richg99
Well-known member
Yesterday, I was committed to taking a golfing friend and his grandson out. It seems that last year when his then 9-year-old grandson came to visit, they couldn't buy a bite off of our free, designated, fishing pier. The pier isn't really set up for catching as there is little structure near the end, where all the fishing must be pursued.
I thought that with some small red worms, some small hooks, and a light bobber that we could catch a dozen bream/bluegills. Much to my dismay, we watched the bluegills swim right by our worms. I went and bought another package of what appeared to be really fresh wriggly worms, and we still couldn't buy a bite. I was using 4 lb test line and a #8 hook. I was threading just a portion of the worm on the hook, as I learned 70 years ago. Nothing worked.
After nearly an hour, we moved to another spot where I knew plenty of bream and even some catfish hung out. The youngster finally caught a couple of tiny bluegills.
There were three 20/25 inch catfish swimming around. I had purchased some Stink Bait at Walmart and cast that in the area. But, the stink bait fell off of the hook about as fast as it hit the water. So, no real shot at the catfish.
He was feeling the heat and wanted to head back in. I suspect that, if we had him on fish for an hour or so, the sun wouldn't have bothered him very much at all.
What I learned from this venture was to be far better prepared than I was. I thought catching those bream would be like falling off of a log. It wasn't.
I went back to the same spot this morning, at just about the same time. I did mess around with the catfish bait and added some tiny portions of rope to give it more body. Sure enough, ten minutes and one cast later, I had a nice 24-inch cat in the boat. But, my friend and his grandson were long gone. Never again will I not pay more attention to the challenge at hand.
It is fishing, not catching, every day!
rich
I thought that with some small red worms, some small hooks, and a light bobber that we could catch a dozen bream/bluegills. Much to my dismay, we watched the bluegills swim right by our worms. I went and bought another package of what appeared to be really fresh wriggly worms, and we still couldn't buy a bite. I was using 4 lb test line and a #8 hook. I was threading just a portion of the worm on the hook, as I learned 70 years ago. Nothing worked.
After nearly an hour, we moved to another spot where I knew plenty of bream and even some catfish hung out. The youngster finally caught a couple of tiny bluegills.
There were three 20/25 inch catfish swimming around. I had purchased some Stink Bait at Walmart and cast that in the area. But, the stink bait fell off of the hook about as fast as it hit the water. So, no real shot at the catfish.
He was feeling the heat and wanted to head back in. I suspect that, if we had him on fish for an hour or so, the sun wouldn't have bothered him very much at all.
What I learned from this venture was to be far better prepared than I was. I thought catching those bream would be like falling off of a log. It wasn't.
I went back to the same spot this morning, at just about the same time. I did mess around with the catfish bait and added some tiny portions of rope to give it more body. Sure enough, ten minutes and one cast later, I had a nice 24-inch cat in the boat. But, my friend and his grandson were long gone. Never again will I not pay more attention to the challenge at hand.
It is fishing, not catching, every day!
rich