Old state park, pre-Ivan

This is us back in the day...was actually the weekend before 9/11 happened in 2001. This is my eldest having just landed another blue...on a wire leader with a silver spoon...Johnson I think. Young'n holding the net and me dealing with the teeth.

We were paycheck to paycheck then, barely making it. Had just gotten that tax rebate W. sent us and we decided to head south for a weekend...first trip in years. That rod he's holding is an old 7' Zebco catfish rod with a giant zebco spincast reel on it. That and a little bass rod were all we had in terms of rod n reel. That reel was destroyed by the end of the weekend but still have that rod and bring it every time I go down there.

First time they caught some decent sized gulf fish and they were loving it. Up to then it was mostly bluegill and the occasional bass. Older boy caught blues and ladies one after the other, while the younger one was happy netting them all. I think he caught a couple but liked the net for some reason.

Older boy hadn't yet figured out how to walk it backward and deal with the sand shelf, heh. This was at the old state park hotel, right in front of those concrete 4-plexes that had the wooden exo-skeleton holding em up and together. Can see the old pier in the background.

Both in their 20s now but they still talk about that trip. One of the best we ever had.

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=6235&stc=1

They're going to remember that trip forever, you will too, And the tax rebate from W. that got you there.:)