Golfing with Woz

I played a round of golf once at a charity tournament I got suckered into donating to.  I recall the entire time as we drove around the water hazards my mind drifted from where my shoulders should be in relation to my feet during a golf swing to where I'd like my feet to be; standing next to the hazard fishing it.  Based on the size of some of the blowups I remember seeing I recall thinking golf courses must be good places to fish.

I took a personal day off work today.  I had to use one personal day or I'd lose it at the end of the year so I picked today because I was going golfing.  I made plans to meet Woz from DuPage Angler at the golf course early in the morning on a cold day in mid-November.  The morning air temperature was 38 degrees; it was cold.  Woz and I grabbed our bags and our sticks and walked around the clubhouse to our first hole.

Our first hole was a water hazard.  We both were throwing 4" swimbaits.  Woz scored a fish in the first few casts.  He caught a second one before I felt and saw a three pounder swipe at my swimbait then roll away.  The angling equivalent of a slice I suppose.  Woz finally caught a bass he felt was worthy of a picture.

I noticed a difference in the offerings we were giving the fish today.  I had a Strike King KVD Heavy Cover Swimjig in Bluegill color with a Big Hammer 4" swimbait in a similar color.  Woz was throwing a swimbait on a keel-weighted swimbait hook but his swimbait had some chartreuse that made the bait POP in the water.  I switched to a white-chartreuse swimjig with a Big Hammer trailer and BAM, I caught a bass.

We walked the perimeter of the hazard chatting and casting.  Stopping every so often to hold a bass up for a picture.

I was using my 7' custom MH spiral-wrapped casting rod today.  All fish were caught with it and I have to say I put it through it's paces.  It caught some nice sized bass.  Not once did it feel like the reel was being twisted from my hand.  I'm sold on spiral-wrapping casting rods.  All the casting rods I build for myself in futre will be wrapped this way.  I had no way of knowing but it was about to be tested again.

There's a measured five pounder.  She was thick and girthy and fun to catch.  Then again so were the other four pound plus bass we both kept pulling out of the hazard.

Yes, I have to say I may have been a bit hasty in my opinion of golf.  It is not a "good walk spoiled" as the saying goes.  Rather a game requiring permission to play, time available to play, and a partner to walk the links with.  I mean I like a Jason holding largemouth bass selfie as much as the next person but let's face it.  More pictures make a blog more better, especially when it's fish pictures.