by Ted Peck, Wisconsin Fishing Guide
Young Tommy
Dvorak has already learned the definition of a pessimist is an
optimist with experience. In spite of several fishing adventures on
the Mississippi River with his Dad and brother DJ, the Janesville,
Wisconsin
youngster had yet to boat a fish.
This benchmark was achieved when a respectable white
bass drilled Tommy’s Mepps spinner... a white dot Black Fury. It was followed by several more
"whiteys," a smallmouth and several largemouth bass. Tommy told his
father, Dave, that he was ready to tangle with northern pike, and a few
minutes later a 20 inch northern chomped that Mepps. Tommy was not
impressed. “I thought pike were supposed to fight harder than that!”
he grumped. Dave assured the lad that a substantial specimen would
definitely stretch his string and fishing ability.
Tommy went back to pitching the Mepps, lower lip stuck out in a
determined pout. The kid needed to get hooked up before concluding
that diddling with his Game Boy would provide more entertainment. I
told young Dvorak that before the day was over he would tangle with
a "toother" longer than his leg. Tommy looked down at the appendage in
question, then back at me with an educated sneer.
"Na-aaa!" He blurted.
"Uh-huh!" his Dad countered.
After
several more rounds of identical verbal exchange 14-year-old DJ
offered the suggestion that getting lines back in the water would
settle the issue once and for all. Dave Dvorak, Jr. is already an
experienced angler with many bass, panfish and walleyes to his
credit. The fact that he was out fishing Tommy about 3 to 1 did not
escape little brother.
Tommy’s face twisted in a combination of excitement and vindictive
glee when a considerably larger fish inhaled the Black Fury
spinner and started heading downstream. Line burned off Tommy’s
spincast reel . Tommy struggled to follow Dad’s advice at keeping
the rod tip up. The pike had other ideas. It took a good five
minutes before this toothy critter could be led to the net. Once
this fish was safely on the stringer Tommy held it along side his
leg, then looked up at Dad with a Cheshire Cat grin. He had whupped
the biggest fish of his life. The conquest let all thoughts that he
had a Game Boy in the boat slip away. Even with advances in
electronics tweaking your older brother is still more entertaining.
“MY fish is bigger than YOUR fish!” Tommy taunted.
“Yeah…but my fish is better, Tommy. A four-pound bass is better than
a silly pike, isn’t it, Dad ?!”
Dave showed Solomon’s wisdom in praising both boys’ accomplishment
while battling a smallmouth of substantial dimensions. I pondered
the panorama of this living sitcom over a cup of coffee while
marveling at the majesty of the Mississippi.
“Exactly how long is your fish, Tom ?” I asked, gesturing toward the
yellow DNR stick-on ruler on the Lund’s rod box. Tommy didn’t need
further prompting to reach for the stringer. After marking the exact
length with a forefinger poking himself at about waist level Tommy
slipped the fish back into the water and walked toward the front of
the boat. Carefully placing his leg on the tape with the bottom of
his foot at the zero mark Tommy eyed the position of his index
finger at waist level in relation to the ruler and trumpeted “At
least 30 inches!”
"Na-aaa!" His brother barked.
"Na-aaa!" his Dad chimed in.
"Uh-huh!" Tommy countered in righteous defiance.
The size of the prize isn’t the point. When the family is fishin’
everybody wins.
