The Fishing Trip

The fishing trip has been planned for several weeks and the anticipation is growing harder to handle for the young angler. Several weeks may not seem like a long time to a seasoned angler but to a four-year-old several weeks is an eternity. Every morning the questions start about when the weather and water will warm enough to encourage the fish to become eager to entertain a young boy. A two-hour fishing trip to a farm pond can be an insignificant event to an older angler but for the youngster it is similar to an exotic trip to a far away land.

This particular destination is only a 25-mile drive from home for the young angler but the small pond is filled with pan fish and bass that create nonstop action. The fish are eager to eat anything from live bait to almost any artificial offering. The bass are always willing to explode on small topwater offerings and provide acrobatic displays once hooked. The visual excitement of watching a topwater offering and the bass’ willingness to display themselves in such fashion create an exciting outing for any youngster.

This excitement will not hold the attention of a four year old for long. However, the outing is nowhere close to over once the angler’s interest starts to fade. The area is full of open fields and forestland along with two ponds. Walks through the fields and forest are an adventure in themselves. Short walks through the woods provide the sounds of last fall’s leaves crunching beneath little shoes and one sweeping motion of a tiny foot opens up an opportunity to explore the many insects that call the forest home.

The blooming plants provide many colors to explore and an opportunity to pick some wild flowers to present to Mom upon returning home. Some can be identified when discovered while some samples are taken home for further examination and identification. The wild Violets, Dogwood and Red Bud Trees provide wonderful colors in a wooded area still quite thin in vegetation. Stopping to smell them excites the nose and indicates that Mother Nature is coming back to life.

Finding a fallen tree branch provides the youngster a toy as well as a walking stick while on the forest adventure. The toy reminds me of times when toys were simple and did not create entertainment without some imagination. Rocks, another readily available toy, are an excellent choice for the child to ward off the creatures lurking just over the next hill. Any natural noise heard while on the adventure becomes a potential enemy to be dealt with and the sticks and rocks make great tools for this job at hand.

Leaving the shaded cover of the trees create a transition of interesting animals including horses, cattle and one lonely mule. The livestock are huge animals in the eyes of the youngster who just minutes ago were the world’s best angler at the nearby pond. The first question will be “can we ride them?” The next is “can we pet them? Finding that the huge horses are quite gentle and friendly, and like the attention eases some of the uncertainty during the first moments of their discovery. Once the petting has been done we now have several new friends willing to follow us through the field during the next step in this adventure.

With still some uncertainty about the large animals that have just befriended us, the youngster regularly looks over his shoulder keeping a close watch on the horses. Proud of his newly established friendship and not wanting them to lose interest in following us, he is still wondering about their motive for wanting to follow so closely. He does not yet understand that these animals are just a curious about him as he is of them.

We near the pond again where our fishing gear is leaning against a tree waiting for our return. One more attempt to make the water’s surface erupt with excitement is a success. Another eager bass explodes on the topwater presentation offered by the young boy and he again is the world’s greatest angler. His attention is beginning to fade once again and it is time to gather our belongings and embark on a journey home so he can share the fresh picked flowers and the story of him once again confirming his ability as a great angler.

While this short adventure into the outdoors may seem insignificant for some it is one not forgotten by the boy. It is part of the building process that will create a life-long love of the great outdoors. All of the boy’s senses have been subjected to some sort of stimuli and he has had the opportunity to use his imagination. These sorts of situations do not often occur while inside a building, and if they do, certainly not to this degree.

Customize Jerkbaits

New article on how to customize jerkbaits by Table Rock Lake Guide, Chris Tetrick now available on Bass Fishing Midwest

The Defining Moment of an Angler

Most avid anglers can recall a moment in their life when the interest in fishing escalated to more than just a way to pass time. This moment usually takes place over a full fishing season and not just a few seconds of time one day on the water. This moment for me happened at the age of six years.

While growing up in Southeast Missouri I was fortunate to have lived within walking distance of a stream that held eager panfish. Also, a resourceful mother who encouraged my love of the outdoors. Digging worms for bait was my favorite fishing technique and our yard was full of back-filled holes to prove it. Many times during the dry summer the ground had the texture of sandstone. This made digging difficult for a skinny kid that didn’t weigh much more than the shovel.  When faced with this situation mom would give me a couple slices of bread or bacon to supplement my lack of live bait.

