Bonus Story - Father's Day Fishing Trip (Patreon)

A fishing trip out on the lake was family tradition that had held true for as long as Justin could remember. He had gone with his dad, and grandfather when he was younger and now he was sharing that tradition with his kids, of course having so many little ones with him had made it quite complicated when they all wanted to share in different aspects of the experience.

Jacob was in a sea explorer phase, where everything had to be done under the prospect of scuba diving. Going out on the boat didn’t do anything to curb those desires and while he did participate in fishing, it wasn’t easy with him wearing a snorkel and swimming mask! Eric had decided to make the trip another chance to earn a merit badge for his scouts, Evie had also wanted to join along in the fun and was easily kept busy by good ol’ grandpa. However with three kits, it still felt like running to put out fires one after the other, but Justin wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Hey.. Hey Dad, I think I got something!” Jacob called back, lifting his mask off from his face and over his brow, he tugged on the fishing reel and Justin walked over as the line began to spin. 

A congratulatory pat upon the shoulder was well earned but Jacob was still staring up at him for instruction, “Go on, start to pull it back, you don’t want to let it get too far away.” He encouraged the kit with a small smirk.

“Dad I think it’s pretty big,” Eric was still waiting for his catch, the bait drifting in the water. “Hey Jacob can I try your bait after this one?” 

Justin glanced down at Jacob who was pulling on the fishing pole, trying to use his hands to pull and reel in the line at the same time. “Wait, what bait? Jacob what bait did you use?” 

“He used his own stuff!” Evie called out, “He put peanut butter on his tuna sandwich and put it in the lake!” 

A moment of distraction, a moment of concern as to what Jacob could have hooked with such an odd combination of bait. The fish they usually went after wouldn’t touch the concoction Jacob had tossed out, at least Justin didn’t think that’d be the case, the moments of contemplation proved to be vital and a sharp yelp was all Justin heard before a murky green splash of water gushed up from where Jacob was pulled in. 

Justin didn’t even hear the shrieks and shouts from the rest of the members on the boat, his eyes saw where Jacob’s life preserver was floating in the water and his body acted out of sheer instinct. Leaping in a half second later his legs kicked as he swam towards the swiftly bobbing kit that was being pulled further away from the boat, “Dad! Paddle towards us!” Justin shouted back towards the boat as his arms shoveled him forwards in the water, closing in on Jacob’s position.

“Dad!” Jacob cried out, spitting water from his mouth to the side as his arms hugged around the fishing pole, keeping it close to him as tight as he did his life jacket, “I think it’s a big-gghhon!”

It must have been huge, it’s pull had dragged Jacob briefly under water before he surfaced a moment later with the buoyance of his life jacket pulling him back up. Justin wrapped a single arm around Jacob, only then did he feel the sheer weight of the fish his kit had caught. “Jacob, let go! Now!” Justin shouted as he kicked back with his legs, feeling both he and Jacob’s lighter weight being pulled by whatever monster fish was obfuscated underneath the murky depths. He tried to pull with the weight of his body, or at least keep them from getting dragged further out from the boat, Justin glanced back after hearing the engine start up. “Jacob let it go!”

“No it’s really big dad!” Jacob’s eyes were closed, his hands gripping at the fishing pole that Justin suddenly regret getting a top of the line model of. “I think it’s almost tired too!”

Justin’s body yanked, pulling as hard as he could on Jacob’s small frame as the sound of the boat drew near, “Hold on kiddo!” Grandpa called back, the boat suddenly cutting the engine as it floated on the echoes of its drift in their direction, the rope ladder unfurled off to the side as Justin leapt a single arm out to grab it while his other arm held onto Jacob’s body for dear life. “Ohohoho! Seems like he’s got a big one on the line.”

“Not now dad!” Justin cried back and in another moment Hope jumped off the side of the bow, swimming to their aid. “Jacob you gotta let go-“

“Pull!” Hope cried out cutting him off, it was obvious that Jacob wasn’t going to let go of his catch and Hope was helping in the only way that would matter without forcibly wresting the fishing pole from Jacob’s hands. 

The fish must have been getting exhausted with it’s fight because Justin was able to pull himself up the ladder with Jacob in tow, Hope helping to add weight to the fishing pole that Jacob so proudly held to himself. With all three of them secured inside the boat they had finally begun to make some headway, pulling on the pole and tightening the rope line was bringing the fish closer to them. It wasn’t until they saw the massive head’s silhouette from above the water that Justin truly understood what his son had caught.

