Cooch...Don't even think...

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BassTraveler

Cooch...Don't even think...

Post by BassTraveler »

you can sneak up here without me knowing it.
I saw you hi-tailing it out of town on 20.
It was confirmed by BOB at Limit out.
Har!!!
Cooch

Ya know, I almost.........

Post by Cooch »

called you!

Yesterday was a very cool day on the water at ClearLake, even as ugly as it was up there! I was there to meet Army Sgt Mike Nashif, wife Dena, and their three children, Alex(7), Brandon(6) and Christopher(3). Mike is on leave from IRAQ and is traveling from Texas to visit some family up on the Oregon coast. Along the way, they toured the Grand Canyon, stopped in Reno and visited Circus Circus, a day on Clearlake fishing, then a stop at the Redwoods before finding their way to Oregon.

As it turned out, the Nashif's found themselves in California 2 days ahead of schedule. Originally they had planned to stay with Bob at the cottage for their night at ClearLake, but having arrived too late to get a room there, I sent em over to Blue Fish Cove where they spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Blessed with gorgeous weather they got to play on ClearLake fer a couple days before I arrived Thursday morning for their guide trip. I was taking the entire family out for a day's fishing.

Unfortunately, the weatherman was not gonna extend us the great weather of the previous two days. Upon arrival in Clearlae at 6:00am, cold, breezy and overcast skies met me when I pulled up to Limit Out. The outlook was not good and I had some major concerns about taking the entire family out on the lake, as it can git VERY ugly up there and indeed, it WAS ugly. But these country folk from Texas where bound, determined and ready to go come hell or high water. Mike met me at Limit Out and I followed him to the Blue Fish. Everyone was there and ready ta go. A quick stop the night before at Wal-Mart, the Nashif's were able to pick up some very nice kids rain gear for the 3 little ones. They was all bundled up and rearin ta go when I arrived and was introduced to the family by Mike!

I really only had one option, and that was to actually drive over and launch at Konocti Resort and hang out there in the marina. This turned out to be the absolute RIGHT choice. We were protected there and never had to fire up the big motor. Armed with dropshots, c-rigs, split shots, crappie jigs and a bucket of small minners, we wuz off to the docks.

Lil Christopher got the first hook up, no less than 3 minutes into the fishing day, on a live minner. A chunky little crappie gave him the thrill of his life it seemed. That lil 3 year old blew me away! He could cast, never put his rod down, fought that fish like a pro, landed and unhooked it all by himself. He then held it up and was hollarin' fer daddy to git the camera, posed with a kiss to the fish, a "Thank you Lord" and turned it loose. I knew right away, this was a faithful, fishing family.

The morning's fishing was just awesome. Through all the wind and rain, we hung out under them decks and had a ball. Konocti workers were all hangin over the rails and just talking and watching as we caught fish after fish. 4 crappie for Christopher, and Lord knows how many bass they cayght till our 40+ minners ran out. None of the bass were over two pounds, it did not matter on this day. My job was to fulfill Mike's wishes, he just wanted the family to catch some fish, and catch fish we did!

Once the rain slowed, the wind let up some, it seemed that the fish began to move away from our honey hole. So we ventured out a little further around the deeper docks. We then began using plastics, dropshotting the MMIII and Bold Blue Gill Robos. I trolled us over to the area at the far south end by the outsude bar and we ran into another school of bass there. Brandon had changed up to a C-rig, he wanted to fish like he does back home, so I gave him a green pumkin 6" Zoom Lizard. First cast and drag, WHAP, 2 pounder. The kids and Dena are draggin plastics behind the boat as Mike is pitching a jig to the bank. Everyone but Mike is catching fish on the green plastic baits. I'm just running the trolling motor, grinnin and gleaming with pride and joy as I watch this young family just having the greatest time.

As Mike is now changing to a split shot himself, daughter Alex hollars out,"I got one!" She's on the inside of the boat to the right and I can see here line quickly going left to deep water and crossing past the big motor. I pitch the trolling motor to the left to swing the motor away from her line and yell, "REEL, keep the rod down Alex!". She's screaming now, "It's too big!", Mike and I tell her she can do it. The fish is quite a ways behind the boat as she had let a lot of line out. We then saw it come up out of the water and do a somesault, Whoa! That's a 6 or 7 pounder! All of us got a great standstill moment in time as we watched this giant bass give us a show. It came up a second time, to instill in our thoughts as to why these fish get to be as big as they are, they just don't give up easily and aren't caught often. The second leap, she came unbuttoned. This did not bother young Alex in the least. She was still excited to have caught the biggest fish, even though we didn't get it to the boat. By the Nashif rules, if more than two of ya see the fish, it counts! HAR! I though that was cool, yet another proud moment spread through my heart while with this family.

At noon, we were done, they had to check out at two and git on the road. After dropping mom and Christopher off on the dock, I asked Mike if'n I could take Brandon and Alex fer a little spin. They had never been in a big bass boat before. So we headed outside the five and made a full throttle loop like the ski racers in front of Konocti. Those two kids loved that ride and where Yehawin' all the way.

At that point we pulled out of the water. I was at the moment having thoughts of calling my buddy Seig, ta see if'n he wanted to go spend a couple of hours up north tossing swimbaits. It's not often I go to ClearLake and don't git a line wet. But as we pulled the boat out and began to unload their equiptment, I said, naw, I'm gonna hang out with these folks, so I suggested we just drive back to Blue Fish and unload there.

So I spent the last hour and a half geting to know the Nashifs a bit more off the water. What a great day, by far one of the best days I've ever spent on the water guiding. What a blessed experience and gift to this young man, who's out there in IRAQ fighting for our freedoms, and his young family.

There was no sneaking around Seig, the whole community knew we was there. Yer just the new kid on the block and the last to find out! HAR! HAR! HAR! Keep yer eyes peeled, I got 6 more trips up there in the coming weeks and will be there again tomorrow.

Cooch
mac (Doyle McEwen)

Re: Ya know, I almost.........

Post by mac (Doyle McEwen) »

Thanks for sharing this story Cooch..There are very few of os that wouldn't love to have this type of experience..I really enjoyed the fact that this young soldier wanted to keep his family with him even though the weather was not all that co-operative..I also like their way of counting fish caught..This family is one that will always be together..

mac
BassTraveler

Re: Ya know, I almost.........

Post by BassTraveler »

Your a good man...Cooch.
Glad I know ya...
Jeff Jewell

Bring a tear ta yer eye

Post by Jeff Jewell »

Awesome Story Cooch,
Good call in going over to Konocti. Them kids just want to catch some fish. Sounds like you had as much fun as the rest of em, even without wetting a line.
Later JJ
Scott

Re: Bring a tear ta yer eye

Post by Scott »

I gotta agree-as usaul Cooch wrote a story well and you could see that little guy catching that fish-that my friendds is what it is alllll about!If you didnt get all twitterpated during this story you aint got a pulse! Some of my fondest memory are of hunting and fishing with my dad,brother and other family members and friends and even more so watching my kids grow up freezing shiverring in a duck blind with a huge smile or seeing them catch a "hawg" 2 lber! Too bad more people dont experience this-Cooch's story should make us all think! Tight lines folks and Take a kid fishin'!
Scott
> Awesome Story Cooch,
> Good call in going over to Konocti. Them
> kids just want to catch some fish. Sounds
> like you had as much fun as the rest of em,
> even without wetting a line.
> Later JJ
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