by Royce Jordan
I recall a few years back when I was strolling through the isles of an outdoor expo, marveling at some of the recent developments of the fishing industry. An extremely well outfitted group of $80 grand plus bass rigs were displayed, all fitted with an assortment of high dollar rod and reels, graphs, and tackle that were set into trailers that all but loaded the rigs by themselves.
It was a sight to behold!
The marina outfit had a “spokesman”, or I reckon a “salesman” going up and down the line explaining how important and necessary it was for any “serious” fisherman to set forth their goal in life to obtain one of these rigs and accoutrements, or life would not be worth living. He insisted if you want to catch fish, you must listen and take his advice.
What a bunch of horse dump!!!
I can tell you in spite of the bloviated babble of some of our modern “experts”, this ain’t right. In the immortal words of a buddy of mine, Tony Foster, “just make it light on yourself”. Stop worrying about keeping up with the Jones’, grab a rod and just go fish!
As far back as I can remember, I’ve explained in my previous writings how my Dad took my brother and I hunting and fishing. The trips were never elaborate or overly expensive to my knowledge. The frequent fishing excursions entailed simple rod and reel or cane pole riggings, using live bait such as worms, crickets, minnows, frogs, crawfish, and grubs we found or caught. Dad taught my brother and I early to locate and gather our fish bait before the simplicity of heading to a bait shop. We would dig or rub sticks for earthworms, which is cool for a little kid. Just find an area for likely worms, place a long, solid stick in the ground, then rub another stick quickly up and down that planted stick to make vibrations on the surrounding ground. It’s fascinating to watch earthworms slide out of the ground due to the vibration.
Old fallen, dead trees would always harbor grub worms, and an old screen minnow trap with a piece of bread would fill a bait bucket. Also, let’s not forget the larva in a red wasp nest, if you’re froggy enough to harvest them. This can be a bit tricky, and I’ve run like a scalded ape trying to clear area of an aggravated wasp swarm ‘cause I didn’t do it right. You’re supposed to light a rag on the end of a cane pole and pass it under the nest. “Most of the time”, it works great…
Back in the late 60’s Dad procured an 8-foot flat bottom tin boat that he would load up in the trunk of his Chevy Bel Air, and along with my brother LW and me, we would head to Lake Palestine to try our luck. He would paddle that boat around while me and LW would fill a basket full of bream, crappie, bass and catfish. I remember watching some really big bass rigs try to ease in the areas Dad would slip us into, but they could not get close. I remember my brother caught a HUGE bass in front of about 4 different rigs, and we could hear one of the operators gripe he’s got thousands wrapped up in his rig, and that kid is showing us up with a flat bottom and Zebco.
Dad just had that look on his face of preparing to school somebody wanting to argue with him about something he knows quite a bit about.
About the turn of the 70’s, Dad lined out a share of a club lake north of Lindale that had an ancient cabin and boathouse. The place was a snake factory, but contained unbelievable small game and fishing opportunities for grade school youngins who wished to expand their education.
Now, this story is about fishing, so hunting escapades will have to follow in future follow-ups.
Club lake was just under 50 acres and taught us efficiency, just how little was required to obtain goals you set for harvesting fish for food and feast.
Dad taught us the proper set ups to place and run trot lines with little effort, and we used that tin boat with ease, baiting hooks and harvesting catfish of all sizes. Some of the cats being HUGE, big enough to burn diesel fuel or eat a small child…
We utilized old V-bottomed wooden boats that had been at the lake for about a “hundred” years that still floated, and geared them up with the old Johnson and Montgomery Wards 3 horse motors to ease around in for bass fishing.
We had a great time learning the benefits of drift fishing for crappie. This is such a hard thing to explain. You go up wind across the lake, and drift slowly to the other side. You let about a length of line from your reel with minnows or artificial lures like jigs or small spinners, and hang on to your butt. Put out several lines while drifting and the word “excitement” don’t cover it. If you’ve never tackled 3 big crappie on three different lines at one time, then your missing out on an experience that can only be described as “Oh Yeah”.
The piers and old community boat houses were another aspect of fishing that required little expenditure other than patience. Easing through the old boat houses were usually a challenge due to snakes. In the daylight you could see and make out a water snake (as they had an annoying tendency to get into our fish baskets), and send them away. Mr. Cottonmouth on the other hand, the pit viper water moccasin, was a different story. These vipers were poisonous, mean, stunk to high heaven, and best dispatched when the chance arose. Night time fishing made this a no brainer. If a snake was present, find another boat stall. Our Momma would be as nervous acting as a bowl of Jello at the thought of LW and me “gallavanting” up and down the banks of the lake, and Dad would somewhat reassure her … ”you gotta let ‘em be boys and men, Hon”.
