Dec 27th
Sometimes the best fishing stories aren’t about limits and monster hauls. They’re about beating the odds, making memories, and watching the next generation light up with excitement. That’s precisely what happened on my recent trip with my buddy Scott, his son Bubba, and his grandson Cody. Three generations on the boat! I joined granddad and the gang for breakfast before we shoved off. It was one of those outings that remind you why we love this sport.
We kicked things off bright and early. The plan? Beat the wind and get out into the bay before it turns into a washing machine. Mother Nature had other ideas. We left the dock on time, but the breeze was already cranking. We poked our noses into the bay, and nope. Waves hitting the hull, whitecaps everywhere. It just wasn’t safe or fun.
Scott and I just knew: “This might be a bust.” But with young Cody on board, wide-eyed and ready to fish, there was no way we were heading straight home. We went into sheltered mode near the 200 bridge. Honestly, neither of us thought we’d see a thing. The sonar was blank. Still, we dropped the rigs anyway. Hey, you don’t catch fish with lines in the box, right?
We trolled around for about 20 minutes, chatting and enjoying the company. Then, bam! We drifted over a lone school hiding out. First hit! Cody grabs the rod like a pro, cranks it in, and up comes a beautiful 20-inch striper. Grins all around!
No sooner had we boxed that one and reset (literally 15 seconds later), another rod doubles over. Cody’s at it again. This time a chunky 24-incher! The kid was on fire. We gave it another solid try, but the fish had spoken: two and done.
We thought about pushing over to the Cockerells Creek area, but even the river was kicking up too much chop. So we pointed the bow home with two keepers in the box and a boatload of smiles.
What made the day special wasn’t the fish count. It was having the young crew aboard. Cody’s enthusiasm is contagious, and I love how he chats with us “old timers” like he’s one of the guys. That’s the mark of great parenting from Bubba. Days like this hook kids on fishing for life, passing down the tradition from granddad to dad to son to grandson.
