Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

When I was four years old Granddaddy took me fishing and coon hunting I'm not sure which was first but I loved them both. When I got married I hunted 4 to 6 nights a week. At first my wife would co with me then she quit after we had children. I ran into some trouble with my dogs, two were hit by cars and the old dog died. I was about to get some more dogs, and my wife said if I quit coon hunting I could fish all I wanted to and she would never complain. She lied!! I fished when is was off from work, I fished on my way to work, and I fished on my way home from work. I fished day and night every day for four and a half years. I made a lair out of my wife. She is the greatest thing ever happened to me. Surprise, I still got her.

Well, you know how you can get in trouble messing with someone else's young'un, This one morning I had gone to a place called Dry prairie. When it got light enough to see I could see some extra heavy fishing line all through the trees and bushes around the water's edge.

About that time a woman and two boys came down close to where I was the biggest boy might have been 8 or 18 years old and the little one was a small 4 I'd say. She and the older boy started fishing. It didn't take long before the little one started to loudly express his wishes to fish too.

His Mama fussed at him trying to make him hush, and after awhile, gave up. She found an old dead stick 5' long and tied a piece of that heavy line on to the small end. It was about twice as big around as my thumb on that end so big on the other end that the little feller could just reach around it with both hands. She tied a big hook On the line and hooked a big ole black plastic worm on it, handed it to him and said, "Now Shut Up!!! and fish!"

He did too for a minute. He came over next to me, within arms reach of me and plopped his bait and pole down into the water with a big splash and right then the bass took hold of his worm and nearly jerked him in.

He screamed, "Mama, Help me!!! Help me, Mama!!!"

His Mama yelled at him, "SHUT UP and fish!!!"

I hollered over to her, "Ma'am if you don't want to help him can I?"

She screamed back "you leave my young'un alone and don't you touch him"

"Yes Ma'am but you better come help him I don't think he's Gone'a turn that fish loose and if he don't It'll pull him in." I told her.

She came running over then and took the pole away from him and pulled in a bass bigger than my 9# 12 oz er I had caught awhile back. They loaded up and left right then.

Another lesson learned by me.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

A lot of lessons in that story.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

What a great story. Thanks for sharing that Garry. Bet the young'un will be a lifer.😃 Just like the rest of us here.

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

From one coon hunter and fisher to another, I can relate to that story. It's a good one and so true. Not the big bass part of it from my point of view. I got $56.00 a piece for my hides in 1956. Now the hides won't even pay for the dog food. Does anyone still hunt coon? Very few around here, I can only think of one lone diehard.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

flyguy, I never sold a hide in my life just a few dogs. In 70s even these Florida coon got up to about $30 and the trappers got bad (armatures) they were catching our dogs as much as coon. A couple of guys even got shot. There are still quite a few of us left. On face book there are a whole lot of them. What kind of dogs did you hunt with. I mostly used Bluetick and a few Black & Tans from time to time. We have to drive to the national forest to hunt now.

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Great story Garry. Surprised Mama let the boy sit so close to you with out telling you to move. She sounded a little ruff. But still great story to read.

plumbob

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

plumbob, I recon she was, and I've always wondered if she let that boy take credit for catching that big ole hawg

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Just one of those things you will never know. But I bet you made an impression on that little boy being kind to him. I am sure mama was just being the protective bear and we all know not to get between the mama and the cub.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

I was not about to!!

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

My best hound was a 1/4 grayhound, 1/4 black & tan and a 1/2 plot hound. Silent, not very fast, but completely honest. Would not touch a deer, skunk or possom. I had and English Blue Tick that was a very good dog, but I had many dogs that I sent to the Big Woods in the sky. A lot of them didn't make it home from their first hunt if they hit a deer.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

flyguy Breaking a dog off dear is the easiest thing in the world to do. From 1972 until 2010 I never had a dog bump on one. We kept milk goats and dogs raised here knew not to mess with any thing that smell like a goat. when I got a grown dog he spent some time with a billy, before I took him to the woods. Man I'm way off fishing here. Now my cousin that was a fishing guide in Vero Beach Fl had a dog that always went fishing with him. He learned to bark at Speckled Sea Trout when they got close to them. His clients were always impressed, and so was I.