Senior Fishing Trip In Seattle – July 23, 2010

I had the wonderful privilege to take some seniors fishing today. I had taken some members of the Southeast Seattle Senior Center on fishing trips in the past to trout farms and each outing was loaded with fun and fish. This time however, taking their stories of how they used to fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and crappie into consideration, I tried my best to find the best balance of access and percentage chance of success getting them onto fish. At a trout farm, success is pretty much guaranteed as compared to fishing from the shore where the chances of going home skunked can be much greater.

Destination and Arrival

After giving it some thought, I decided that Lake Union was probably one place to give them their best shot at getting into smallmouth bass from the shore.

Roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, one could not ask for a better day. Absolutely stunning!

We arrived at the lake at about 10:30 am and headed to a clearing to settle in. A few of the anglers were ready to start fishing almost immediately, and they did not delay. There were probably three lines already in the water before I could string a rod and tie the first Palomar knot for one of the seniors.

Getting Started and Early Success

Aside from teaching simple bass fishing techniques, tying knots, baiting hooks, untangling line and stringing rods with line, my primary goal was to get them into fish. Luckily for me I did not have to wait too long. Ten minutes we started fishing, one of the members hooked into one and brought in the first bass of the day. Wow!

This is the first fish of the day caught in the first few minutes.

Everyone in the group took that as a very good sign of things to come. It hastened me to get the others rigged up as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, it was going to be a while for more success. We were fishing riprap (material, typically rocks, used to protect shoreline), and for anyone who doesn’t know, getting your hook or weight snagged or stuck amid the rocks is a given and the group was getting snagged faster than I could free or replace their rigs. Consequently, it led to frustration for some.

I took this time to teach them ways that could free their tackle from the rocks and more importantly to accept the simple fact that occasionally getting gear stuck in the riprap was simply part of the game and therefore should be expected. After all, we have to put our baits and weights where the fish reside.

I love the concentration on her face, as she focuses on getting a bite. She had a decent tug on her first cast but the fish came off.

You should have seen the sidearm roll cast he just made. Kevin Van Dam would have been proud.

The first two hours were filled with many tugs and nibbles but no landed fish. I suppose that is why we call it fishing and not catching. At about 12:30 pm, the chauffeur caught the next smallmouth bass. Despite all the hits and misses this day was shaping up to be one where things fall into place. Well, for one member at least.

Doris’ Day

Shortly after the chauffeur’s bass was caught, one of the members, Doris hooked into a smallmouth bass. With youthful and hurried excitement, she called out to me for assistance. When I looked toward her, I saw her fishing rod bent over pretty well and heard that bait clicking sound that is made when the drag is too loose and the angler is trying to recover line. I adjusted the drag and coached her through playing the fish. The smallmouth bass fought like a bulldog and for a while it seemed that it wasn’t going to quit. During this time I threw in a silent, “Dear Lord, don’t let Doris lose this one,” prayer, and the good Lord answered it!

The smallmouth yielded long enough for me to grab and hand it to Doris. To see the smile on her face was all the reward I needed to make my day and hers too. The picture does not give justice to the rich and vibrant color this bass possessed nor to Doris’ joy.

Only three more bass were caught and Doris caught them all.

We started packing up at about 3:00 pm and headed back to the senior center. Everyone was bushed but also happy. I was relieved that every one had a good time. It would have been nice to catch more fish, but I guess we’ll just have to wait for the next trip and all of them cannot wait for the next one.

Until then, the next time you drop a line, try to take a senior with you. I assure you, that you will not regret it. Take care and may God bless you.

For Those Who Might Be Curious

Total Number of Fish Caught: 6

Productive Baits - Live bait, exclusively earthworms, stole the show and day. They were responsible for five of the six bass caught.

Productive Tactics – The Drop Shot rig caught five bass and the Carolina rig caught one. No other methods worked for the group this day.

Conditions – Clear and Sunny skies, about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

-ib