Fishing in Arkansas

On Thursday morning the guys were up and out the door by 5:30. The lovely Miss Jessica offered to take them to meet the guide so I could sleep in seeing as how I was so tired (or perhaps because I was such b#*$% from lack of sleep... we'll pretend it was the former ok?)

Everything in Arkansas is really flooded from all the rain they have been having so the lake we stayed next to looked like chocolate milk with branches floating in it. Not great for fishing, so the guide drove them about 30 - 45 minutes south to find clear water.

As the story goes they got into the boat and Shane told Jake that he could have the first fish but after that is was a free for all. The guide looked at Shane like he was crazy and then told the following story.

He had a family on the boat a grandpa, his son and his grandson. They were
fishing along and a big fish hit on one of the poles. The dad told the grandpa
to let the little boy real it in. The little boy headed over there and the
grandpa pushed him away saying you have 80 more years to catch a fish like
this... get the hell out of my way.

Either way, Shane was true to his word. On the advice of the guide, "If you have to ask if it's a bite... it's not. If it bends at the 1st or 2nd eyelet... it's a dink. If it bends at the 3rd or 4th eyelet it's a 20 - 30 lb fish. If it bends at the base... give it to me." They sat down and waited for fish to bite.

They had 9 poles in the water so their eyes were continually moving. The first fish hit and Jake went for it, too slow. The second fish hit and Jake went for it, too slow. The third and fourth fish hit but they were gone before anyone could get to them. Finally on the fifth fish Shane was right next to the pole and figured Jake had is chance and so he started reeling him in.

Shane said it was GREAT fishing and that the fish fight really hard. His fish was only estimated at 13 lbs and he said he can't imagine how hard it would be to real them in if it was larger.

(Sorry about the head cutting off Shane... apparently Jake has some camera issues!!) After that, they went for a good two hours without a bite.

Shane was feeling kind of bad that Jake might not even get to catch a fish when he sat down to eat some more of Jan's wonderful cookies. About that time one of his poles started moving but he was too busy with his mouth full of chocolaty goodness to get to it. So Jake ran across the deck and started reeling him in.

The fish Jake caught was estimated at about 15 lbs and he too said that he could not imagine the fight if the fish were bigger.

After that they did not catch any more fish but they said they still had a GREAT time and would return to that guide in a heart beat.

On a side note... the fish were in spawning season so Jake's fish left him a little love serum to remember him by.

Shortly there after they cut off his head and filleted him.....