Post Your Catch

Submitted: May 17th, 2009 by Alex Rock

"THE 12 POUND BASS THAT DIDN'T GET AWAY" Alex Rock, 16, a student at East Henderson High School, stands with a bass he caught at Lake Osceola. By Stefanie Geisler Times-News Staff Writer Published: Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, May 15, 2009 at 8:49 p.m. It was the perfect day for fishing. The sky was slightly overcast and Lake Osceola was still. It was warm, but not quite hot enough to send the fish into hiding. Everything felt just right, and 16-year-old Alex Rock knew just what to do. The sophomore from East Henderson High School waited patiently at the edge of the lake with his Zebco Rhino rod. After two hours of little action, his investment suddenly paid off. He spotted a fish circling near the bank. %u201CI thought it looked big,%u201D Rock said. %u201CBut I didn%u2019t realize how big.%u201D He was using a soft plastic worm for bait. About half an hour after he first saw the fish, it bit. It tugged his line hard, much harder than Rock was used to. He wondered, is this a big catfish? After less than a minute of heavy reeling, he landed his prize. Much to his surprise, it was a giant Florida large-mouth bass. %u201CMy fingers are still cut up from its mouth,%u201D he said, looking down at his hands. %u201CBut I wasn%u2019t going to let it go anywhere.%u201D He caught his trophy bass %u2014 12 pounds, 26½ inches long and 20 inches around %u2014 on May 5. He frantically called his mom, Gina Freeman. %u201CHe said, %u2018I don%u2019t know what to do with it. What do I do with it? Can I put it in the bathtub?%u2019%u201D she recalled with a laugh. Unfortunately Freeman wasn%u2019t close enough to help him handle his prize. She and her husband, Steve Freeman, Rock%u2019s stepfather, were at Polk County High School that afternoon, watching his sister Mariah, 13, compete in a track meet. Freeman hastily told her son the bathtub was not an option; he needed to figure something else out. Rock was on his own. He decided to put the fish on ice. When his family came back that evening, they were shocked when Alex held up his fish to show them. %u201CAlex is always telling us he caught a fish, and it%u2019s always a big fish,%u201D Freeman said. %u201CBut none of us realized how big this fish really was until we pulled into the driveway. We just stood there in awe.%u201D The fish even looked huge in Alex%u2019s big hands. He is just over 6 feet tall. %u201CAlex is a big boy, he%u2019s muscular,%u201D she said. %u201CBut he had a problem holding that fish.%u201D Although Rock said he constantly fishes at the lake, this is definitely his biggest catch. %u201CThere are some decent-sized fish in there, 1/2 pound to 3 pound ones,%u201D he said. %u201CI caught one before that was like 5 pounds. But I never caught one this big.%u201D Preserving the prize The family has sent the bass off to Randy%u2019s Taxidermy for mounting. The fish%u2019s guts will be removed and replaced with Styrofoam %u2014 a process that will be complete as soon as the taxidermist receives a form that is large enough for the fish. It%u2019s the first time Rock has ever had a fish mounted. His mother doubts it will be the last. Once Rock finds a method that works, he sticks to it. That persistence and determination may be important, but Rock admitted there is a very large variable involved: Luck. %u201CIt%u2019s also about being at the right place at the right time,%u201D he said. His love Rock is no stranger to fishing. He snagged his first big one at age 4 in the creek in front of his great-grandfather%u2019s home in Waynesville. His mom still laughs about that first big catch. %u201CHe screamed, it scared him so bad,%u201D she said. %u201CHe ended up dropping the pole in the creek.%u201D Fortunately his mom was on hand. She jumped into the water to chase after the pole %u2014 and the fish. The reward? A 17½ inch brown trout. Rock has been fishing ever since. Although he also enjoys hunting and playing golf, fishing is his main passion. He isn%u2019t quite sure why. %u201CI%u2019d just rather fish,%u201D he said. His mom thinks he could make it as a professional sports fisherman. He fishes every chance he gets. %u201CThis is just what he does. This is his thing,%u201D his mom says. Freeman is also encouraging her son to go into wildlife or forestry after high school since he%u2019s %u201Call about nature.%u201D In the meantime, Rock continues to pursue his passion. After sharing his prize fish tale on a recent afternoon, Rock started putting on his shoes. Four fishing rods waited just outside the front door. %u201CWhere are you going?%u201D his mom asked, even though she already knew the answer. %u201CFishing,%u201D he said. (NOTE: PLEASE, IF MY SON DOESN'T GET TO MEET BILL DANCE...I AM GOING TO GO CRAZY!:-) MOM)

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