of my sons. Except for a guided trip last year in which all four of us caught a number of sharks, it has been slim pickings for the past six to seven years for me. Even my youngest son said a few months ago, in a gesture of support, "Dad, I don't know if I could continue fishing as persistently as you do if I had gone so long without a good outing." He catches large bass regularly from creeks in the Friendswood area where he lives. His statement was a left-handed compliment, and he meant well by it. Of course, he is one of the reasons I persist. Our fishing time together yields stories and memories we'll pass along for decades.

About two months ago, we bought a small inflatable boat and six horsepower motor for getting out quickly, easily and quietly. This sturdy little combination has already given us the chance to tool around area waters in search of alligator gar, alligators, fish and discovery. This weekend we decided to try launching from the shore in Freeport and then motor out far enough to possibly encounter shark, trout, redfish or other interesting fish. A month ago, my youngest and one of his brothers talked about me breaking my fishing doldrums with an "old man and the sea" sort of experience. Clearly their message had a dual meaning.

We headed into the short waves about 9:30 Saturday morning and by 9:45 we were watching dolphins surface nearby, birds feeding, baitfish darting and swirls enticing us. From our position, essentially at the water's surface, we experienced fish feeding frenzies in which shark and other aggressive feeders tear into schools of baitfish while birds dive in from above to join the feast. It was quite an experience to be so close to such activity.

One such frenzy occurred quite close to us, boiling up as my bait was landing into the water. Moments later a fish and I were connected, and it peeled line off my heavy surfcasting reel as I watched. My son pulled in our makeshift anchor and, while the fish pulled us around, he started the motor and soon we were in pursuit of the fish. It zigged and zagged, catching up in the line of a woman fishing in a boat nearby and cutting her line. Soon, her leader was knotted on the end of my rod. My "guide" loosened it enough for the fight to continue. I called out to our neighbor, "We'll bring your leader back when we're done!" We also joked about being pulled to Cuba. "Old man and the sea" thoughts crossed my mind often.

Not wanting a large shark near our inflatable boat with sharp fins (or teeth!), I asked him several times, "you have your knife ready to cut the line?" This tug of war went on for quite a while until we had a jack crevalle inside the boat. About three and one-half feet long, guesstimating a weight of 15-20 pounds, this fish represented the first fish caught from our little boat, the largest fish I have ever caught, the most interesting fish adventure with any of my sons, and an outing never to be forgotten. The photo my son took with his cell phone is now the wallpaper for his phone and mine.

Neither of us are ready to turn professional now, but the weekend's adventure was beyond our wildest imagination. It was the product of never giving up. And while the fish is something to be quite proud of, the best thing it gave us was yet another story to carry for decades. Rewards come to those who persist, and usually it comes as something other than was hoped for in the first place.