Mike Giles with a Lunker bass caught on Lake Whittington.

A group of doves suddenly dropped from the sky and dipped, darted and soared by my position in close range.

Boom, boom, boom! Shotguns blazed and yet another fall dove opener had begun in earnest. The dove hunting activity kept on going with shotguns blasting all afternoon as the doves were descending on the hunters in droves.

Wham! Suddenly a bass nailed the shad-colored crankbait as the lure darted off of a stump and he almost tore the rod from my hands. It was all I could do to hang on to the rod during the initial impact and subsequent torpedo dive down toward the depths.

Yes, the doves were swarming a field about a quarter mile from the lake where I was fishing, and they were obviously burning powder as the shots rang out and lead rained down.

It had been quite some time since I’d been to a dove hunt like that one. This time I’d traded my shotgun for a Bass Pro Shops Crankin’ stick and Johnny Morris Platinum Series reel and I was having a ball hunting for bass and then catching them.

It had been a hectic week and I needed to escape the hustle and bustle of work, so I did what I had to do to seek relief. I went fun fishing. It didn’t matter what they were or how many I caught. As long as they struck my lures, I was happy and strike them they did all afternoon.

My last-minute trip was more about sharing time on the water with a good friend and catching a few bass at the same time.

Though the thunderstorms had kept the temperature down the water was still hot and you had to hunt to find the bass and then coax a lure in front of them to get bit. I picked up a bass or two on a small crankbait and my fishing buddy caught a few as well.

We worked plastic worms in brush tops, adjacent to shorelines and grass patches and enticed a few strikes along the way which was enough to satisfy us after a long hot summer.

Have you ever had a tension headache or back ache? If you have then you know what I’d been through in the days leading up to our trip. Computer work is not conducive for stress relief rather it sends pain up your back, shoulders and neck areas if you stay in a chair too long.

Now some people might take a Tylenol, Ibuprofen, BC powder or, take a nip of something stronger. On the other hand my favorite stress reliever doesn’t cost a dime but just a little time and we all have that. On this late afternoon trip to the water my tension just melted away and my mood soared. It’s amazing how catching and releasing fish can do that for you.

Before I knew what had happened my stress and tension were a million miles away. The shotguns continued to roar until dark and it stopped cold.

They must have stopped hunting we thought aloud. Suddenly the shad flittered on the surface and a bass exploded through them sending a spray of shad and water onto the banks. I pitched a 6-inch Bass Pro Shops worm near the brush top and worked it through the limbs until it fell off the edge and dropped straight down.

Tic-Boom! I felt the telltale strike of a bass and my line went limp, so I reeled in the slack and jacked the bass’s jaw. The enraged sow bass exploded through the surfaces and splashed water all over the boat as it sailed by on his way to the open water. After several dives and circles around the boat I finally landed the bass and took a couple of pictures, and our day was done.

Though I’d not shot a single dove I had enjoyed an action-packed afternoon filed with shotguns blasting nearby and bass exploding on my lures.

Ah yes, fall is a time of choices and action-packed trips. So much to do but so little time. Carpe Diem!

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comast.net.