In the past I have been associated with young anglers and their ideas and attitudes on how to fish. Some have a lot to say about the sport while others mostly enjoy spending the day with mom or dad on the water. I find that there is a direct correlation between parents that fished competitively and parents that just fish to have fun. Some are grandparents, while other are not directly the parent of said young anglers but a neighbor or family friend that no longer have youngsters at home but do like to go out and teach willing young anglers how to perfect their craft as anglers. These young anglers accompany their parents, grandparents, uncles and friends to meetings, they vote along with everyone else for lake choices, they take care of their own equipment and tell “fish stories” with the best of them!
Below is the story of 2 young local anglers who have set Junior Angler Lake Records for Fayette County Lake and Coleto Creek.
Jesse Castilleja, age 14yrs old, lives with his parents in San Marcos, goes to school, loves rock n roll music, video games, does not mind getting up early to go fishing but does nap on the way and loves “catchin fish”! He has been a club member for about 3yrs.
Preferred Technique: Drop Shotting
Castilleja remembers the events that transpired on Fayette as the following.
“On this particular day, I was fishing with my dad’s friend Steve, from our club. I had never fished this lake so I did not know what to expect, but knew that I would be drop shotting because it’s my favorite technique”. “When you drop shot you need to put the weight on the bottom of the line.”” You add a small hook a few inches to about a foot or so up on the line.” “You then put you on your lure.”” On this day I chose a big 6” Grande Bass June bug lizard.” I chose the color because it was not real sunny on that day, he commented with authority”. “I was kinda day dreaming when I felt my line grow heavy.”” Come on, I thought to myself.”” I lifted my rod just a little bit and I felt it pull back.” “Then all of a sudden like my line started moving, I leaned forward a little, like I have seen the pros and my dad do and I set the hook!” “It instantly starting fighting real hard and I fought it all the way back to the boat.”” As I was pulling it in closer and closer to the boat it surfaced and jumped out of the water!” “It was huge!” it scared me, my heart started beating really fast, I think it skipped a beat or two, and my eyes were like popping out of my head, it was the biggest fish I had ever seen. I yelled at Steve to get the net. He was right there beside me telling me to calm down and play the fish. “Keep the rod tip up; don’t let him go under the boat!” “Bring her towards me; let’s get her in the net Steve said.” All I thought about was please don’t break off.”” I got her up to the boat and saw Steve dive onto the boat deck and drop the net into the water.” “It seemed like a long time went by before I was able to put the fish over the net where Steve was waiting to bring her on the boat.” I let out a big YEAH out and could see the big smile on Steves’ face. “Great job!” exclaimed Steve grinning with the biggest smile I had ever seen. Lets’ measure and get that hook out of her mouth and get her back in the water Steve said. “Boy that’s a big fish I said to myself, I could fit 2 of my fists in her mouth!” She was 21 1/8” that’s a 5.7lb fish! Nice fish, Steve commented’, as we gently put her back in the water for someone else to catch and have as much fun as I did that day. I’ll never forget that day!”
The next young angler is Christopher Taylor. He also is 14yrs old, lives with his parents in Killeen Tx, he goes to school and likes all types of music. His grandpa Bob got him interested in fishing and he is grandpas’ fishing partner. This is Taylors’ second year with the club.
Preferred Technique: Anything that catches fish but mostly cranking.
Here are the events that lead up to Taylors’ Junior Anglers Lake record at Coleta Creek in Victoria Tx.
“Grandpa and I were fishing with soft plastics but not catching anything at first, recalls Taylor. “So we decided to try some rattle traps.”” We spent the whole day throwing rattle traps up river were we were fishing.””I remember grandpa saying that red is always a good color in the Spring because the fish like it. Grandpa was catching fish but I wasn’t so we decided that I would try another color. We traded out the red one for a shad colored rattle trap. I started throwing it along the bank like grandpa had showed me.” “He calls it fishing parallel to the bank.” Grandpa always tells me this is how to fish it correctly.” “I caught 2 short fish right away! “” Now I was getting excited.” “The next fish I caught was a keeper!” “lets’ measure her and put her back in the water my grandpa yelled.” We don’t want to hurt her. He does that too, yelling I mean, as a little smile crossed Taylors lips.”
“I continued throwing that rattle trap as far and as fast as I could and reeling it in. Sometimes fast and then sometimes slow changing it up a little.” All of a sudden my rattle trap stopped and pulled back real hard.” “I played the fish like grandpa had taught me. I was nervous and excited all at the same time.” It jumped out of the water several times, my grandpa kept saying “Don’t horse him, keep your rod tip up he yelled….he was excited too!” ” Finally grandpa got him in the net!” I continued fishing really hard but was unable to catch anymore fish that day. I always have great time fishing with my grandpa, even though he yells a little now and then. My grandpa is a really good fisherman and has taught me a lot about fishing. The weigh in was at boat ramp. They kept trying to make me smile when they photographed me with my fish but I didn’t. All the members from the Canyon Bass Club clapped for me and that made me feel good. I asked Taylor why he did not smile for the photo, he said I did not smile then just because…. but then he thought for a moment and smiled and said “I did smile however, when I heard grandpa yelled for me to get in the truck to go home.”
Taylors’ fish weighed 3.32lbs. a Junior Angler Lake record for Coleta Creek.
Both of these young anglers are bright young men who belong to the Canyon Bass Club in San Marcos. They will always remember the day they caught there first “Big One” and who they were with when they did. They are the ones that will be telling the fish stories to their young anglers after we are gone. They will carry on the tradition of practicing “catch and release”.
Remember “take a kid fishing” it will put a smile on your face a warm feeling in your heart!
Tight lines and keep those lines wet!
