Well, that's not exactly right, one person calls me Rocky! I've been hangn' around the lower Meramec River for 2 years now. It's been pretty tuff too, ya know?
It's either high water keepn' me at home or huntn' dogs that should be!! But ya know what? When ya least expect something, it happens!
I started noticing this flat bottom boat with headlights goin' up and down the river at nite! Started watchn' where he went. First one catfish hole, then another. Thot to myself, bet that guy's got some shad! Sorta made me hungry, while I'm scrapn' for mussels!
Then one nite it all came together. He pulls up to the bank, throws out his lines--------I was watchn'! When everything got real quiet, I slipped outa tha weeds and ya know what? As if he was expecting me, something magical happened! He started calln' me Rocky and all of a sudden, SHAD, SHAD, more SHAD, all over the bank, in front of me! BONANZA!! Great!! Forget about catfishn', give 'em to me!!
That guy was a true friend. I think he would have givn' "me" his last shad. It's '98 now, and I haven't seen my buddy. Hope he's OK and will come visit me. I'm still here, watchn' in the grass, for the flat bottom with headlights. He'll show up one of these nites, I know!
Well, Rocky! I haven't forgot about ya. I've been thinkn' about you all summer.
My birthday is Saturday and I was asked what I wanted to do. My answer was to go to the river and look for you, Rocky! It'll sure make my "day" if I can find ya!
So you be watchn' in the weeds, Rocky, for that flat bottom with headlites to come down the river! I'll pull up on that same bank lookn' for ya. And guess what? I bet I'll have another bucket of SHAD!
But Rocky, a sweet friend of mine is also concerned about ya! So if she is with me I don't want ya to be nervous. She thinks as much of ya as I do. She just gets a little "up tite" when ya climb into my flat bottom. Take it slowly and she will be ok. My only word of caution,Rocky, leave her purse alone, ok?
You're not goin' to believe what I'm gettn'ready to tell ya!
Saturday nite I was in my usual spot, just watchn' the river, ya know? Pontoon boats were cruisn' around, makn' alot of waves on the bank. I was gettn' ready to go home, because all those waves make it hard for me to find mussels.
Then I saw it!! The flat-bottom with headlites was coming down the river. Could it be my buddy? It pulled up in the usual spot and stopped. I could hear them talkn, and I heard Rocky!! YES! It "IS" my buddy!! I just sat there for a little while, watchn'. Then a spot-lite came on pointing up and down the bank, then all of a sudden---it was on me! WOW, that's my clue! I came down the bank and there they were. SHAD everywhere! I almost climbed into the boat but thot--no--I'm going to wait till they come back again! Don't want to mess up a beautiful thing.
I'm really goin' to be watchn' for the rest of the summer. They'll be back again!
Rocky, you've been actn' real cautious here lately! The other night, ya made it very obvious. WOW! You've got three babies!! They're so cute and I will do everything I can to protect them!! Ya taught them well, Rocky, they sure like shad! Thank ya, Rocky, for giving us so much pleasure with your little family. We'll never forget about ya!
C'mon upstairs, for just a minute!
Watch your step!
