By Chris Smith
After a long week of working, it’s nice to be able to relax a little and that’s what Tom and Jake decided to do. After some family time and supper, they loaded up Jakes’ jeep with all the necessary gear, climbed in and headed off to hit one of their favorite fishing holes on West Point Lake. When they arrived and hauled tackle boxes, rods, lantern, and chairs out of the jeep, they started looking for the perfect fishing holders, aka sticks with the “Y”. Jake lit the lantern, pulled out his trusty Old Timer and whittled points on the sticks. While he was doing this Tom was laying everything out, checking hooks and bobbers, opening tackle boxes and setting up chairs. The pool level was at its normal low level, so Tom and Jake had to go out a little further on the shoreline.
One thing you must know about Tom and Jake is that it really doesn’t bother them if they don’t catch anything; it was just as nice to get out and relax. Jake’s method to catfishing is to have two poles: one line to lay on the bottom and one with a bobber. Tom, on the other hand, believes on having one pole for each finger on one hand. Jake had cast his lines, placed the rods on the sticks and settled into his chair. He looked over to Tom and asked, “What are you doing”? Tom had four of his five lines in and set. He was trying to open a small package. He said, “You just wait, I got something new”. Meanwhile, one of Jake’s rods was almost pulled into the water. Jake grabbed it and started reeling. A nice channel cat was pulled in, placed on the chain, hook baited and cast out again. Jake looked over to Tom and said, “That’s one”. Tom was still fidgeting with something.
Now, those of you who like to fish from the shore at night know there are several methods. Hang a bell, prop an empty can on the “Y” if you’re using sticks, or high visibility bobbers. Tom said, “Check this out”. It was one of those fancy battery-operated bobbers. It was so bright that Tom and Jake were mesmerized by its beauty. Especially since they both need glasses but were ignoring it, like most of us do. Tom made a perfect cast. He set the pole down on the stick, reeled the slack out and said, “You just wait”. Both Tom and Jake caught several cats, but Tom was waiting for his new bobber to make a move.
An hour or so went by and Tom decided to check the bait. He barely touched the rod and the bobber went under. He yelled, “I got one”. He started reeling and the bobber started dancing. Jake finally said, “It’s caught on something, isn’t it?” Tom looked over to Jake and, like a kid that just dropped his ice-cream, admitted defeat. Jake asked if he was going to cut the line and Tom said, “No”, I paid ten dollars for the bobber.
Well, the next thing Jake sees is Tom getting undressed. Jake starts laughing and asked, “What are you doing” and, without missing a beat, Tom looks over and says, “I’m getting my bobber”. It was cold on the shore so you can imagine what the water was like. As Tom starts to tiptoe into the water, Jake starts laughing a best buddy’s do. Tom got to knee-level and pauses. Jake asked if he’s sure he wants to do this? Tom’s response, “I’m committed now”. Tom wades waste deep and Jake loses it laughing so loud the campground on the other side of the lake probably heard him. Tom finally reaches his bobber, gets it free and starts back. Tom yells, “It’s so cold my boys have gone North”. Jake was on his knees on the shore, hardly able to breath from laughing. As Tom reaches the shore with a frozen smile and the bright bobber, Jake runs to the jeep and grabs a blanket and makes it back still laughing uncontrollably. Tom grabs the blanket, wraps himself, and straddles the lantern. Jake blares out, great – now we are going to have chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Tom proclaimed, yea but I have my bobber!
Chris is a Combat Veteran recently retired. A few places he has deployed are Afghanistan, Jordon, Panama, Haiti and various non-combat areas. He is an avid outdoorsman that enjoys hunting, camping, fishing. He lives with his bride of 29 years in Alabama who he calls “Household 6”. If any Veteran or family member of a veteran who sees changes in their loved one or for that matter anyone that is contemplating suicide, he urges you to contact him at combatvettalk@gmail.com