Nice day on the pond

Yesterday, a very dear old friend and I got a chance for a rare day out fishing together.
It was a poorly planned day, not really sure til the evening before if the two of us really had the day free. We've been dear friends for 40 some years, since we were ten or so.
When I arrived at John's house at 5:30 he was standing in the driveway with a cup of joe in his hand, and a big smile on his face. We agreed on early, and I was glad of it... The Rogue, Klamath, Applegate, Illinois, Chetco, Smith, Umpqua.......These are our home waters, not to mention countless famous high lakes, and other smaller streams....
Where to go... we hadn't decided. That was the least of our worries. His battered but trusty 16 foot aluminum sled was at the ready with a newly accquired and mounted 35 horse outboard, and a full fuel tank.... I had two rods and a little chest full of ice and diet sodas, my gear bags, and two thick sandwiches. I put on my big straw hat and hopped in his pickup..... "Dude.....like where ya wana go ?" he said. His voice mocking the sound of our young sons so much that we both laughed for five minutes...... The day was begun...
We wanted to stay close, and not spend much time driving, the weather promised a sweltering 100 plus, the day before being no slouch at 103. He said he'd just talked to a farmer friend who offered a free pass to his 20 acre private irrigation pond. Said it was almost never fished in the last twenty years, and he thought there was a few little bass in there, maybe. Kinda brushy, with lots of poison oak and ticks, and he'd just killed a big ol' buzzworm out by the pump the other day. Kinda hard walkin, 'cause the cows keep the bank kinda chopped up...... That's it, says I.... 'les go! Well, we never gave the thing another thought, and in 20 I was out opening and closing the first of three gates between the road and the well hidden pond. She's a jewel, that pond, drawn down about two feet from full by irrigation needs, and just buzzing with bees, dragonflies, and the one rattler I saw. Not that brushy for the backcast, and by 6:20 we were riggin up for the day's first toss. I started with a black wooley, and John was swingin a shiny lookin clouser.
within the first hour we'd been through a handful of patterns between us and no takers, a little sippy ring here and there the only clue to any denizens of the pond beyond a few little croakers we spooked into the water when we first arrived. Then, John went up to the truck for something, and as I was strippin' in a shiny little bead eyed thing I got in a swap awhile back, I felt a gentle touch. Gave a little tug, but too slow, and I came up bare yet again. Another try, same speed, same depth, same o -same o ..easy, just a little touch,
hardly even there, wait, give him another chance...there, another, just a bit more confident....now, tug back...just a bit....YEAH.. there he is... a few minutes later, I have him in hand...12 inches of shining. flipping bass...

Went that way for a few hours.. every little while we'd get it right and land one, all over 12 some around 14.. What a great day, and what a blast we had. brought about ten of 'em home and rolled 'em in cornmeal for dinner. some fresh picked squash from John's garden and a little coleslaw on the side...you know, right next to the lemon wedges...mmmmm

Oh, sorry.. I got a little sidetracked......haha... After not much of a while it started gettin hot. and we were makin more frequent trips up to the truck for some shade, and a cold drink, and lingering there just shootin the breeze a little longer. Seemed like all of a sudden it was drawin' on to late afternoon, and our little trip was windin' down. We headed back down to the water for a few more throws..... John says, hey Danny.. come on over thisaway, let's try it here a bit, looks like a good little hole out there a ways. Next cast John's got one on, and he's actin a little different, more serious, and says, this'uns a big feller. Well, I figure he's just funnin me at first, then this ol bass shows hisself a little, just a splash of tail, mind ya, but it's enough to see he's got yer ten - twelve inches right here, ya know what I mean. John was busy with that ol boy for a good fifteen minutes, no foolin', and when he brought him to hand, there's a mouth I could actually put my whole clenched fist in. Biggest bass either of ever caught or saw caught. That's about when we figured we'd best give this nice little pond a rest and call it a day. Johnny's knees was shakin' some anyway, and he had to drive an' all..............The Best Of Times.......
..........ModocDan