Well, I done seen it all now. Ya know those little tiny boat, floatie, pontoonie looking things? Those tiny little boats you can only put one dude in and a trolling motor? Well, I'm on the Ohio the other night near Brandenburg, just off the city ramp and in the dark. It's about 3 am and my eyes are getting blurry cause I got out of bed at 4am in the morning the day before, worked too hard, ate too much supper, and forgot to bring any coffee on this trip. Fishing was slow, and I admit I was nodding some. I hear this little trickling of water. I thought maybe some big duck was swimming passed the boat. I looked up and saw a red bow light, and then a white all round light that looks to be just 3 feet behind it. At first I thought it was a 20 footer on the far bank. Then I see the flash of a lighter, and the glow of a cigarette, and my sense of range thru blurred eyes decides its a darn small boat, maybe 5 foot long, passing me in real slow motion as I'm anchored head up stream, and its headed down stream on my port side. I sat there with a gapping mouth, as this little thing with a small guy in it creeps passed me by about 100 feet, kills his lights, I hear the plop of what sounds to be an anchor, and note it has stopped. I hear the whizzing sound of a bait caster and another small plop. Then one more. Then the all-round white light on the small craft comes on, and I can make out the outline of a guy sitting there. I'm thinking what kind of nut comes out here in one of those farm pond bluegill boats, when I hear a reel scream, see a figure thrashing about, hear the bait caster click over, and then the sounds of a reel feeding drag reluctantly to a fish that has no respect for boats that appear to be smaller than he is. This goes on for a while, with the little dingy thing wobbling and the figure on the boat swaying from side to side, in ever increasing sweeps from left to right. Next, splashing at the surface, some swearing about how there's no need for a catfish to bite a guys hand like that, a couple little giggles, then silence. Finally, I hear that ever present sound of a fish slapping a tail on something hollow, that once in a short while thrash, a slap, and a crunch and small rumble. I see the outline of the little craft move forward, a little rustle at the surface, and get the impression an anchor just came up. Ever so quietly, the tiny craft fades into the dark, its outline dissolves to darkness, a small white light turns to a pinpoint, and the very soft droan of an electric motor fades into a very calm night. And then it was gone. Total elapsed time from first sighting until it faded to darkness was inside an hour.
I swear I had not a thing to drink that my preacher would not have approved of. I am darn sure I was awake, cause I still got the scratches on my eyelids where rough hands tried to clear blurry cobwebs and confirm reality. I don't know where that little bobber sized boat came in from, and don't know where it went to. I was afraid to up anchor and go looking for it, for fear my 20 foot pontoon wake at idle might swamp it. I should have yellled at the guy and asked if gasoline prices caused his choice in craft. I guess I should have called 911 and reported a "future drowning". At any rate, I just pulled up my gear, and idled back to the ramp, trailered out, ran to the back of the lot, and went to sleep. I guess the guy got home okay, cause no sirens interrrupted the sleep that lasted till 9 am.
I've decide all future trips to that ramp will see the spot light come along, and a camera. My only fear is that if I see this "farm pond river rig" again, that the mere weight of a spotlight beam, or the blast of a camera flash might be enough to capsize it.
Has the price of gasoline driven some of us crazy?
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