The X Factor...

Last Monday The Queen took the day off, gathered up the majority of her young and headed for the Science Museum in OKC.  The X and I looked at each other a few minutes after they left, smiled, and said, "Let's go FISHIN!"

Its been awhile since i made enough time to wet a line, and typically here in OK, mid-March through late April is feast time for largemouth bass.  So...you get a line and i'll get a pole honey!  And away we went.


MamaLou and Toby have a nice pond at their place.  Loch Lazeebee LOOKS like a prime honey hole, I've fished it a number of times but never had much luck. A couple small ones here and there after an hour or so and i packed it in...but that was the past.  Monday was a bit different.

I thought going in it might be a good day, overcast, moderately windy with a cool front pushing in and rain expected later in the week...it had all the earmarks...but there was that confounded history lurking in the back of my head.

So, we greeted the hounds and headed out to The Loch...i had been twice warned that the ticks were particular hungry this year so i had planned to keep a sharp eye on The X as he patrolled the coastline for something, anything to throw into the windswept water.

Two casts in i had hauled in a keeper, a two pounds of shiny green and silver anger.  Now, lemme just say at this point, I don't keep fish, i don't clean fish...honestly, i can probably count on both hands how many fish i've kept in the past 10 years...and i know what you're thinking and your horribly mistaken.  But, maybe its the new diet, but i decided, "Hey, if i catch enough like this..."  So, i pulled out the stringer.

I was in an awkward position about 8' above the water on a cut bank with alot of brush between.  I was also a little wary and concerned that either The X would fall down the bank or get pushed in by the Horsedawg.   Zoe is a Great Dane that absolutely loves kids and she was The X's oversized black shadow all day.  She was either in his face or closely supervising whatever he was doing, i had said, "Zoe NO!" enough times that he finally got the hang of it and was telling her himself, "OEEEE NO!"

So, i decided to move to a better area.  But before i did, i decided to try just one more spot not far off.  I had to carry The X into the brush due to the thickness and briars.  We made it to the waters edge and i made a cast or two, i had a couple bumps but nothing major, on my third cast i placed my plastic worm right where i wanted.  Then, i heard a splash right at my feet and slightly behind me, i turned and looked and The X had bailed into the drink, headfirst. I quickly reached down grabbed him by the waistband and yanked him out.   He came up sputtering and spitting moss, which was all over him resembling a little green Medusa.  He finally got enough out of his throat to begin crying.  It wasn't so much of a wail of fear as it was just plain ole pissed off kinda cry.  I figured fishin around that part might be tainted for a bit and we moved out.

We drove around to the dam where the walking and fishing is much easier.  First cast WHAM! another one out of the same litter as the first one.  The X squealed with delight as i pulled this one out of the water "Da-eee ISH,  Da-eee ISH!" And so began the slaying.  We walked the length of the dam and pulled out  3 or 4 more.  I was about to head over to the side where i would be throwing with the wind instead of by and large, when i drug that plastic worm over a moss bed and about 12 feet out it disappeared and my pole doubled over. The m.o. of the earlier fish had been WHAM!  This was more like a Hoover sucking up a lollipop stuck to the carpet...slow but with fortitude.  I set the hook and started draggin'.  Shaza'am!  I caught me a FISH!  Finally, after all these years, i finally had something worthwhile.  Even The X's eyes shined a little brighter and bigger.

We stayed a little while longer.  While he was making himself busy pitching dried horse biscuits in to feed the fish, i casted here and there in opportune looking spots and pulled in a few more, throwing back a few that didn't measure up or i didn't feel like walking around to put on the stringer.

Once i caught The X with a three foot straw of prairie grass, he had pulled it out and was trying to cast it like a fishing pole toward the water...he just threw it in.

All in all, i think i had about 20 pounds of fish on the stringer, and decided to call it a day and get them home to clean.  To my recollection, it was my best day of fishing ever, it must've been The X Factor.