A Day to be Thankful For

It was two days after Thanksgiving. The sky was blue and the temperature was just right. And most importantly, the gang was still in for the holiday. The gang meaning my Uncle, Cousins, Pap, and Dad. Unfortunately my brother was visiting his in-laws in Minnesota (whatan idiot).

I'll be honest, I wasn't convinced we would catch any bass. It was late fall and the water temperature had dropped significantly.The pond was a great stop for top water action, but never really been tested for the deeper waters; today would be interesting.

We arrived at our country destination and the pond looked beautiful. I found my spot on the right bank. Apparently it was already a popular spot. My younger cousin found the same spot about 4 yards away from me. This was going to be a fun afternoon.

After around 40 minutes of fishing, I see my uncle reeling one in from across the pond.  My skepticism sank as the fish emerged out of the water; it looks like we were going to catch fish after all.

Eventually, my Dad would reel one in himself. And then my cousin. And then my other cousin. And then my other cousin again, and again and again. He was fishing near the top with a worm and bobber and catching gullible bluegills.

I need to take time out real quick and say that bluegills need to learn how to have a little self control. I really feel bad for them. They get so excited and believe 100% that they are making a sound decision and then SNAP! A big ol' hook right through their jawbone. Poor irrational little fish.

Back to the fishing. So we continued to fish away the afternoon. The few bass we caught before ended up being the only bass we would catch. Honestly, I was very surprised we caught anything, let alone more than 2. We would soon pack up and head back into town.

One of the reasons I really wanted to get out was because of Thanksgiving. Fishing has always been a refuge for me that puts life into perspective. It helps you break the unnecessary commotion caused by always chasing that next "thing" you have to do in your life. If we never have a chance to clear our heads, we never really get to appreciate what's important in our lives, at least that's how it is for me. This trip did just that. Many people believe they have little to be thankful for. The truth is everyone has something to be thankful for, but you'll never find it if you never take the time to look.

The Gang 2011