Eight

The last three days had been long ones for Eddy. He was fishing from daylight until dusk and studying maps until he couldn't keep his eyes open. He continued to look after the livestock in the mornings, but he woke up early enough to be finished and out the door before five o'clock.

Last night was a bit different, he went to sleep early to ensure he was fully rested for the tournament. Unfortunately, the anxiety and excitement of the next day made his sleep light and fitful, waking up several times through the night. He felt good when his alarm went off in spite of the poor night of sleep. He ate breakfast with his parents and put a light lunch in his fishing cooler. The rest of his gear had been prepared the night before, waiting for him in the bed of the truck.

Eddy arrived an hour early to the tournament check-in and wasn't surprised to find the area bustling with activity. Booths were erected near the boat launch for vendors and sponsors. A set of tables for the check-in and weigh-in sat in front of Lucky's. Food trucks were lined up on the side of the road getting ready for a big day of business. This block of downtown had basically transformed into a carnival.

The check-in process was quick and easy. Eddy was assigned a participant ID number and given a bag of tackle and equipment donated by sponsors. He looked past the flashy lures and artificial baits, but found a pack of high quality fishing hooks and rod holder. Though a lot of the items were things he'd never used, at least there were a couple of practical items.

A brief announcement took place at 7:00 after most people had been checked in and given their ID. The tournament would last twelve hours, and all contestants must be back for weigh-in by 7:00pm. As was the case every year, the highest combined weight of five fish would be the winner. Any species of fish would qualify. All fish to be weighed must be presented alive. An additional prize pool was available for the heaviest individual fish.

At that point, anglers scattered to their chosen locations - many in boats, but an equal number took to fishing the bank of the river. Eddy drove off to the furthest location that he had mapped, figuring there would be fewer contestants to compete with. His instinct proved to be correct, he had the area to himself. Boats cruised up and down the river in search of fish, but they paid him no attention.

Sitting on the cooler, Eddy drove his new rod holder into the mud in front of him. He hooked a massive nightcrawler and cast as far as he could. The rod was secure in the holder, which gave Eddy some peace of mind. He recalled the first carp he'd hooked and how it nearly pulled his pole out of his hands and into the water. Next, he began the most difficult part of fishing: he waited.

Fifteen minutes passed without as much as a nibble. He would normally wait at least half an hour to reposition his bait, but time was tight and he wanted to get the ball rolling. He forced himself to wait another five minutes. When he could no longer control himself, he picked up the rod and slowly reeled it in.

When the slack had been reeled up, he encountered resistance. "Great, a snag. What a way to start a tournament," Eddy thought. "At least I have some new hooks if this one breaks off."

The "snag" suddenly darted away, peeling line off the reel at an alarming rate. His heart jumped into his throat when he realized he'd actually hooked a fish. He likely didn't notice the subtle take of the bait since the rod was in the holder instead of his hands. He tightened the drag on his reel slightly, adding pressure to the fish. He was careful not to crank it up too high, as that would increase the chance would break the line.

This fight was the longest and most difficult that he could remember. The fish was lazy when it took the bait, but now it simply refused to give an inch. Eddy would reel in a few feet of line only to have it stripped out again by the beast on the hook. He kept a bend in the rod and tried his best to steer the fish away from fallen logs, brush, and rocks. Getting tangled in a mess like that would almost definitely lead to the line breaking.

Twenty minutes passed while Eddy fought against the giant fish. At long last, he had brought it to the bank. The fish was an absolutely massive bull carp - easily 35 pounds. He had to get waist-deep in the water to haul it out successfully, but eventually the fish was secured in his cooler. The cooler was, of course, filled with river water and functioning as a livewell for today's tournament. The carp barely fit inside.