Running free time

[Ketchn]

In this saddening daily world in which we reside, freedom to do as you used to is becoming a rare item. The ole just stop wherever and get out and wander is a thing of the past , not much in the way of the wide open running free range types of settings exist these days .
There are a few spots left though and even those are getting less free daily. Case in point is a place where it used to be walk in whenever and have at the fish and now they got cameras and an automated pay station at the entrance as of this year.
Now does it bother me much , not really , I have a yearly pass that allows entry without extra cash that I use in other areas like it to hit to ketch fish , swim and launch a boat if I am so lucky to have one in tow.
So we often take our dog to a huge area that she can run free , makes her day to run like the wind and chase the ducks and deer and swim and so forth . Also serves as great exercise for the family 2 leggers too. Now this spot is on the upper end of the lake and fish like to spawn around there so sometimes I carry a rod and pitch my jig for a few minutes.
Yesterday we went over there and even though I thought it might be a waste of time and energy to carry a rod in on that there LONG walk , it was a pleasant surprise to find a few fish still in short water . It wasn't exactly on fire , but to be sure there were fish biting and even got to "see" a huge colored up male do an enormous cartwheel is his rather successful attempt at freedom !
All the fish were just barely hooked in the lip and the bites were not really aggressive , but it was nice to ketch a few fish.
the bad news is this about that , the phone is now the one on the leash ,not allowed to be running free and not the dog, this time ......
KABOOM is the word ya"ll

[DockShootinJack]

Those whisker fish are becoming more frequent.

[Ketchn]

Those whisker fish are becoming more frequent.

that one looked preggo to me , sure was swollen up in the belly and rather frisky hooked in the hair of the whisky too .....

[DockShootinJack]

I imagine a hook in the mouth would make me frisky also.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

Very nice Ketch!

[Ketchn]

I imagine a hook in the mouth would make me frisky also.

but imagine in your extra super sensitive "area" .....
hear tell that them there whiskers is super duper extra sensitive ....

[BobC]

That phone on a leash sounds like a REAL good idea. Nice photos and story. Yeah, tough to go anywhere these days without a sign telling you you can’t. I pass by a nice small lake I use to fish as a kid and it has one kinda access point to get on a wing dam. I would guess as an adult you wouldn’t last 5 minutes before the cops came. I’m sure they even run the kids. That’s the way it is in these times….
Bob

[Ketchn]

That phone on a leash sounds like a REAL good idea. Nice photos and story. Yeah, tough to go anywhere these days without a sign telling you you can’t. I pass by a nice small lake I use to fish as a kid and it has one kinda access point to get on a wing dam. I would guess as an adult you wouldn’t last 5 minutes before the cops came. I’m sure they even run the kids. That’s the way it is in these times….
Bob

my all time favorite camping and spring run crappie festival spot as a young man got a big ole pipe railing all around it and monster zillion dollar homes all over it now .....

[BobC]

This impoundment has been around forever. I’m surprised the dam hasn’t collapsed by now but looks about the same when I fished there over 60years ago. It was and still is surrounded by mega bucks old time money homes. This was a good bike ride for me but put me in a very affluent area. Back in the day the landowners were lenient and did allow this small trespass. We could climb over fences to fish a stream and no one cared.
Bob

[Ketchn]

This impoundment has been around forever. I’m surprised the dam hasn’t collapsed by now but looks about the same when I fished there over 60years ago. It was and still is surrounded by mega bucks old time money homes. This was a good bike ride for me but put me in a very affluent area. Back in the day the landowners were lenient and did allow this small trespass. We could climb over fences to fish a stream and no one cared.
Bob

did a bit of slipping into places back when myself , some were probably not the best idea , but never got in big trouble over it . one spot back in the day I had 1 big bass in the grass and a second one on when the security patrol came up behind me and asked "what do you think your doing" ?
I simply said ketchn fish sir and he said you "Can't do that here !" I told him "there isn't a fence or a sign and the road going by it is public access" . He was cool about it though and let me keep both fish with his stern instructions to leave . I wasn't near done with it though and asked "who" do I need to speak to about fishing in here ?
He gave me a name and I called that guy for a week every day and his secretary put me off every single time . Then one day he answered my call and we chatted for a long time and GUESS what .....
The CEO of Six Flags over Texas allowed me to hit that spot WITH permission as long as I parked way back up on the other end in the big cattails and don't bring anyone with me ! Told me to tell security to call him when they ketch me and it would be all good , as long as I stayed up on that end out of sight from the general public .
That spot had the biggest bream you ever seen in it up in them cattails and I often went there after work to ketch dinner with a 10 foot fiberglass reaching out to the cattail edges .