Page 52 - ODUMar-Apr2019

Heartbreak and

Perspective

By Gary Maerz

Hope
I stood on the deck, hopeful and focused. It was the final hours of our annual trip; I knew that it would
be another rotation around the sun before I found myself on that same deck. Trolling along the break, a
tube was sent hopping along the bottom. The line moved towards the boat, the slack was removed,
and the hook set.

Excitement

The excitement induced
with every tight line kicks
in. I back off the trolling
motor. Then, instead of
rising through the water
column, she starts

digging. "Uncle Danny,
get the net! She's big!" I
play her for another few
moments and get her to
the top. Uncle Danny's
got jokes but moves to
the net when he hears
the thrashing.

Excitement gives way to
nervous elation. I will
not venture to guess the
size, but I can tell you it
was the largest bass I
had ever hooked. And
yes, I saw the bass; no

tree stump or brush pile
on the end of my line.

Clearly not as happy to
see me, she turned tail
and sank like a nuclear
submarine. My reel
screamed for several