The Lunker
The Boys in the Boat
By Fred Metarko

It was in 2005 during the last week of June and the first week of July when our daughter Lisa and grandsons Andy and Alex were visiting with us. The twins were very active six-year-olds at the time.

When Andy and Alex are here, one of the things they like to do is go out on the boat, ride around the lake and do some fishing. I tell them stories about fishing and the experiences I’ve had during fishing tournaments. They always want to know how I made out and if I caught the lunker (the big fish of the tournament). They decided it would be exciting to go fishing very early in the morning with the boat lights glowing in the fog as we move slowly through the no-wake area, just as if we were in a tournament. Everyone agreed and we made plans to go to Hammond Lake the very next day. We prepared for an early morning start even though the boys were up quite late that night. After all, it was vacation time for them and the usual rules were quite relaxed.

When we arose around 4:30 a.m., there was a cold early morning air, so we wrestled the boys into hooded sweatshirts and jackets, quite a feat with them being half awake and limp as a noodle. We loaded everything in the Jeep—boys, gear, food, and hot drinks, and then it was off to the lake.

We arrived at the lake in less than a half hour and all was quiet; we were alone. After pulling up next to the launch ramp and loading all our gear in the boat, I carefully backed the boat down the ramp to the water. The boys had fallen back to sleep during the car ride and weren’t quite with it. We slipped on their life jackets and carried them to the boat.

As we lifted them in I said to Lisa, “ Let’s hope they wake up enough to experience their early morning adventure.”

With everyone and everything in the boat, I backed it in the water and parked the Jeep. As soon as we were ready to make a run down the lake, the boys were wide-awake and set for action. With the boat lights on, we idled through the no-wake area in the fog just like the start of a tournament. We all huddled together and covered ourselves with the extra life jackets to keep warm as we drank some hot chocolate.
After waiting for what seemed like forever for the sun to come up, it turned out to be a pleasant day. The sunrise was beautiful, and we took pictures of the boys as they fished. We caught and released several fish and had some snacks to eat as we moved around the lake.

Alex and Andy like to steer the boat and control the throttle, mostly at top speed. It didn’t take them long to discover which lever made it go faster. When the bite was slow, they suggested revving up the big motor and cruising around the lake.

They have their own rods and reels but seem to prefer grandpa’s more expensive outfits, which they learned to handle well.

They watched me and tried to imitate my technique to catch fish. When that didn’t produce any results, one of the boys would say, “This lure isn’t working, let’s try another one.” Or “There aren’t any fish here, let’s move to that spot over there.” 
To keep two boys fishing—untangling lines, unhooking snags, retying hooks and lures, all while controlling the boat—is no small task. When I hooked a fish, I handed the rod to one boy while the other held the net. The boys got pumped up and were giving each other instructions as they landed the catch. They were getting the feel of what a tournament might be like.    

The boys enjoyed the day and the excitement of the early morning start, but they were also ready for an early bedtime that evening.

When asked if they wanted to do the same thing tomorrow, they said, “OK, but can we start a little later?”

So, it is possible to enjoy a day fishing with the younguns without breaking something or losing something or falling in the water. It can be done!

The Lunker is a member of the Tioga County Bass Anglers (www.tiogacountybassanglers.com). You can contact him at lunker@mountainhome.com.