Shimano reel filled with 14 pound trilene.
St. Croix rod, medium heavy, backbone is mean.
bullet weight slid on the line after run through guides.
teflon coated truturn hook tied on with palomar, ready for the ride.
watermelon lizard on and ready to cast.
flick of the wrist and the lure flies far and fast

Lands on the bank, two inches from the water
crawl it down the side of an old log, hollow.
pulse the rod tip up and down while lifting.
let the lure drop back down, trolling motor keeps us from driftng.
reel up the slack do it again all the way to the boat.
do it again, like dad taught me rote.

We troll on down the bank looking for a likely place
the boat dock up ahead is usually an ace
ease on up, perfect flip under and all the way back
let sink and sit, slowly reel up slack

Bump, then thump, then **** and run
snap the rod tip way up high and fish on.
rod tip down, fish running under dock
drag schreeching, pull back lines not moving just like its locked

Fish jumps on other side, has me wrapped around a piling.
change angles give it a pop, nothing, know the metal is filing
down the line. Please don't break, pop it once again.
the line begins to move and slide, pulled by power of fin.

The fights back on, in open water now
which, fish or angler will be made to cow.
fish goes deep, uh oh nothing but slack.
reel fast now, got to get her back.
fish running right at boat, trying a different tact.

Not the right one, I catch back up and **** once more
the she is, grab the net, worn out from the chore.
off the hook and on the scale, in the live well dunk her.
pull out the phone, TPWD calling share a lunker.

15 pounder in the well headed to the marina
parks and wildlife said that's where to meet her.
off to the Texas fisheries center in Athens to spawn.
back at home few days later relaxing on my lawn.

Package arrives  fiberglass replica  of my fish
awaiting word, if I can live release her, is my wish.
wish granted a few days later, back out in the lake
she tail walks and swims off while cutting a graceful wake.