There’s nothing better than cracking open some cold ones on the water with friends and family.  Fishing is a sport that often leaves people with unforgettable memories that get them hooked.  Here are some memorable stories from fellow fishermen here at West Ottawa.

   Jr. Kingston Smith:

   “Over spring break, I went fishing in Florida with my dad and grandpa.  It was a calm and sunny day, which allowed us to head a couple of miles offshore.  Not too long into trolling, I saw my pole snap back and I knew I had a giant fish hooked.  After 15 minutes of struggle, I was eventually able to reel the fish near the back of the boat so we could see what I had caught.  When we got the fish next to our boat, I was in complete disbelief.  I had just caught a massive tarpon, weighing roughly 100 lbs.  What made this even more impressive was that I was using a 15 lb trout line.  Unfortunately, in Florida, it’s illegal to bring tarpon on your boat, so I wasn’t able to get a cool flick, but this is still without a doubt my most memorable fishing experience.”

   Sr. Tyler Noblett:

   “This past summer, I and a couple of my buddies packed our fishing gear and scootered to Bay Meadows with hopes of catching some monster bass.  Things started slowly as I only managed to catch a 12” bass an hour in, but as the temperature cooled, the fish started to bite.  Dangling on my hook was a fresh and squirmy worm.  Cast after cast, I was reeling in decent-sized 14-16” bass when out of nowhere, a ginormous bass struck my worm and fought.  I heard my pole click and saw the tip bend.  I thought for sure my line or pole would break, but after a few exhausting minutes of reeling, one of my friends was able to net the fish and drag it onto the shore.  The bass was slightly over 18” and is still the biggest fish I’ve caught to this day.”

   Sr. Corbin White:

   “Last year, my family and I were down south for spring break.  We decided to book a fishing charter that goes miles off shore, in hopes of catching gigantic fish.  Throughout the day, we were hooking decently sized goliath grouper, cobia, and amberjacks, but nothing massive.  As we were re-setting our lines, a fish clamped onto my bait and took off.  I was using a mono line, so I feared that the fish might break free if it had sharp teeth.  The fight lasted a solid ten minutes.  At this point, I was exhausted; however, the fish was within touching distance of the boat.  When I finally pulled up the fish, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  It was a five-foot cobia with teeth as sharp as a blade.  The captain, just as in shock as myself told me this fish would’ve won us a tournament if we were in one.  This is by far my most memorable fishing experience throughout my life.”

   Sr. Andrew Lehman:

   “My dad and I were fishing during dusk in our tiny Starcraft fishing boat about 300 feet offshore.  Neither one of us had any luck the first hour or two when suddenly an enormous northern pike struck my white spinner bait.  After a long and grueling fight to reel the fish towards the back of the boat, my dad and I realized we had forgotten the net at our campsite.  In complete desperation, we grabbed the line and attempted to flip the fish into our boat.  As the fish was in the air, the line snapped and it seemed as if the fish was going to get off the hook; however, somehow, someway, the fish flopped into our boat.”

   Jr. Colin Schneider:

   “In early August, my dad, grandpa, and I launched out of Port Sheldon around four in the morning and made our way out to Lake Michigan.  Crazy gusts of wind made the water choppy, but that didn’t stop us from catching some monster salmon.  About an hour in, we heard our line 300 feet out and 90 feet deep take off and start clicking.  I rushed to grab the rod out of the rod holder and begin reeling.  I struggled to gain any ground as the fish kept taking the line further and further, and at one point, the fish was nearly 450 feet away.  My dad and grandpa both timed the fight and after an exhausting 45 minutes later, we were able to finally net it.  It turns out the fish was a 22 lb king salmon.”

   Sr. Landon Kipker:

   “On my birthday five years ago, my aunt and uncle bought me a bunch of tackle and took me fishing.  The weather was gorgeous and what better way to celebrate my birthday than catching some fish? When I got to my grandparents’ house, I immediately started to cast.  Every couple minutes, I would reel in a bass, but I had my mind set on catching my first northern pike.  After four hours of fishing, a fish chomped on my lure and took off.  I instantly knew this was a Pike by the way it fought.  After a couple of minutes, I successfully netted and caught my first ever pike which was a dream come true.”

   Soph. Carter Lawrence:

   “It was a clear and sunny day.  The fishing started rough, but my dad and I kept moving and eventually found a hotspot.  Once we found the hot zone, it was bite after bite.  My dad and I both caught a ton of walleye, including my biggest to this day.  After roughly an hour or two, we had both reached our limit, so we began to head back.  As we were making our way back towards the boat launch, the weather abruptly became worse.  The water got choppy, the sky began to darken, and it started to rain.  Luckily we both maxed out on walleye and made it back to the launch safely before the weather worsened.  This was without a doubt one of my most memorable and favorite fishing trips because we managed to reel in a bunch of fish just before bad weather approached.”

   Jr. Zachary Jongekryg

   “My family and I went deep sea fishing a few miles off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida.  Through most of the morning, we weren’t catching a lot, besides a few silver-dollar fish. After roughly five hours of little success, we finally had a good bite.  The bite was so strong, that the pole nearly fell into the water.  We couldn’t keep this fish from fighting and pulling the line, but this wouldn’t stop me from eventually reeling it in.  After two hours of relentless reeling, I was finally able to get the fish a few feet from the boat.  When we saw the fish, we realized that it was a seven-foot, 130 lb marlin.  I used to not be big on fishing, but this experience completely changed me and helped me fall in love with the sport.”

   Every angler has their own unique story that leaves an everlasting memory.