​The sun was just coming up  and I was sitting in my small rowboat out in the middle of the lake. I had two poles already rigged and casted out, and was working on the third. I tied the little hook and put a tiny split shot about a foot up from it on the line. A split shot is a lead weight that you pinch on the line. It helps in casting, and keeps the bait down under the water. I finally put on a big night crawler and set that line out too. I was ready for a day of relaxation and fun. It was warm, and not a cloud to be seen. My kind of day.
   I grabbed my thermos to take a sip of coffee and just as it was touching my lips one of my poles bounced hard nearly flying out of the boat. I quickly set the coffee on the seat almost dropping it, and with my other hand,  fumbled and grabbed my pole and gave it a jerk upward to set the hook. The pole bent in half and the line began ripping off the reel. The drag was set pretty loose and all you could hear across the water was the buzz sound from the line being pulled. I tightened the drag slowly but the line just kept going. This was one big fish. With a worm for bait, it could have been anything. A crappie or striper, maybe a big rainbow trout? Hell, maybe even a huge catfish, or one of those monster northers pike.
    I tightened the drag a tad more, and continued to fight the fish. I had him hooked, now just to go easy so he didn't snap the line. I've lost some sizeable ones over the years, trying to bring them in to fast on too light of line. You think I would learn my lesson and use a heavier gage. But I like to be fair to the fish. It takes a bit more skill to bring in the big ones on the lighter tackle.
    The fish was starting to take those small breaks. Every time he stop pulling, I reeled like crazy. Then he would dart deeper into the water again pulling out more line. I battled this thing for at least fifteen minutes and was slowly gaining on him. With each bend of the pole, I reeled, he pulled. But I was in control now and he was coming in. I remember one time in my canoe, I saw a duck get eaten by a large fish. While I was daydreaming afterward about what I had seen, a twenty pound catfish took my bait. He had pulled me all over the river I was fishing at the time. He was a beauty. I remember the growling sound he made as I released him back into the wild. This fish I had on now felt twice as big.
My heart was racing, my stomach had butterflies and I was excited to say the least. This sucker was big. He stayed deep never jumping out of the water. It had to be a cat or a pike. Most bass would have jumped, even a big rainbow. No, this fella was staying under. I kept holding the line and raising the pole, then as I lowered it I reeled as fast as I could. He was begrudgingly coming closer to the surface with each pull. Finally I saw it curl in the water, still deep enough where I couldn't tell what it was. Any second it would be in plain sight.
    It darted down hard one final time and the pole bent in half again. A second later with a fast hard thrust of its tail, it flew up out of the water almost six feet into the air. The splash covered me with water.
    My eyes jolted open. Sure enough I was in my bed. It was a dream. I had to pee so bad. I ran to the bathroom and took care of business, then I got back in bed. I tried for an hour to go back to sleep. I wanted to be back in that boat so so badly. Well, I guess it's not gonna happen so I might as well get up.  Happy Friday. May your day be exactly what you need and desire. It's really cold here, and the wind has been whipping hard for two days. I have to run to tractor supply for a bail of straw for the coops. This is the first my ducks have slept in the coop in a long time. The weather says 6 degrees tonight and tomorrow night. Tomorrow is the skate party, I guess it will be a huge bonfire. I hope the wind dies down, that will help. Well good morning, hope you enjoy your day. Keep warm, I love you!