Fishing equipment was simple and designed by my mother who was a great outfitter when resources ran low. I would choose a stick that met my standards for a fishing rod and she somehow always came up with a good length of line and some sort of hook. At times mom would fashion a safety pin as a hook and a small length of stick tied onto the line made a great bobber. She would wish me luck and send me on my way. This was back during a time when parents didn’t have to worry about someone running off with their kids and it was perfectly acceptable for a neighbor lady to discipline a kid that she felt needed it.

During these adventures I would be gone for hours catching fish and playing in the creek. This creek was not anything big or dangerous. There was not to many places that an adult could not step across it with much trouble. However, to a seven year old kid it might as well been one of the Great Lakes. It did have a couple of waterfalls, areas of flat limestone where the water fell almost 18 inches into the next pool. This was a waterfall to a kid and the lower pool was a great place to catch huge four-inch panfish.

Fishing until dark, or until the bait ran out, was a standard practice. Many times as dark approached I would wedge my “fishing rod” in a secure place in hopes of having caught a fish upon my return the next day. Looking back I now realize this is why a store bought fishing rig was out of the question for me. If my fishing rod survived the night without being pulled into the water I often found a fish attached to the end of the line. However, many times it was gone the next morning and I often wondered about the record sized fish that was required to dislodge my gear.

The next year my family moved to an urban area and left the creek behind but my love of fishing just grew more intense. I was blessed with neighborhood ponds for many years after the move and a bicycle to haul all of my gear. Bicycle handlebars make great rod holders but one must be careful when passing nearby trees and mailboxes because the rod was much wider than the bicycle. Equipment damage and bodily harm could always be found just one mailbox away.

My mother always provided the resources for the essentials to chase fish and encouraged me to spend time outdoors. There is not doubt in my mind her intentions were genuine in encouraging outdoor activities but I am sure she enjoyed some peace and quite time at home while I was fishing.

A lot has changed in the almost forty years that have passed since my “defining moment”. My equipment choices have become more high-tech but the basics remain the same. Spending time fishing is more about the experience than anything else.  If I had to give up all of the new equipment and use that old stick with a safety pin hook I would still go fishing at every opportunity.

For Fishing Tackle please visit Midwest Fishing Tackle and for more Bass Fishing Information please visit Bass Fishing Midwest

Gambler KO Hangover Skirt

Gambler Lures has recently introduced a new product called the Gambler KO Hangover Skirt. This new skirt allow anglers to make any soft plastic a weedless jig. The new skirt has a unique ring that allows the skirt layers to be tied to it. This creates a jig skirt that slides on the line above any Texas Rigged soft plastic lure.

Anglers can then "peg" a sinker above the skirt holding the entire rig together. The key is the skirt's ability to be placed above the bait and below the sinker. There are many techniques to peg a sinker including the Gambler Ratt'lin Florida Rig Goop Weight.

For our illustration we used a bullet type slip sinker. The pegging was done with a line threader and living rubber skirt material. However, the Ratt'lin Florida Rig Goop Weight makes the process much easier. This weight has a soft material already made into the center of the weight and the line is threaded through the center with a line threader. Thus eliminating the need for the living rubber skirt material.

This first photo shows the items we used for rigging this new product. They include a Gambler KO Hangover Skirt, Gambler Paddle Tail Worm, worm hook, bullet sinker, line threader and two strands of living rubber skirt material.



This second photo shows the rig almost completed. The steps to get to this point included sliding the bullet sinker onto the line, sliding the Gambler KO Hangover Skirt below the sinker and tying the worm hook onto the line. The Paddle Tail worm was then Texas Rigged onto the hook. Once these steps were complete the line threader was inserted into the sinker opening and used to pull the living rubber skirt material through the center of the sinker. The excess skirt material is shown protruding from the sinker and needs to be trimmed off.



This last photo shows the rig completed. With the sinker pegged on top of the skirt and the skirt resting on top of the worm the rig becomes a truly weedless jig. It is ideal for using in heavy weed and brush cover. These skirts are available at Midwest Fishing Tackle. We will be adding the Gambler Goop Weight soon. For a complete line of Gambler Lure Products visit Gambler-Bang.com

Bass Angler Does Some Surf Casting

The low tide made for some very calm surf on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. Surfcasting was quite enjoyable and wading into the water without getting pounded by the waves added to the pleasure. Because I have little knowledge of this type of fishing I chose a simple rig. A silver spoon provided a compact yet heavy lure and made the presentation quite easy.

