Memorable/big fish you have caught?

[branhamautomotive]

When I turned 8, I got my very first rod and reel that was my own, not just one on the boat I could use. I pestered dad all day to take me out, finally he did just to shut me up. It was after dinner early August and nasty hot and humid. We left east harbor and he went just over between lakeside and the lighthouse. I knew he wasn't going to go far since he was just ting to shut me up. It wasn't 5 min later fish on. It took all the strength my little hands had to keep ahold of pole, I couldn't actually reel it in like normal, I had totwist my wrist, half crank a time. All I could think was I was going loose my rod and reel and new green and white Erie derie. I remember papa whispering to dad" big sheephead". It took a long time to get it to the net but when dad lifted it in, it was a 29 inch walleye. My first fish ohio. They took the time to explain how some ppl fish their entire life's to not get a fish of this quality. Paps called it a fish of a lifetime. So after pictures, smiles, a drink of water i put out again, very next cast wham, rod bent just as before. I couldn't even put 2 mins in, I was so tired from the first fish. They tried to root me on, it's not that big your just tired from the last one, come on you can do it. But my little arms and hand were done. I gave it up to dad and intensely watch over the back of 24ft Thompson hardtop to see what came up. It took dad a long time to bring it in but is was another 29 incher. We made it in just in time to go have the walleye checked in and get the paper work done for the fish ohio. From that point to on I've had the bug.

2) don't remember the month, but was hot, so had to be July or aug, I was in my early teens, dad me and brother went out just off rattle snake. Was a slow day only had a couple, water was flat as glass and super clean. We were about to leave and tied into something big and I knew it. I had learned a lot since my last big walleyes and I knew I could feel it wasn't hook well. My brother is 3 years younger and had just started netting fish, I told him let dad do it, we would only get one shot since I knew it wasn't a good hook up. As I worked in, drag loosened so not to put extra pressure on it. The water was so clean you could see it coming in a long way off. As it got close it came up and slid across the surface and I could see just how little it was hooked by. I asked again but he was not giving the net up. Just as I get it into net range it mouth opened up, I remember I thought you could had put a softball down the thing, dad yelled net it, my brother thrust the net down an hit the fish square in the mouth with the aluminum bar of net. My Erie derie come into the boat, he hit the so hard it just floated there on the surface, dad finally pulls the net from his hands to try again but just as hit gets it into the water my monster turns and swims back into the depths, I watch the sun reflect off it what felt like forever. Not sure of length, but to and early teenager it look like a small shark, to this day it's still the longest one I've ever seen in person.

3) not a biggest fish, but fastest catch. It the next spring, we were out on the nw corner of kellies, wind blowing, all of us getting cold, dad tucks up into the cove there on the north side just to get some shelter and eat some lunch before we start the rough ride home. Water was flat but dad put the anchor out cause the wind would still had blown us while eating. I finished first followed by the rest shortly. Dad wanted 's few more minutes to rest so I bait up, and so did my brother. 1st cast each we had a double, dad got the net as papa cast out, now it's a triple. This went on till we had our limit in less than 25 mins. Every cast was a hook up, dad never got pole in the water. There fish were all over the floor. We we slipping and tripping on fish, we radio 2 other friends in same story. Woke extra early the next day to hit the honey hole again, fight our way through the rough water again, anchor up in the same spot, we knew it was the same, it was the first year they had the towers up for what we now know as gps, but then it was done off towers, it was our new toy on the boat. Get to the spot as yesterday cast out with high hopes of repeat, 3 hrs later not a single fish of any kind, no marks, nothing. Here one day gone the next.