Waderjon's quest for the record !!: March 2012

Welcome to the quest.

The world record shoal bass is 8 lbs and 12 ozs and was caught on October 27 1977 in the Apalachicola River Florida. It has only been in the past few years that it has been targeted specifically by river fisherman with the rising popularity of kayak fishing.

A few years ago I discovered kayak fishing and decided to make the shoal bass my my main focus. It was even more recently that I was approached by a fellow kayak angler that was interested in making a film about the hunt for the world record shoal bass which sparked my interest greatly and spawned the creation of this blog. The hunt for this record fish has since become the focus of all of my fishing activities. I now target the shoal bass exclusively. I was recently asked by a fellow angler if I thought I really had a chance at catching a world record ? My reply.. Well my chances are are as good as yours or any body else but if I do YOU are damn sure gonna hear about it. I would like to dedicate this blog and my efforts to Philip (Swampthang) Mays who is the first person to ever take me on a kayak trip down the river for shoal bass and started this addiction that I love so much. Phil left this world recently for a better place. He was a true sportsman and will be deeply missed. Thank you Phil.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Hat

A few months ago I had made a post on face book and changed my profile picture to one of when I was a child and the post was about a couple of very special friends that I grew up with that have both passed on and a hat that was made for me by one of their mothers that I have held on to for all of the years. Below is the post and picture I made one Face book.

Jon Freeman This photo was taken around 1978/79.The rail road hat I am wearing was hand made by Mark Watkins mother.She made one for me Mark and James Blackburn. James and Mark are are gone. I still have my hat. Soon after this photo I grew a beard and have only been seen without one once.

I miss Mark and James and will never forget the hours days that we spent together as kids roaming the woods and creeks and lakes fishing and camping together but this past weekend I was reminded that life goes on and as we loose special friends and family in our lives we continue on . We make new friends and we build new relationships and kayaking and river fishing has allowed me to meet and become friends with some of the most incredible people that I have ever known.

After several weeks of being in such a deep state of depression due to some recent events in my life I finally decided it was time to shake the funk and get back on the river. I was joined by my good friends some of which drove several hundred miles to join me. Danny Bell , John Robins, and my new friend David Williams came in from South Carolina and of course my good Buddies Glenn Anderson and Sean Brodie were there to join us for my first river trip in almost four months. We had a total blast and I started the day off with a laugh for everyone by falling in the river at 08:00am. The water was chilly but luckily I dried off quickly and it did not ruin my day.

The weather was great and we all had a blast . No big fish were caught but everyone caught a few and the comradery was incredible. After the trip we all joined at my house for a steak cook out and a few cold ones and of course a bunch of great fishing stories were told. It was a big time had by all and I felt absolutely like a new man. Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was great feeling to have such an incredible group of guys to go out of there way to come down and join me on my first trip back on the river..

The next morning we all got up and had a few cups of coffee and and talked over our trip the day before and some future trips to come. As each one of those guys loaded up and got ready for their trip home every single one of them hugged me and told me that if I ever needed anything to call them no matter what. I watched each one drive off and thought to myself. Life is good and it will only get better. How could go I wrong when I have a bunch of buddies that care about me that much to go that far out of their way to get me back on the river. I gotta be thinking that Mark and James are up there looking down cheering me on too.

Oh yea... I still have my hat.

Fish on my river fishing friends fish on.

Why this quest is so important to me.

The odds of me really catching a world record shoal bass are about the same as winning the lottery and it may never happen but that is not the reason that I keep chasing this dream. Setting this goal for myself gave me a reason to keep going out and doing what I love to do most and enjoying the sites and sounds or our great outdoors. Every time I launch my kayak into the river I escape into a world that most people never get to see. I get to experience the beauty of the natural world that is mostly untouched by man as I drift along with the natural flow of the river. I thank God every time for allowing me to escape the hectic world we live in and just spend a few hours on the river and enjoy the solitude and beauty of this great earth.