Searching for the perfect lure or bait is confusing to say the least. There may be times to just let Mother Nature take over for you in this quest. This is not a lesson in "Match the Hatch" but more of a "I can't believe I caught this on that". My good buddy Rick has a story that he tells over and over when he gets the proper opening. It goes something like this...
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I was fishing with my cousin at a farm pond one evening. My cousin was kinda new to all this but ready to learn. As darkness was moving in I knew the bass should be in a feeding mood. Cast after cast went unrewarded until one of my cousin's flailing attempts went higher than it did further. The trajectory of the lure attracted one of the little brown bats that fluttered about. Getting hooked in mid-air, this creature of the night came down with the weight of the lure. The crash landing, in the water, was more than the normal uncontrolled flight pattern of bats. This left the little bugger, with lure attached, flopping around and squealing quite loudly. The whole incident was unexpected and left my cousin in a panic. He quickly turned to me and said, "What do I do now?". Without hesitation I ordered, GIVE ME THE ROD ! Seconds later a five pound bass hit the bat and was hooked with the entangled lure."
Seems that a pattern has developed that, among other things, always includes an arrant or unintended cast. As is the case in this next little tale...
Some years ago, during the "Spring Crappie Bite" I was being successful with a small jig head tipped with a rubber grub. The Crappies were congregated under the overhanging bushes as they often do when in spawning mode. This made it a requirement to cast precisely at the very edge of the bushes. Well it wasn't long before the inevitable happened. My tiny lure landed a bit further than planned and snagged up in the flora. Now since these lures are pretty much "a dime a dozen" there was no need to move closer to the target to retrieve it. That, of course, would have also spooked the school of procreating fish. So I figured a few quick tugs would either snap the light line or free the lure. The latter being the result with the addition of a leaf that remained attached. The kenetic energy of the line springing back sent the lure with the impaled leaf over my head and twenty feet to the rear of the boat. So, ok I thought, just turn around, reel it in and all is back to normal. Well since the leaf gave the lure a bit of buoyancy it remained on top as I retrieved it. Just about back to the boat is when I saw the Musky following right behind. All I remember from that point is the terrific swirl, the swoosh and the snap of my four pound test monofilament line. Ummm, now what kind of leaf was that?
This last fish story is one of hearsay but worth repeating so here goes...
A lone fisherman on a Canadian lake was watching a black squirrel pick nuts from the very end of a low overhanging branch. The weight of the animal had the weak limb bent and nearly touching the water. To his amazement a large Northern Pike jumps out of the water, snatches the unsuspecting critter and disappears into the depths. The old man is flabbergasted by what just happened. He returns home, calls his buddy and relays the details of the just witnessed event. The following day, on his pals insistance, the man takes his buddy back to show him the scene of the crime. To their astonishment, as they paddle around the corner to view the tree, there is that darn old pike putting more nuts on the end of the branch!
Thanks for reading ... "ONE CAST ... ONE FISH !"