The fish were plentiful and I was able to catch several each time out. However, identifying the species was difficult for me due to my lack of knowledge. Since all of my catch was released knowing the length limits for the fish was not of any concern. All of my fishing was being done on the beach where there were condominium buildings side by side as far as I could see. Most of the residents were retired people and when not fishing themselves, they enjoyed watching others including me.

One afternoon I was blessed with several fish hooking up with my spoon and my lack of ability to identify them is what caused an issue. Walking down the beach was a lady who happened by about the time I hooked a good fish so she stopped to watch the ensuing battle of angler and fish. Once I subdued the fish and released it within her plain sight she proceeded to give me a lesson on fish identification.

To someone with my lack of knowledge a Carvelle Jack looks identical to a Pompano. The Pompano is regarded as one of the best tasting fish while the Jack is one of the worst. The one sided conversation with the lady on the beach made it perfectly clear to me that she could tell the difference. She wanted the fish for a meal and was forced to watch it swim away after I released it.

She used some words to describe my stupidity that I would never use in the presence of my mother and they are of similar age. In a very detailed manner she informed me how to tell the difference of the two species and where she lived so I could save for her any further Pompano caught. Also, she gave me specific instructions not to attempt to clean the fish as she had her own favorite technique and didn’t want me “messing up the fish”.

What she didn’t realize was there was no way I was going to save any of the Pompano for her because she had scared me with her behavior. I did not dare approach her home as fear of doing something “stupid” may put her over the edge and there would be no witnesses to my death, near or in her home. I did, however, watch closely the people walking on the beach from that time forward trying to identify anyone who looked similar to her. Once I thought I saw her in the distance and I immediately quit fishing until I could confirm the lady walking on the beach was not the lady who I feared.

For More Fishing Articles Visit Bass Fishing Midwest

Three Anglers on an Adventure

This adventure began on a late summer night in August many years ago. Three young men loaded a pick up truck with camping and fishing gear to try their luck at a newly impounded reservoir. This particular lake didn’t have a lot of traffic on the weekends and even less on the weekdays. Therefore reservations for a rental boat and camping site were not necessary. Their travels began on a Sunday evening. A major consideration when planning an excursion outdoors is weather. None of the three seemed to remember or pay any attention to this detail.

About one hour from home the severe thunderstorms began and didn’t let up the entire trip to the lake. During the drive all of the gear including tent and clothing was soaked. Somewhere during this time they realized they had made no plans for food or drink and stopped at the only store they could find open. Actually, it was closed but the lights hadn’t been turned out yet. When asking the attendant where they could buy food and drink they were given their only option. There was a bar and restaurant about 15 miles out of the way that sold carryout beer on Sundays but food wasn’t available.

The three of them made the decision to settle for beer and followed the directions to the establishment. Upon arriving it was obvious it was the only place open at 9:00 pm on a Sunday night in the whole county. The parking lot was full but they headed inside to place their order anyway. Just inside the door was a rather large man who dressed like Charlie Daniels playing shuffleboard by himself. With a closer look it was clear he was upset about something as he was crying and talking to himself.

At this point they approached the bar and ordered one case of beer to go. It was very expensive but the laws of supply and demand were in full effect. The beer would later become worth every penny they paid. While leaving the three of them did their best to act like they didn’t notice the gentleman at the shuffleboard table. They made out of the bar and back on the road without any bad luck.

On the way to the campground the owner of the truck informed the others he was concerned about their fuel level. He said he had an additional fuel tank that was full but the switch was not working to change them. They finally made it to the campground where there were only two other sites being used. After retrieving the wet gear and setting up the tent they started drinking the beer but were quite hungry. One of the young men took it upon himself to coin the phrase “drink up, there is a pork chop in every can.”

By the time they reached the campground the rain had stopped and the skies began clearing. Camping without a campfire isn’t any fun so they set out to collect wood in the near by forest. Once they got a good supply and positioned it in the fire pit (the wood was soaking wet as well) they realized they had no matches or lighter to start the fire. A camper close by noticed the troubles and gave them a book of matches then wished them luck as he was going to sleep.

After many attempts they had no luck with getting the wet wood to burn. The only thing they had to assist in the starting of the fire was located behind the seat of the pick up truck. It was octane booster for the fuel and very volatile. (Please take my word for this when I say never try to start a fire with this stuff.) With just a light sprinkle on the wood one of them lit the last match and threw it at the wood hoping for a fire. However, what they got was a serious blaze about 15 feet high. It did however dry the wood and get it burning. While tending to the fire they drank all 24 beers and had to sleep in the next day before fishing.

