This has been a weird year weather wise here in North Central Texas. We started in a severe draught then went straight into flooding. One month my lake was closed due to low level then the next month close off due to high water.
Supposedly the reason for the High Water closure was to prevent wakes destroying peoples yards and lake side property. Which suspiciously coincided with a kayaker going over the spillway. Plus the TRWD did not seem to concerned with property damage the last 2 years when water was low and boats and docks were floating on dirt.
Anyways bottom line is I haven't had the boat out but 1 time this year. Now I am about to get time to get back on the lake and found myself making excuses why I can not go out. Now anyone who knows me can attest to the extremities required to normally keep me from fishing. I have gone to some seriously questionable extremes to get on the water in the past but recently have just kept making excuses.
I didn't realize how bad I had become until the other day when the love of my life advised me I needed to go out and start putting some catfish in the freezer. Wow, she actually condoned my hobby? A brief reprieve from the Honey do or die list!
Realizing that I have seriously neglected my duties as husband by not stealing away every chance I could to go fishing and let the task list grow on its own. I had to ask what the heck was my problem. Excuse after excuse keep going through my mind. Finally thanks to David Coulson's blog "Why Are You Doing That?" I had to accept what my main hang up was.
I was telling myself the fish would not be biting for what ever excuse was convenient at the moment. Low water, High water, hot weather. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Truth is I just was not comfortable learning or trying to understand what would work in the conditions I had not become comfortable with. I almost despise myself for such a cowardly act, but hey I am getting older and certain pains make exploration a bit of a younger mans game. Unless of course we push ourselves to make the sacrifices needed to stay on top of the game.
So on my next off days I will be heading out to explore what I can do to entice the prey into the freezer while avoiding any responsible tasks on the Honey do list. Heck, I might even let the lawn go another week. I even have a constructive excuse for that one. Taller grass has deeper roots requiring less water. Wife won't buy it, but it will make her happy again eating catfish and provide entertainment for her hobby of complaining about the honey do list.
To my Fishexplorer comrades, I am back. Hell and high water are behind us now. Bent rods create more smiles.
