HA!  Revenge is a dish best served with fish!

WARNING:  This post contains fishing stories and as such is apt to contain hyperboles, myths, and exaggerations.

So, I'm a new fisherman, right - the new guy nearly killed by a deer while fishing.  I'm still learning the ropes of this stuff but having a blast in the process.

I got off work a little early yesterday and had something to celebrate, so I called up my dad to go fishing.  We decided to hit this lake we'd never been to before that is in an urban state park not far from where we live.  We show up and it's about 4-5 acres, fairly shallow, rather muddy, a lot of vegetation under the surface, lots of shoreline to fish from, and there are 10 people around it fishing away.

We carve out a spot just off the walking trail.  Aside from it being loud, I do see a few bluegill swimming about just outside the vegetation 6-7 feet from the shore.

I'm hoping to hook some medium-sized bass, but happy with anything really.  I tie on my trust Rapala F-3 as I'm thinking surface fishing is the way to go given the shallow and vegetated water and everyone else was just catching bluegill.  My game is to give them something they don't see every day - something that will catch the abnormal fish for this area.

I hooked a good bluegill, but he weaseled off my slightly dulled hooks.  My dad wasn't having luck - he was trying lure fishing for the first time.

There's this kid with his loudmouthed mother down the shore 50 yards with this kiddie setup.  He reels in two tiny bluegill while I'm flinging my lure.  I'm starting to feel a little silly, but am slightly consoled when the kid starts crying because mommy wouldn't let him keep his small fish and run to get the cooler.  Frankly had that been my son he would have been horsewhipped for whining and carrying on the way he did.  Sadly, the mom and grandparents just laughed about it without correcting him - but I digress...

Meanwhile, this other guy and his pal are setting up shop 30 feet away.  They're obviously going for bluegill - got the long poles, lawn chairs, humongous bobber and live bait.

I make some small talk, tell them I hooked one but he dropped off - that I'd seen a few decent bluegill close to the vegetation on the surface but not much action.

He says "Don't worry, I'll catch 'em".

Arrogance, eh?  Hmmmmm.....

Well, he hooked one not too long thereafter and says "I told you I'd get 'em for ya!  Live bait!".

Well, we moved down the shore.  I decided to change up my setup.  I tied on a bigger floater.  A few casts later and I was reeling in a huge bluegill.  Nice!

Then, I hit a dry spell for a bit so I tied on one of the sinking lures in a silver grey as I'd found a pretty clean channel.

I hit the jackpot!  Bam!  Nice perch!  Bam!  10 inch Catfish!  Bam!!  The biggest LMB I've caught so far - probably 10-12 inches -  a nice fish for that pond!  He was big enough to snap my line while I was trying to take him off and stole my newest, favorite lure!

Well, I was happy with my results, and content as I watched those other guys sit there with their bobbers sitting on the water, no more fish coming in.

Two different styles, two different results.  I can say I brought in the biggest fish, AND the most fish of the anglers I could see.

The moral of the story?

Revenge is best served with fish!

AND

Keep yer big yap shut unless you can back it up!