First Fish since last September

May 8, 2008. Sixth time fishing. Back to Maynard Lake, in Munster. I wanted to learn how to cast with my baitcasting outfit from Bass Pro Shop. Practiced all week, in the back yard. Constantly getting the dreaded birds-nest tangle. But I took my spinning reel outfit, so that if I gave up on the baitcast, I could still fish. Surprised to find 2 little groups of other anglers already at it. Temperature was around 50 degrees, and very windy. After several mishaps, like 4 horrible birds-nest tangles (which I untangled using my trusty toothpick), I finally made a few good casts. Then I picked up my tackle box, which I hadn't closed properly, and everything fell out on the deck. After picking up tiny lead weights, hooks, and lures, I moved to another spot. Here I hooked my thumb and finger while trying to tie a tiny knot in gale-force winds. The sun was going down, and I went back to my car for my cell phone. The last guy was leaving, and he said that they were catching fish in the cove by the north-west part of the lake. He said they had caught 4 fish, including a 16". So, I wandered over to this cove, and started fishing again. Around 7:45, I caught about a 12" Large Mouth! I was using my spinning reel, with a weedless minnow spoon on it. I had flattened out the barb on this lure because I was fishing catch-and-release. Suddenly, this fish hit it, and what a great feeling. Heart pounding, legs shaky, rod-bending, what-do-I-do-now feelings. I lugged him up, grabbed him on the lower lip, easily removed the lure, held him up sideways like they do on TV, and then gently lowered him tail down back into the lake! Whis is the first fish that I have caught by myself, with no one to ask for help! It was great!