May 22, 2013

I’ll tell you what: there was some fun had this weekend by a lot of kids in Jeff Davis County. It was a sight to see the youngun’s trying to bait a hook, cast a line and haul in a fat foot-long-or-more-sized catfish.

Most kids seemed to be using either worms or crickets for bait. One young girl said she fishes all the time and baiting her own hook was no big deal, but one little boy did not want anything to do with a worm. His daddy was determined to teach his son that worms are just a part of fishing life. “Come on now, you can do it.”

I learned quickly the little whippersnappers do not look where they cast their line. They were swinging poles every which way, with hooks flying dangerously through the air. Not a care in the world for me standing behind them trying to take a picture.

Every time you turned around a kid was screaming about another catch. “I got one,” said one little tyke who looked to be about five years old. By the time his dad helped get it on the pier, little tyke himself was running away from the big lake monster. Not interested one bit in his catch!

Next week, in the May 29th edition of The Headlight, you will be able to see all that happens in these historic opening days of Lake Jeff Davis in a special pullout section. Be sure to get a copy.

Finally, a word of advice. Come to the lake prepared and packed with all your supplies in tow. The bait shop will not be open. Supplies and snacks will not be available for sale.

A guy named Turkey Lucas said on Saturday that he estimates an opening date of September for the bait shop that will be located in the building just outside the lake entrance.

Here’s what happened: the County owns the tin building at the lake entrance and leased it to Lucas for $200 a month. Instead of paying actual cash money for the rent and because the building needs work, it was agreed he could work off the rent by renovating the building.

As usual in government, the drafting of the details of the agreement took longer than expected and here we are on opening day in May and there’s no bait shop and no place to get a soda or a pack of nabs or even a cardboard container of crickets.

Lucas said on Saturday there’s a lot of work to be done and it can’t be helped. It’s really too bad, but tno matter. It’s going to be a great summer anyway.

So, get all your supplies and food or snacks before you leave home or town, and even if you’re not a fisher or a camper or a cyclist, take a drive to the lake and enjoy the jewel of Jeff Davis County.