10-05-2009, 09:00 AM
Last Thursday I had surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so I&#39;m Fishing Wounded (which means I&#39;m not fishing, much).<br /><br />Saturday I&#39;d planned to take an Outdoor Writer friend fishing, so I asked shsimons to go along as First Mate. My friend had to cancel, but me and Sam pressed on anyway. He&#39;s the best First Mate I&#39;ve met... a little Photo Essay of shsimons in action:<br /><br /><br />Sam baits up... allowing the Wounded Warrior (me) to keep my bandage relatively clean.<br /><br /><br />Gone fishin&#39; before the sun breaks the horizon.<br /><br /><br /> A long lanky, 25 lber. in the boat after multiple missed fish and even one that wrapped around structure, breaking 50 lb. braid. Oww!<br /><br /><br />Several miscellaneous little fish.<br /><br /><br />Explored a new spot we&#39;d never fished before and Sam was rewarded with this chunky beast.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love it when cats that really don&#39;t want to be caught, soak you (or Sam) down.<br /><br /><br />And this is what Sam Simons looks like when you ask for a &quot;picturesque&quot; catfish release... and he suddenly, simultaneously, gets a bite on another rod. &#39;To heck with pictures!&quot; Going.... <br /><br /><br />Going....&quot;<br /><br /><br />Gone!<br /><br /><br />Now... the second fish made for a more &quot;picturesque&quot; release... but I forgot to make him 
(Sam that is... the fish looks real happy to me).<br /><br />Finally, at the end of a nine hour day, Sam stuck a real quality fish. After a lengthy battle, with the fish at the side of the boat, the Wounded Warrior tried to &quot;grab&quot; the fish left-handed. Bad idea! My wimpy left-hand couldn&#39;t stop a 30 or 35 lb. alligator roll... the fish twisted from the grabbers and snapped the line in one smooth motion. emoBang It was somewhat picturesque.<br /><br />&quot;Sam looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, &quot;That&#39;s why I LOVE livin&#39; here. There&#39;s not many places in the world where a 30-pound cat could get away and it would be &#39;No big deal.&quot;<br /><br />And that&#39;s why life is good and gettin&#39; better every day. emoBeer <br />
(Sam that is... the fish looks real happy to me).<br /><br />Finally, at the end of a nine hour day, Sam stuck a real quality fish. After a lengthy battle, with the fish at the side of the boat, the Wounded Warrior tried to &quot;grab&quot; the fish left-handed. Bad idea! My wimpy left-hand couldn&#39;t stop a 30 or 35 lb. alligator roll... the fish twisted from the grabbers and snapped the line in one smooth motion. emoBang It was somewhat picturesque.<br /><br />&quot;Sam looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, &quot;That&#39;s why I LOVE livin&#39; here. There&#39;s not many places in the world where a 30-pound cat could get away and it would be &#39;No big deal.&quot;<br /><br />And that&#39;s why life is good and gettin&#39; better every day. emoBeer <br />