Kern's Holler Journal Fishin Science
Reverend Negotiable
Reverend Negotiable
This is Reverend Negotiable from
out Oregon way, and I'm gonna share some fishin' tips come from my
years of experience.
First of all, fish are smarter than most folk give them credit for. My brother lost a starin' contest to a catfish once, and that particular catfish was in a tank, so it wasn't the smartest of it's kind to begin with. If the fish have a longer attention span than you, it's likely they aren't gonna bite before you get bored and try some other method of trickin' 'em. If they don't bite right away, it's 'cause they're waiting to see just how long the food acts like food. If my cheeseburger ran off the plate and came back a minute later lookin' like a hot dog, I'm not gonna be jumpin' at the chance to eat it no matter how much I like hot dogs. I like my meals to behave like meals, and not like somethin' sneaky tryin' to pass for supper. You need the patience of a fish if you're going to catch fish. Fish have all day, and nothing better to do, 'cept maybe during the spawn.
Secondly, fish are just as superstitious as the folk tryin' to catch 'em. If you know that they won't bite while you're waiting on 'em, you got to let yourself be distracted. The better the chance of you missin' the bite, the better the chance you have of gettin' a bite. Like the watched pot. She ain't gonna boil while you're lookin' no matter how long you wait. We took my brother fishin' once on the beach back East, and just as soon as he walked away from his gear to chat with us, some big ol' fish grabbed his bait and took the hook, line, sinker, pole, and sand spike right out of the ground and into the ocean. He managed to find the pole after a good 30 yard run, but that fish got his bait and was long gone. Never found the sand spike, and, come to think of it, he hasn't replaced it yet. Fish 2, my brother 0. I don't know how the fish know (that seems more like marine biology type science) but they know. Look away, but keep a hand on your gear where they can't see it from the water. They wait till you're not lookin'. Makes them think it's safe. That's a fish superstition.
Thirdly is buzz fishin'. Buzz is easier to catch than a fish, and goes a long way toward helpin' you be distracted at the crucial moment. I know a lot of mediocre fishermen can catch a buzz like nobody's business. The better the buzz, the more likely you are to catch fish, especially if you catch enough buzz to not want to handle a fish. Some hippie slipped mescaline into our Budweisers once, and it wasn't long before we were catching our limit. If you've ever been in that position, you know that the last thing you want to do is unhook some big angry fish while Mescalito is captain of the charter. Not to mention the aroma. Lot of fish have a bag limit, and you need to know when you caught your limit of buzz. Also, never turn your back on your Budweisers. Look away from the pole, for sure, but WATCH YOUR BEER.
Not everybody that goes fishin' is fishin' for buzz too, but I don't pretend to understand that style of fishin', and they aren't likely to want any of the advice I have to offer anyhow.
See you on the shore.
First of all, fish are smarter than most folk give them credit for. My brother lost a starin' contest to a catfish once, and that particular catfish was in a tank, so it wasn't the smartest of it's kind to begin with. If the fish have a longer attention span than you, it's likely they aren't gonna bite before you get bored and try some other method of trickin' 'em. If they don't bite right away, it's 'cause they're waiting to see just how long the food acts like food. If my cheeseburger ran off the plate and came back a minute later lookin' like a hot dog, I'm not gonna be jumpin' at the chance to eat it no matter how much I like hot dogs. I like my meals to behave like meals, and not like somethin' sneaky tryin' to pass for supper. You need the patience of a fish if you're going to catch fish. Fish have all day, and nothing better to do, 'cept maybe during the spawn.
Secondly, fish are just as superstitious as the folk tryin' to catch 'em. If you know that they won't bite while you're waiting on 'em, you got to let yourself be distracted. The better the chance of you missin' the bite, the better the chance you have of gettin' a bite. Like the watched pot. She ain't gonna boil while you're lookin' no matter how long you wait. We took my brother fishin' once on the beach back East, and just as soon as he walked away from his gear to chat with us, some big ol' fish grabbed his bait and took the hook, line, sinker, pole, and sand spike right out of the ground and into the ocean. He managed to find the pole after a good 30 yard run, but that fish got his bait and was long gone. Never found the sand spike, and, come to think of it, he hasn't replaced it yet. Fish 2, my brother 0. I don't know how the fish know (that seems more like marine biology type science) but they know. Look away, but keep a hand on your gear where they can't see it from the water. They wait till you're not lookin'. Makes them think it's safe. That's a fish superstition.
Thirdly is buzz fishin'. Buzz is easier to catch than a fish, and goes a long way toward helpin' you be distracted at the crucial moment. I know a lot of mediocre fishermen can catch a buzz like nobody's business. The better the buzz, the more likely you are to catch fish, especially if you catch enough buzz to not want to handle a fish. Some hippie slipped mescaline into our Budweisers once, and it wasn't long before we were catching our limit. If you've ever been in that position, you know that the last thing you want to do is unhook some big angry fish while Mescalito is captain of the charter. Not to mention the aroma. Lot of fish have a bag limit, and you need to know when you caught your limit of buzz. Also, never turn your back on your Budweisers. Look away from the pole, for sure, but WATCH YOUR BEER.
Not everybody that goes fishin' is fishin' for buzz too, but I don't pretend to understand that style of fishin', and they aren't likely to want any of the advice I have to offer anyhow.
See you on the shore.