Bass Fishing+Megan-Style= Merriness

On Saturday Tyler convinced me to go bass fishing with him at Bruneau State Park. There is a glorified pond there where Tyler and his friend Johnny Wiest catch GOBS of bass. Just last week Tyler caught 48 fish there in about 6 1/2 hours. Crazy. 
Tyler has been fishing there with Johnny since we moved out to Idaho and he LOVES it. It's one of his favorite summer things to do. Apparently, it was so fun that Tyler really wanted me to go along at least once to experience it. So I went.
Now, in case any of you have never gone bass fishing in the way that my hubby does, I feel like this deserves some explanation. First off, you don't fish from a dock. Oh, no. That would be too simple. You go out into the water in a float tube. (Possible problem number one for me.) And of course, the objective is to catch fish while you are in said float tube. (Possible problem number two for me.) Thankfully, my husband likes to be prepared and gave me a little "casting tutorial" in the backyard. It went something like this:
Tyler: "Ok, now that I've shown you how to cast, try casting into Everett's pool." (No worries, Everett was not in the pool...not like it would have mattered.)
I fumble with the line, finally get a hold of it between my finger and the pole like I've been shown, I bring the rod back, I fling it forward...and I watch as the line sails forward flinging my bait into the sliding glass door of our house...approximately 10 feet behind Everett's pool. Success. Tutorial terminated. Now to catch me a bass. 
We arrive at Bruneau and begin unloading the truck. Little did I know how much actually goes into bass fishing. Oh, how little. I am instructed to don the waders. Chest waders that is. Haha.  I am told to make sure to stay on my flip flops with the waders on so as not to ruin the feet on the waders. Easier said than done. After maneuvering around the bank for a little bit I was directed to put on my flippers. I did so and realized with one or two kicks I would be donating these flippers to the fish if not tightened. Tyler helped me tighten them and then I was told to get into the tube. Walking backwards, so as not to trip myself with the flippers, I waded into the pond carefully and eased myself into the float tube. So far, so good. Tyler told me to go out a little ways and wait for him there until he got all set up himself. Looking around I realized that I am sitting in a LOT of brownish-green water with lots of weeds. But I'm not sinking- that's all that matters. Tyler finally joins me and we begin to go across the pond to one of Tyler's favorite spots.  We begin fishing and in a short amount of time, Tyler is reeling one in.  I try to remember my "training" as I cast. I am excited and yet terrified about catching a bass. (They wiggle and are gross, you know.) Sure enough, I have a bite. I yank up on the fishing pole and reel like crazy. Oh...and I'm screaming and kicking like mad. I don't know what came over me--but that type of behavior seemed appropriate at the time. After I get the bass somewhat close to my float tube I realize with trepidation that I can't catch another fish until I get this googley-eyed fish off my hook. GROSS. Not happening. It took a while, but I kicked my way over to Tyler's float tube and let him do the nasty work. And actually, that's what I did for all 10 bass that I caught. I did at one point try to get the fish off the hook by myself. You have to stick your thumb in their bottom lip and hold tight while you undo the hook with your other hand. I got as far has having my thumb in the fish's mouth, but I SWEAR it licked me! That was the end of that!
All in all, I really enjoyed the fishing trip. I got to experience what Tyler enjoys doing and I even got to enjoy it with him. My only complaint (in all seriousness) is that there isn't a cup holder in the float tube to hold my Mountain Dew! :)