A Summer story worthy of a picture...although there isn't one to attach.

Last June while fishing for bass with my wife, I casted out a sinking crankbait and as the lure was nearing it's intended bullseye on the water, my line broke mid-stream into the cast. Like most fishermen would do (I think), I kept my eye on that particular area thinking that I could simply motor over to the area to find my lure floating on the surface (not realizing at that time that I jus' threw a sinking lure). After a few passes in, what I thought was the right area, I did not see my line or the lure. After cursing up one side of my boat and down the other, I suddenly saw the line...but it wasn't in reach. Leaning over the boat just beyond my fingertips, I stretched-out...and I reached a tad too far.

200 pounds in a crouched-down position leaning over the side of a boat - sounds like a recipe for a wet behind...and then some. The next thing I knew, and it happened so darn fast, I was tumbling into the water. I don't even remember having the time to hold my breath! When I came up choking from water being swallowed, I had my broken fishing line in my hand. Aside from having worn a swimming suit that day, I eventually dried off although, the contents of my wallet were not so lucky. But in the end, I retrieved that tossed-out lure and even though I was wet and cold, I was happy.

To this day, my wife and I still laugh about that day on Lake Geneva. Had I been fishing alone on a windy day or had I been on a river with a current or even worse - had the motor running while leaning over the side of the boat, I'm not so sure the outcome would have been the same seeing that I was not wearing a life jacket.

 Lesson learned - losing a $6.00 lure is not worth losing your life over.