Spring!

A beauty! First bass of the year!

As I sat in the lab, surrounded by computers, with full knowledge of the incredible weather that was happening just outside, I decided I HAD to go fishing! I've been fishing many times this year, I think around 20 separate trips, with almost nothing to show for it besides frozen fingers and muddy boots. But looking at the weather forecast and reading reports, I knew it was time to get out.

I am incredibly lucky to live within a mile of the most consistent fishing spot I know- the neighborhood retention pond. When the fish bite nowhere else, they're often biting at the pond. It's not much to look at, and sometimes it smells like poop, but some really great fishing can be had there. It also happens that this pond is right on my way home from the Metra station, which I suppose is a dangerous thing too... Either way, moments after getting off the train home, I found myself standing at the water's edge in a t-shirt, giddily casting into the green water.

The sun was about an hour from setting, there was no wind, and every so often I noticed a small explosion on the top of the water- finally some activity at the pond! All winter it's been dead as a doorknob, no movement, and windy as hell. This day was perfect!

I got a big tackle box for christmas...
I have a constant urge to fill it with lures....

I cycled through a few lures, enjoying being outside in the fresh air as much as I enjoyed fishing in a t-shirt again. I tried some crankbaits (store-bought and homemade), some spinners (some awesome amazing Simms spinners and some homemade ones) and some jig'n'twisters. There were a few moments when I thought I might have gotten a tiny hit, but it could just as easily have been some weeds, which are making a comeback after the mild winter. After about half an hour, I had no choice but to throw my favorite lure, the good old reliable green tube jig.

Second cast, and BAM! It was at this moment that the Beckstrom Fishing Season 2012 officially began, as a largemouth bass snatched my tube jig and held on like a pile of leaves. It casually swam toward me as I giggled like a schoolgirl. I really hope nobody was around to hear me, as giggling like that really goes against this whole outdoorsy-dude-with-a-beard persona I'm trying to cultivate. And then I pulled the fish out, and marveled. It wasn't an amazing fish in terms of size, color, or anything like that; it was amazing to catch a fish again!

Hopefully the first of many this season!

I'm pretty sure I was still cackling, and I heard myself yell "Fish! Fish! FISH!" over and over again, even after I'd landed the not-so-much-of-a-beast-of-a-bass. This was great, fishing is great.

I snapped some shots and tried to weigh the bass with the fish gripper/scale I got for christmas, but it registered as "0 lbs." It felt like at least a pound to me, but what do I know. I carefully returned the creature to the water, and after remembering how to swim, it splashed away back to the depths.

I continued fishing as the sun set over the pond. Although I didn't get so much as a hit after that bass, it was pure joy to stand out there in the perfect weather, watching the sun go down. Pretty soon I'll be getting the waders and kayak out, and my facebook photo albums will once again be filling up with fish pictures.

Watch out fish, cause it's ON!

sunset on the pond