Drum Line

"Do you want me to cast that?", I asked. I always have visions from There's Something About Mary when Cam casts in the same county as me. Now, we've tethered our kayaks together--the wind is probably a touch strong for him to battle by himself all day. This way I can tow him if he gets tired and just might get to fish a little myself. Cory and Kevin were nearby and had landed more than a few fish already. Cam's got a half ounce jighead with a Moon Glow Gulp! attached to the ten pound line that was wound around his brand new reel, which in turn sat stoutly on his seven-foot light action rod. I sit no more than six feet away, facing him, and nervously hoped for a 'yes'.

"Yeah, go ahead. You do it", he says, and passes me his rod. Amen. There's only a small space between us to cast into, and I have to cast back into the wind (if I cast with the wind we'll run over the line as we drift). A flick of the wrists and the Gulp! arcs away, headed to a spot about twenty-five feet awBAM!!

Seemingly before the lure hits the water, the surface explodes and the fish is on it!!! "Here, Cam!!", I yell with excitement, "Take it! It's your rod!"

Cam shakes his head. "No! You do it!!" Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, says the reel as the fish burns off some line.

"Take. The. Rod.", I say, "and reel it in. It's your fish!" Cam reluctantly takes the rod and starts reeling hard. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz, says the reel as I realize I forgot to adjust the drag when I attached it to the rod this morning. After a few attempts, I get it set enough that Cam can feel the fish at the other end of the line as he reels. His eyes get big. Zzzzzzzzzz, says the reel and his eyes get bigger. This fish has shoulders. Cam takes a foot or two back, but the fish, still green, makes another run and the reel sings once again. "Watch him land a flipping 30 inch fish" I think to myself as I cheer him on. Back and forth it goes for another minute or two until Cam gets the fish close enough to the kayak for me to grab. I hoist it up for him to see and cry, "It's a drum!"

"A redfish?!?!", he asks. "That's my first one ever!! Is it big enough to keep?" Cam loves to take fish home, not so much for the eating but more for the cleaning. "I dunno, but he's FAT!" I lay a tape across Cam's fish and feel just a tinge of disappointment as it comes up a quarter-inch short. "Nope, sorry bud. He goes back. The rules don't get broken, even for your first red drum. Let's get some pictures, though."