| Weekend X - Jack's Memories | |
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I had intended to get away by 3am but it was more like 4:30 before we pulled away. I had spent several days working on my leaky old boat trying to make her seaworthy, unsuccessfully I might add.
I used to have a truck but a guy that was supposed to put in a transmission stripped it and sold it for junk. My stepson just happened to spot it at the junkyard and I had the guy jailed. He got me another truck but it wasn't much good so I had to put a trailer hitch on the car.
So off we go on a 61/2 hour drive to Clark Hill and Ronnie's place. We arrived sometime after noon very tired and sleepy. When I walked up to Ronnie's door there was a note, "Jack, gone fishing, make yourself at home." Now where other than this group of people could you expect someone you had never met in person to leave his door open like that. This says something about the kind of people on this site.
Anyway Frances and I unloaded our stuff (she, as always had packed enough to stay a couple of weeks at least) then went into the bedroom and promptly went to sleep. Sometime later Frances woke me and said "some of the guys are here" so I shook the cobwebs out of my head and went in to meet Ronnie, Lip and DonnieP/
We chatted for awhile and they Ronnie asked me if I wanted to go with him fishing. Ha, who wouldn't jump at that. We fished around a small island and caught a couple of 10iners. but nothing bigger. The wind was almost calm. I think this was the same place Ronnie was to get his biggest one Sunday.
We then went back and had a feast of crappie fillets cooked just right, along with all the trimmings. Stuffed, we sat around and chatted as others came in and joined. This was the part that I really enjoyed more than the fishing, although fishing with Ronnie was great even tho the fish were small. Who cares when you have friends like these to talk about fishing with.
Sat. morning Ronnie asked me to go with him again and again I jumped at the chance. We went up the creek (I think Ronnie has a paddle in his boat) to see if we could find some fish where Ronnie had caught some nice ones earlier. Unfortunately the water had fallen and the bigger ones had apparently left we had a good time catching several 12-14" on spinnerbaits and 4"pumpkinseed lizards rigged Carolina. I tried a 6" lizard but no takers then Ronnie gave me a 4"er and I began to catch one now and then.
We went into one little cove and kept getting bit but couldn't get hooked up. Finally I hooked one in the gill cover and that is the one in the pics. They were brim grabbing the chartreuse dipped tails of our lizard. Back to the trailer again and more chit chat with the guys and Frances, so far the only gal there. Later Ronnie's wife Linda came toting Ben and Eric. If all New York kids were like these two boys there would be no drug and crime problems. Nicer boys you have never met although a bit shy.
Later I went out in my leaky boat and tried the little island and several points and coves but with no wind they were not productive. Now on Seminole I pray for calm days but now I see that on a lake like Clark Hill the wind is a friend and a key to catching bass as well as other species. Since we had an uneven number of fishermen I went by myself on Sun. morn. and the wind was up but I had not learned about the wind yet so I went back up in the general area where Ronnie and I had gone the day before and again only a few small fish on the lizard. Then trying the riprap along the bridge I caught several small ones on a worm but still nothing to brag about.
Back at the trailer, more fish talk and whatever we could find to eat and a little rest before going out again.
This time Eric had the misfortune of going with me as we tried the now windy points on the suggestion of DonnieP but still nothing but a couple of small ones. Poor Eric, soon he was up to his ankles in water and we had to bail since I have no bilge pump. Either I get the holes patched or buy a pump...BTW. I pulled my boat out this evening and found a hole big enough to stick my pinkie in, so I got some patchwork to do.
Sat. evening we had stuffed ourselves on seafood. I love seafood and always overdo it.
Frances had finally a third gal to talk to. Kevin (FishingGA.) brought his wife for a short visit Sun. eve. Frances said she and Linda had spent quite a while talking and talking Sun. afternoon and they seemed to have gotten on quite well.
Monday morning it came the all too soon time to say "so long" to our new friends and head home. We arrived about 6pm and promptly hit the hay and slept. It had been a great enjoyable weekend, the only things wrong were that it had to end so soon and that there were so many others that we wished could have been there. Everybody plan on coming to the next one in N. Carolina I believe Ronnie said was the proposed plan. Too bad it has to be a whole year away.
THANKS RONNIE FOR ALL THE GOOD TIMES AND HOSPITALITY.
