Embrace the Pain

October 02, 2025 by Mike

I've noticed some days on the water that I should just be happy with what I caught or the experience that I had and get off the water.  Randy is like that too.  He just was not going to give up.  It didn't matter to him that he got sick or the wave action was only going to get worse as the day went on.  He was there to fish. 

The morning started out great, and the lingcod followed the script.  Mia got a nice blue.  I was waiting patiently for a hook up that I could hand off to one of my eager fishermen.  "Mike, I got bit.  I think she got off"

"That's cool" I  responded, "Reel up check your bait, and then drop it down and catch her.  She's not going anywhere."

"Wait, she's still on."

Randy proceeded to stay cool as a cucumber as the big blue fillet lingcod did another run when it saw the kayak.  Then he expertly netted the ling, and we worked together to put it on the metal stringer.  She was hooked so deep that I had to put my hand and the pliers into her dinosaur like mouth to retrieve the hook.

"Don't worry" Randy advised, "I've got the mouth pried open with the stringer."

Things were great, and then Randy turned green.  I  know this feeling because I've got so sick outside the breakwater that I have to puke and reel at the same time.  So that's what happened to our fisherman as well.  Not one complaint.  He just kept on fishing and fishing and paddling and paddling.  Dang, it was impressive.  I think he just decided to embrace the pain.  Maybe he was looking for number two lingcod or some fishermen just like to fish so much that they stay out on the water.  Whatever the reason, Finally Mia's like, "We're good, let's go in."  It took both of us to pretty much drag him out of the water.  I think he would have fished for hours more.  

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