The “20 Days in September” Project: Kids and Tiny Bass

Had I not caught this little guy, the fishing might have been over. Note the vintage Zero Gravity rod.
Photo by Niall Monahan

Editor’s note: Last week, I launched my new “20 Days in September” Project as a way to make up for a summer without enough fishing. All month long, I’ll be keeping you updated on the project, and I invite anyone else who had a rough summer to join in. I’ll be posting photos to the Orvis Instagram page hashtagged #20sepdays. (Day 6 was Instagram-only, featuring a stolen moment on the HQ pond.)

I picked up my kids from school yesterday and headed for the local, very public bass pond I’d fished on Sunday morning. Things started off slowly, which always makes the young’uns antsy, and I hooked a tiny largemouth just before the whining would have started. A fish generated plenty of enthusiasm, and soon Niall was into a bass much bigger than mine, which filled him with unmixed delight. We caught a few more, although Clare caught nothing but some trophy weeds. We ended our excursion at the local burrito place, making for an excellent evening.

The boy looks a little smug for catching the biggest fish, doesn’t he?
Photo by Phil Monahan

What Clare caught was certainly bigger than any of the bass we landed. She seems excited.
Photo by Phil Monahan

What’s better than working a popper through weedbeds in the evening?
Photo by Niall Monahan

Pedey the dog is not sure what to make of this alien creature.
Photo by Niall Monahan