Hi!
Long time lurker but first post here. I really enjoy reading everyone's fish stories so please keep them coming! Here's one from Joe, a 63-year-old lifetime resident and fisherman from Missouri. A few weeks ago I broke down and bought my first boat, a fold-up kayak. Ever since I was in high school I fondly remember the time my father and I went out onto a large pond that was for members only fishing at a golf club that my dad had a membership at for a couple of years. It was rarely fished but we went out one time in his tiny little 8' flat bottomed aluminum rowboat and set a trotline at my urging. I'll never forget how we pulled in a 12lb channel catfish a few days later from the trotline I'd baited with bluegills (some things haven't changed.)

Ever since then I've wanted to get out on the water and run trotlines for catfish but never bought a boat because of numerous reasons and always having something else I wanted more than a boat. I saw the ads for this folding kayak and was immediately intrigued because I now drive a tiny Prius C compact car and this little jobby folded into the size of a suitcase that weighs only 20lbs! and will fit in the back of my car with ease. It's easy on my back at only 20lbs and $900 bucks was a cheap and quick way to get myself out on the water. I've quickly come to love this little boat, I can pull it out of my car and in 5 minutes have it ready to hit the water and in 3 minutes can pull it from the water, fold it up and toss it back in my car. Just after I get off the water I often splash some water in the bottom of the kayak to rinse the mud, grit, and gravel out and then raise it upside down over my head to shake the water out!

So I get this new boat a few days late because of a shipping exception and it shows up at my apartment in a box that measures 44" x 11" x 22" just THIRTY MINUTES before I was to leave to head up to a campground at Mark Twain Lake to camp out and run trotlines from my new kayak! So yeah I had to go through the crash course in the use of a kayak since I'd never been in one before, but long story short I'm glad I'm a quick learner cause 4 days later I had my best ever day of fishing and caught this 25.62lb blue cat. A curious sidenote about that day for me was that it was the 16th anniversary of a tragic day in my history. I suffered numerous injuries and nearly died as the result of a bad motorcycle accident. I recovered minus a spleen but otherwise ok with only a few minor scars and a little nerve damage in my left shoulder. I'm so very grateful that I've been having much better days here lately!!!! I'm also sure that my father is in heaven grinning ear to ear at me right now!

This year had no banner days. Mostly small Bass, or low numbers. Numbers wise, July 4th at Zoar, and August 12th at Lilly were both 6 fish days. That's a good number for me, but no big fish. Only caught a couple 3+pounders this year and they were on very slow days.
Probably the most enjoyable catch was the 3:14Smallmouth at Zoar. I had to wait for 2guys on a big Ranger 21, 250hp, to work thru a cove I wanted to fish. I dropped in about 75ft behind them, and as I got to a secondary point I got a heavy thump on a Yum Dinger. After 2 jumps and 2 bulldog runs under the boat, I netted her in clear view of the 2 tournament anglers. I even took her picture facing them. It was very satisfying.

I have not caught as many fish this year as last year but all in all it has been a good year. The day with the most fish caught was early Spring I caught 45 striped bass at Harding Lake in southern Indiana. It was a great day on the boat of a good friend. I also had a good day I’m the Spring at White Water Memorial State Park catching crappie The pictures below are of the largest Large mouthy, small mouth, and channel cat I caught this year.

I would also
Like to take the time to say thanks to everyone for their post. I looked forward everyday to seeing the pictures and reading the stories of all of your fishing adventures. I love to fish and the Fishing Stage has taught me new techniques to try. I hope to
meet some of you in the future. Thanks for allowing me in this group!