Texas Calling

Today's a packing day for Nathaniel and me because tomorrow, right after Asher's Little League tryouts, we point the Expedition toward Texas and begin the long drive. We'll spend a week or so in the Lone Star State, fishing for everything from speckled trout to rainbow trout. (Yep. They have those in Texas.) Rough path is slated, but we'll fill in most details as we go.

I've enjoyed some really good fishing in Texas, including time on acclaimed lakes like Falcon, Amistad and Fork and wading out of Port Mansfield. It's been a few years since I've been there, though, and next week plans don't include any places I've fished before, so I'm really looking forward to getting back down there and to discovering new stuff.

Better get to packing, I suppose!

#CatchFishAnywhere

White Bass Bycatch

"Now remember, guys, we're fishing for white bass," Gary Dollahon reminded Jake Bennett and me.

Bennett, who founded Numa Optics, had distracted us from the quest with a couple of fat channel cats, and we'd all caught more than our share of yellow bass.

Then I threw us even further off course when something heavy grabbed my Big Strike jiggings spoon and after a few minutes of slow, heavy tugging, a great big largemouth did a wallowing jump and then surged down, pulling harder. Eventually Dollahon slipped a net under the big bass. The fish measured 23 3/4-inches, which is a slot fish at Lake Fork. We didn't put it on scales, but my best guess that it weighed about 8 pounds.

About 10 minutes after we took photos and went back to fishing, Dollahon forgot his own instructions and caught a 5-pound largemouth on a jigging spoon.

Eventually we did get back to fishing and actually got the white bass we needed for a photo. Mission accomplished, and we sure had fun along the way!

Double Trouble on Lake Fork

Forget stereotypes. Lake Fork or no Lake Fork, the bass were busting little bitty baitfish so it seemed like a little bitty bait might be the ticket. I had Bobby Garland 1 1/2-inch Stroll'Rs and Swimmin Minnows in my bag, so I put one of each on a tandem set of small jigheads and laid the rig where it would be handy when the next schooling fish that popped up within range.

It didn't take long for schoolers to show themselves, so I grabbed that outfit and fired my little rig toward the breakers. Wham. A hit and miss. Three cranks later another hit, and this time it was hooked.

"Bring it in slowly and you might get another one," bass pro Stephen Browning said, knowing I had another loose jig on my rig. I did as he said, and the bass seemingly had read the script. That largemouth double turned out to be one of four Browning and I landed in an afternoon of throwing "crappie baits" for schooling fish and the first two of 20 or so largemouth bass.

The bad news is that we also lost our share. The 10-pound line on my Lew's Laser SL Speed Stick spinning outfit just didn't let me muscle 5-pound fish, so some found the trees. Browning and I both lost a couple of what we think were really nice bass.

Today was a far cry from what I think of when I think about Lake Fork, but it was a really fun day of fishing with a catch that ranged from catching dozens of barfish (yellow bass) on spoons to watching Browning catch a flathead that ate a football jig to doubling up largemouths with crappie jigs.

We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Different Paths

As I sit in the Atlanta airport, waiting to fly to Dallas, I find myself thinking about -- and praying for -- my young friend Calvin. Calvin also travels today, but our paths couldn't be much more different. While I'm flying to Texas to spend a few days fishing the legendary big bass waters of Lake Fork and to take photos, Calvin is traveling to Parris Island, South Carolina, where he is about to begin boot camp.

I admire and appreciate Calvin's decision to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, and I know he will serve our country well, wherever the Marines take him. I'm thankful to be able to make my living writing fish stories, but I'm also very thankful everyone who chooses to serve in the military.

My daughter observed yesterday that its too easy to forget that every soldier is a person with a family at home and each with a unique set of interests, like riding bikes, fishing and playing musical instruments. She's right, and I'm certainly more aware of that today than I would be on other days.

Calvin - Know I'll be be praying for you as you begin your training.