“Oh wow.. it’s.. enormous..” Justin shouted with a mixture of pride and astonishment, but it wasn’t yet in the boat and until then it didn’t truly count. “We almost got it!”

“Shush and keep pulling you dork!” Hope barked back at him, sternly at first but then laughing as the fishing pole almost bent inwards to a ‘U’ shape that threatened to snap under the weight.

“Yeah dork!” Jacob echoed his mom’s sentiment as he pushed on the reel line with all the force he could muster, another turn and the fish was getting closer.

Clapping sounds came across the boat, it was Grandpa with a net leaning over the side to try and catch the fish as it began to rise from the water. “Oh dear..” It was significantly larger than the net and what it usually contained, “Keep pulling I’ll try and get it on the boat!” 

The mammoth fish finally lifted from the water and in a combined effort of the family, each of them pulling and tugging at the fish, it landed onto the deck of the boat with a wet slapping thump. 

“Well. That explains it,” Grandpa chortled with his hands on his hips as he looked at the catfish that was bigger than his grandkits. “This catfish took the bait and was fishin’ for you kiddos!” 

Justin and Hope stared on at the fish that did a wet slap with it’s fin, “..Think Sherri and Mom are going to be able to cook it?” Justin muttered with his hand dragging through his lake water soaked hair.

“One way to find out..” Hope said with a wide eyed expression.

“I’m gonna tell mommy I was almost fish food!” Jacob yipped.

…

The slapping sounds of skinned and deboned fish dipping into egg wash then a mixture of flour and seasonings hardly rose above the general ambience of the camp grounds. Sherri and Grandma had been quite astonished at the catch that the boat had brought in, after the ‘Catfish Incident’ everyone was exhausted enough to call it a day right then and there. Also because the catfish itself wouldn’t fit in the live well in the boat with anything else. 

“I’m glad we decided to bring along the industrial fryer.” Grandma said sweetly as she finished slicing the potatoes into large steak fries, “I think we’re going to have plenty of catfish for tonight.”

Sherri began to giggle as she plated another slice of dredged catfish ready to be put in the fryer once it heated to temperature. “I think the only thing we’ll have to worry about is if we have enough hush puppies and fries to go with this much fish!” 

“Here’s another one mom!” Evie announced proudly, Sherri glancing down at her daughter with a proud beaming smile.

“Thank you my little helper!” Sherri lowered the plate of already breaded fish, Evie sliding her contribution atop of them, “That’s my girl, you’re doing great!”

“Mom!!” To the side Molly was fleeing the most horrific thing imaginable according to her wide eyes and ear piercing screech. “Eric is chasing me with a gross thing!”

“It’s not gross! It’s a lake frog! Telmatobius coleus and I’m going to name him Darwin!” Sherri would have tried to interrupt it but they had run across towards the other side of the camp, and she had her hands full, literally, with fish! 

“Hey Mom, can I get a soda?” Jacob tugged on Hope’s arm as the chuckling grandpa tried to keep from laughing further while Hope took on her maternal tone.

“After you get washed up for dinner, you and your father swimming around in that dirty lake crawling with germs.” She pointed to the outdoor shower.

“Aww.. but mom it’s like I took a shower already!” Jacob pouted, ears folding back, a hand clapping atop of his head, it was Justin’s and the father was sharing his son’s complaint.

“Yeah, Mom, we just went in a dirty lake we should be able to eat!” Justin chuckled and from afar Sherri’s mommy mode radar had picked up potential danger, from the cooking station amidst the mix of voices and noise she called out.

“You heard your mom!” Sherri yipped, her body turning to face them both, “Now get in the shower you little ruffians!” Sherri teased, tongue poking out as she clicked her tongs at them.

“Yes ma’am!” Justin called back, hoisting Jacob over his shoulder and carrying him off to the shower as he let out a pleading groan.

The excitement started to die down just in time, Jacob and Justin having returned freshly scrubbed with soaps clearing off the murky lake water scent, Darwin was released back into the forest where he could go be with his wife and kids, and the family had begun to gather round the table to say grace. Hand in hand, the family sat uncharacteristically silent. Grandma had that effect.

“Thank you for this bountiful meal, and bless this family, amen.”

Then there was the uproar, cans of soda popping, squirts of unnecessarily large portions of ketchup. Clinking sounds of silverware and crumpling napkins. It was the sounds of a family truly together on this blessed Father’s Day.