“Time to wake up” my mom yelled from her room.

I was still adjusting my eyes as get dressed and walk down stairs to get breakfast. I put a waffle in the toaster and get my shoes on. I eat and get in the car with my small tackle tray and my brand new carbon fiber blue, open-face rod with a chrome reel, equipped with 8-12 lbs. line (numbers show the pounds of tension the line can handle without damage or fraying.) and buckled up. We head off to fishing pond.

“Today we are going to go to a pond with huge lunkers (big aggressive fish).” said my counselor. “Make sure you use your best rod”

My rod was brand new so I didn’t know how much force it could sustain, but the man who recommended it for my situation looked like he knew what he was doing. When we arrived I ran to the tan van with the company name on the side and packed my gear in the back. I said goodbye to my mom and we headed off.

The drive took about two hours and when we finally arrived I was so ready to start fishing. Most people didn’t have or forgot their gear so they got rods that were already set up. Since my rod and reel were new I had to take a long time to set up. At that moment I remembered that today I have a chance at catching my 200th fish. At the moment I was at 198 fish caught in my life and with high hopes. I look out at the lake while putting a hook through my best and most effective lure (called a fluke). The water is a perfect mix of green and white from the reflection of the sky. Up on a hill there’s a small house with the faint sound of a dog barking. The cool mountain air feels nice against my skin considering it was summer.

I am finally finished setting up and go down to the muddy bank which makes squishing noises under my feet.

“Hey Matt, cast over there” my friend says, pointing next to a clump of weeds. “I just caught a nice bass”

 I make the first cast of the day and it goes right into the patch of long weeds.

“uh oh!” my friend says.

I attempt to free my lure but the line snaps. I go back up the bank to the van, nearly slipping down thanks to the slippery mud. I  set up again and go back down to the water. This time I cast right next to the weeds that took my other lure. I start reeling in as I feel the satisfying pull of a fish. I reel in faster, knowing that the hook is set well as I see the silver flash of a fish and pull it out of the murky water. I can’t believe that I caught a nice sized bass on my first cast. My grin spreads from one cheek to another as I unhook it and hold it up for my friends to see. I set it back in the water with the satisfaction of knowing I’m one catch away from 200.

Time goes on not catching anything so I switch the color of my lure from “white pearl” to “baby bass” which is just a white fluke (looks like a small fish) with a dark green back. I notice there is a small dock and I ask if I can fish from it. They say yes and I head over. I cast my lure next to a small island with a flock of geese on it. There is a small patch of weeds indicating that there is probably a fish around. Suddenly, I feel the strong tug of a lunker.

My reel screams as the huge fish takes off as I remember that it is a new rod and I have to set the drag. But I know that the fish isn’t hooked very well so it would be too risky to try and tighten the drag. I decide I have to fight it with almost 0 drag as the fish makes a sudden run for the dock. I try to keep up with the loose line, but I can’t so I grab the line with my bear hands and pull as it goes under the dock. My hands are shaking uncontrollably as I pull it up to reveal that the fish is HUGE!

“Hey guys, check this out!” I scream.

My counselor runs over to the dock. He puts the dark green backed bass on the electronic weigher, smiles, and shows me the result. 7.5 POUNDS! The biggest bass I have ever caught! I have to hold it up with both hands as he takes the photo. I ask him to email the picture to my mom and dad as I put the fish back in the water. My hands shake as I fix the lure back onto my hook. I catch four more fish that day, all above two pounds. I go home exhausted and excited to tell my family about the “battle” with the fish. They are very happy for me when I show them the picture of the gigantic bass. I go to bed that night with the feeling of accomplishment and anxious to go fishing tomorrow.