Pier fishing is just that, drop the line and wait. Some folks don’t have that kind of patience. That’s fine, you “gotta” do you, and there is no right or wrong for that. But having a few buds around, telling stories, having a few beverages and catching a few fish is quite relaxing.
I’ve watched current Bass Pros going at it in tournaments that is apparently as high stress as going through a competition shoot house. They have to qualify, stay in the rankings, and make the purse. That’s a JOB boys and girls, and these folks make a living at it for them and their families, or starve.
For those not inclined to make a living fishing, lets get back to making it light on yourself.
I’ve spent a good deal of my last several years fishing from banks and piers. I’m like many other folks I know, and everybody has their own personal preference of what fish they prefer to set out after. My favorite fish to harvest and consume are catfish, crappie and trout. I love bass and bream/perch fishing, but I enjoy eating my above three, and in that order.
My brother, LW, loves bass fishing, using an old boat and trolling motor. In the most unhurried, easy going, non-effort made process I’ve ever seen, hooks and lands some of the biggest bass out there, like a “bass whisperer”. I’ve been with him catching “barn door” size crappie one after another. Nothing extravagant, just casting simple spinning rigs with jigs and minnows.
I’ve continued my enjoyment for battling big blue cats and trout. Patience is the key, and it is non-stressful. Do not let anyone tell you that you have to do this or that to effectively fish for these creatures, and don’t listen to criticism on the technique you happen to be using. I could care less for criticism from someone I wouldn’t take advise from anyway.
Whisker fishes, in the normal setting, prefer a calmer environment to study a meal prior to a strike. On the piers it usually means allowing time after you sink your bait to allow the fish to study what it has its eyes or smell locked onto. I’ve used a variety of baits and all work well at different times. I prefer using shrimp for convenience, but chicken wienies do well, as well as various stink bait concoctions. I use an old Speed Stick rod and Ambassador 5500 spun with 100 lb black trot line cord, and a solid 1/O stainless steel hook.
Always keep a 15- 20 inch fish dip net handy, as a 10 lb plus blue cat won’t forgive any mistake you make while you go to land ‘em.
I do a little traveling for trout, either Oklahoma or Arkansas, but neither are too far out of the way. I always see an abundance of sport fisherman with traditional fly-fishing rigs catching and releasing, and fly fishing is a blast. However, this is a subject for later article or another author as this technique can require a little practice, and it can get as expensive as you want or can afford. Some folks frown on anyone trout fishing with anything other than traditional fly equipment. The way I see this, I’m way more interested in how my life feels to me than how it looks to someone who’s opinions don’t matter.
I eat trout, and I release what is too small in my opinion to harvest. I want fish big enough to put some stink in the skillet grease and if they aren’t big enough for that the go back to the water to get bigger.
The areas I fish allow live bait, and I prefer salmon eggs in the swift waters with a long leader to a smaller weight. I use barbless hooks and prepare to break off and tie new lines quite often. Keep in mind this can be frustrating, but only if you let it get the best of you, and that isn’t the objective here. I carry a good trout net to land these better fish as a 20 inch Rainbow can be a handful to pull from the water. Watching someone trying to handle a trout out of the water with their bare hands is a price worth admission.
By the way…if you go to Oklahoma several times a year to fish, it can be much cheaper to purchase a year-long out of State fishing license.
One of the most entertaining fish to go after from the banks or piers is the bream. Bluegill, long ear, goggle eye, red ear, copper nose, punkinseed … all these “panfish” have one thing in common; pound for pound, they are the “fightenist” little boogers you ever tied into. Talk about an inexpensive treat to break in any child to the wonderful world of fishing, bream are the perfect introduction for this endeavor. They bite at any and everything, and can be annoying if you have your sights on any larger fish, because they steal your bait too easily. When you tie into some bream that are the size of your palm or bigger, they are quite a meal.
Once you have an opportunity to enjoy an inexpensive, relaxing, and fulfilling fishing excursion, you can give some first-hand knowledge to the so-called “expert” you just listened to. You may just want to provide them a bit of observation. They are very passionate for someone this misinformed and , per chance, come on back around when the facts are invited.