After securing a rental boat with a small outboard they set out to catch some fish. They had little success and one of them continued to get his lures caught in the standing timber. On one particular cast the lure went up further than it went away from the boat and wrapped about four times around a over hanging tree limb some 20 feet above the water. The angler had enough so he decided to climb the tree to retrieve the lure. He was six feet-four inches tall and weighed in about 225 pounds. While the limb that held the lure was about 10 inches in diameter the trees had been dead for about three years.

He made it up the trunk and onto the limb. He had to walk out the limb about 10 feet to reach the lure and didn’t have much experience playing monkey. However, he made it close enough to reach the hanging lure when without warning the limb broke causing him and the limb to come crashing down. When he disappeared into the water his hat was left floating on the surface. A few seconds later he surfaced with only a hurt ego and it was a good thing as the two left in the boat later said they were laughing so hard they could not have saved him had he gotten hurt.

This took place several hours into the day and was a showstopper for the anglers. One was soaking wet and the others were almost sick from laughing so hard. I can still show you the exact tree that stands within sight of the dam on this lake. However, it is missing one rather large branch.

Copyright 2009, Marc Rogers, All Rights Reserved

More Articles available at Bass Fishing Midwest

Managing Small Waters for Great Fishing

There are countless opportunities throughout North America for anglers to pursue fish in small ponds. Many of these waters are ponds consisting of one acre or less in size. They are located on farms, golf courses and subdivisions that keep the access private, allowing only select individuals to use them. The ponds may have an abundance of fish lurking beneath the surface because of minimal usage. However, the total population of fish is often not as great as it first appears.

Because the ponds hold such aggressive fish the body of water is sometimes over-harvested. A pond of ½ acre of surface water that contains Large Mouth Bass generally only accommodates a small number of harvest-sized bass. An angler who keeps bass on a regular basis can quickly deplete the population and by doing so will allow species such as bluegill to over populate the pond. Without the bass’ presence to control the population of bluegill the pond becomes home to many small, non-harvest sized bluegill. The small bass left behind have to compete with the bluegill for the limited food supply and a popular food source of bluegill is bass eggs. Once this cycle is put into motion it is hard to reverse.

Another detrimental occurrence in small ponds is for the owner to make them easier to fish by removing weed growth along the shoreline. While doing so makes the access to the water much easier, it also eliminates the major source of cover for the fish. Vegetation along the water’s edge produces oxygen for the fish during sunlight hours and allows cover for small fish to hide until they can reach adult size. If chemicals are used to kill off the vegetation, the dying growth consumes oxygen that the fish population need for survival. Removal of vegetation can be just as harmful as over-harvesting for the fish population.

Pond owner should consider keeping records of catch and harvest data to better understand what is happening below the surface in their ponds. Good record keeping is key to knowing the growth and harvest situation in any given small body of water. Owners should record the specie and length of each catch and note if it was consumed or returned to the water. Because pond owners do not generally have access to electro-shocking equipment like state agencies use, this is the next best way of knowing what is happening in their pond. Good record keeping means the fish must be measured exactly. Guessing at the length is not good enough to be successful in this approach.

Ponds generally cannot be managed to produce great size and numbers of several species of fish. The owners should make a decision about what specie they want to produce. Good bass fishing ponds will not have great numbers of big bluegill available as the bass eat most of them prior to reaching a few inches long. The ones that do survive to grow large can quickly be removed with one outing if an angler keeps them for the table.

On the other hand, if big bluegills are abundant bass generally will not reach large sizes because the bigger bluegill will compete with them for the limited food source. Both of these scenarios become clear with good record keeping of the catch from ponds.

Fish can grow bigger and more abundant if supplemental feeding is done in a pond. The drawback is if and when the feeding is discontinued. The extra feeding will produce more fish than the carrying capacity of the water and when the feeding is stopped all of the fish will suffer from malnourishment. When considering supplemental feeding a pond owner must remember the feeding will have to continue indefinitely for this approach to have a lasting effect.

Harvesting fish is a good way to keep a pond healthy and productive. The Missouri Department of Conservation has a great resource for pond management available on their website called the Missouri Pond Handbook by Ken Perry. This publication covers everything from the design and building of ponds to maintaining them as a fishing resource.

Missouri Pond Handbook

More articles available at Bass Fishing Midwest

Bass Fishing Tackle available at MidwestFishingTackle.net

Copyright 2009, Marc Rogers, All Rights Reserved