Creating Old Bobber Popper Memories
By Ralph Spoerl
Today was a day I’ll always remember. I was sitting beside the lake, watching my granddaughters fish for bluegill. In early June, the sun is bright and there are bluegill beds all over the place. For most of the day, 7-year old Jillian caught the biggest fish, but her 11-year old sister, Haley, bagged the most. Every fish is a squeal and a six-inch smile! The screaming and excitement are fantastic!
Right now, they love to fish (especially with grandpa, I like to tell myself). But soon these will be just memories for all of us (fond ones, I hope). They’re on their way to boyfriends and high school and… well… life. I have them out here hoping that they’ll remember these times we spend together and the simple pleasures of life.
They may have these same kinds of memories with their dad (he’s an avid fisher, as well), but grandparents are special. After all, at this age, I have so much more in common with them than their parents… I forget almost everything people tell me, I move slow, and I have to go to the bathroom all the time. Oh, I suppose I could be out fishing some tournament or just floating around the lake, looking like I know what I’m doing, but this is a memory I wouldn’t trade for a million first place trophies in any tournament. No trophy can replace the special ‘grandpa’ hugs I get on these excursions.
And to them, I do know what I’m doing. For example, they’re both fishing with a 6-1/2 foot St. Croix Avid spinning rod, a Quantum Pti 10 reel, 4-pound test suffix mono line with night crawler pieces. Basically, a bobber and a hooked worm, and they’re ready to go! I prefer they use better equipment for learning, especially when there are fish around… it makes them feel as if I trust them with ‘the good stuff,’ and frankly, it’s easier for me.
I’m blessed to have eleven grandchildren and one-and-a-half (6 months and counting) great grandchildren, and of those old enough (boys and girls alike), they all love the outdoors. They enjoy fishing, hunting, and camping. They’re also active in sports (football, baseball, and basketball)—not to mention their love for those fan-dangled computers.
This day, however, turned out to be particularly special, though. At one point, Haley got a big fish and needed my help. We were fishing from shore, so pulling in the fish was somewhat challenging for her. But hey, that’s why she needed her big strong grandpa (wink). The bass was about 17 inches (give or take) and looked like it was about 3-pounds (not a bad fish to be mixed in with the bluegills—must have been its lunchtime). Haley wanted to take the fish home and mount it (it was the biggest fish she’d ever caught and she caught it with grandpa). Sadly, I had to explain that it was a ‘momma’ fish and it had to go back to take care of its babies. There was some disappointment, but she wisely understood (grandpa explained it just right).
With grown children who became smarter and wiser then me sometime during their teenage years (about 25 years ago for my youngest), the times with my grandchildren are precious to me. I fill my Tackle Box with many things, but the best items there are the memories I’ve shared.