Retired From Night Fishing

[Old plug]

There was a long period in my life where I spent most of my time night fishing for bass. I am now in my 74th year and it had been a couple years since I had been on the lake late at night fishing till very recently.

I woke up about 2:30 in the morning the other night wide awake. I have been missing night fishing and decided now was the time to go again. I got all set up and started out. The area of the lake I was going to was about 3 mikes away. I have made that trip god only knows how many times in the past 20 yrs both day and night.

I rounded my point and started in that direction. Right away it became evident my night vision was not what it used to be. I used to to be able to make that run almost without looking. But I could not really make out the ridge lines against the sky as I used to. I was headed for area where my arm of the lake blends with the main channel. Before I was always able to tell where it was because it appeared as a dark spot with no dock lights. Well I was going slower than normal because the dock lights just did not look the same along the shore. But I was sure I was on course. To make a long story short I had got disorientated. I was better than a mile from where I thought I was and the dark area I was headed for was not the mouth of my arm in the distance. It was a bluff hole dead ahead. I have never had anything like that happen before. The only thing that probably kept me from running into that bank is we had a good steady 10 mph wind that night and I noticed it was hitting me in my left side when it should have been coming from my back. After some investigation I figured out where I was. But it serves as a warning.

When you get into your senior years your mind,memory and eye sight may not be what you think they are.. Be careful out there with what you think you can trust.

[fishinwrench]

Hell I haven't even made it to 50 yet and I can't trust my eyes anymore.

[DChance]

Man thats scary. I would consider myself blessed if I am able to fish like that when I get that age.....Just go get em in the daylight!!

[Quillback]

Yep, if I make it to 74, I hope that I will still be able to fish, even if it's daylight only.

[Old plug]

If your health holds you will be fishing at 74. You just will it be doing it with as much intensity. But you should try motto become a couch potato. I think that s about the most dangerous thing for a senior.

[fishinwrench]

I should be good to go then, cuz my couch is nothing more than a place to pile clothes when they come out of the dryer.

[Old plug]

Yeah you will be just fine wrench. What with all the climbing trees and things you will get a lot of exercise.

[Quillback]

Fishing sure beats sitting on the couch.

[exiledguide]

It all depends on who you are "sitting on the couch" with and what your definition of "sitting on the couch" is.........I think

[trouthog]

i just started fishing again, i'm 34, my 10 yr old got my back into it.. i knew the river & have always trout fished, but he has been dieing to bass fish, so we satrted i'm hope ing to buy a boat for lake next year and i'm glade i read this! i am scared to death of the lake at night! but this shows how smart you really are, by reading the wind you realized things were not right, i would have crashed the boat from inexperence! thanks for teaching me something!