My Personal Best

I have been fishing all my life. My dad spoiled me when I was little by taking me to a catfish farm. I was guaranteed to catch a fish and I usually caught more than my dad wanted me to. And I was hooked.

When Frank started tournament fishing, I didn't go. I had a baby to raise and really didn't want to go spend all that time in the sun. It was either too hot or too cold. I just didn't want to go.

Frank finally talked me into joining CAST. I really didn't want to. He promised me that if I didn't want to fish, I could read, sleep, eat, whatever I wanted. He also promised no yelling on the boat. He had problems at times keeping that promise, but he did it. I didn't fish much at first, but the more I went the more I would fish.

After fishing with him for about five years I finally caught a fish over five pounds. As exciting as that was, it still wasn't fun. I thought I was hung up while learning to fish a Carolina rig and Frank had to help me reel her in.

That was about tn years ago. I had decided that I would never catch a fish that weighed more than three pounds. Not only did I have trouble reeling in anything bigger, I really have trouble setting the hook.

This past Saturday, we fished our last tournament of the year with TBC NW. Up at 3:30, we headed to Miller Creek. We love that little lake. It is not very big, but it is a nice lake. Frank did real well last week when he pre-fished. He caught about 18 pounds of fish with the largest being over nine pounds. We were ready to do some fishing.

Things didn't start out to great. Around 7:30 I lost a pretty good fish. Again, I didn't set the hook. It didn't even penetrate the fluke I was fishing with (although, I still blame Frank for not getting her in the net! LOL). Another big fish lost because I can't set a hook.

Later in the morning, Frank set the hook and reeled in a really nice four pounder. Things were looking up. About three cast later, I felt the tug and decided this one was not getting away. I set the hook hard enough that Frank thought I jerked her lips off!

I could tell it had some weight to her, but didn't realize how big until we got her in the boat. 7.28! MY PERSONAL BEST! I was so excited, but I really think Frank was more excited than I was.

She wasn't huge, but I proved to myself that I could catch something bigger than a three and get it in to the boat.

I am so ready to go again just to see if I can do it again!