Well, glad you asked. Lois & I spent most of this past week with David (Lois' brother) & Carmen (my sister-in-law/1st cousin) at Little Island Lake, a few miles south of Nevis, MN. David & I spent many hours fishing (not necessarily always catching), which gave us plenty of time to think & talk about fishing. Here are my thoughts & tips for whatever they are worth.
FIRST: A SUMMARY OF MY "SUCCESS"
Sat 7/18: We arrived late afternoon. I went down to the dock later in the evening & threw a lure into the lake for about 20 minutes, not expecting much success (due to weather conditions), but feeling obligated, since I bought an out-of-state, 7-day fishing license, which cost me $38. Although that may sound pricey, I (somewhat) gladly paid it, considering it my contribution to the Dept. of Natural Resources of Minnesota. I automatically assume that this is at least one government agency that I can depend on to spend its money wisely, unless they're spending it to save polar bears, which, based on a lot of global-warming hysterical claptrap that I've been reading again lately, could be rapidly moving into the Lake Superior region, as Arctic ice continues to recede. But I digress. Results from Day 1: 0 fish (not even a strike).
Sun 7/19:
Today's results = 1 northern (on a hula popper!), 1 bass
Total for the day = 2 fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $19/fish
Mon 7/20:
Today's results = 1 northern, 1 bass
Total for the day = 2 fish
Weekly sub-totals = 2 northern + 2 bass; sub-total for week = 4 total fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $9.50/fish
Tue 7/21 (best "Today's results"):
Today's results = 1 northern, 4 bass, including one 14" (best catch of the week)
Total for the day = 5 fish
Weekly sub-totals = 3 northern + 6 bass = 9 total fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $4.22+/fish [license beginning to pay for itself]
Wed 7/22:
Today's results = 1 northern (also on a hula popper!), 1 sunfish
Total for the day = 2 fish
Weekly sub-totals= 4 northern + 6 bass + 1 sunfish = 11 total fish
Cost/benefit ratio = $3.45/fish [cost/benefit ratio = dubious *]
* When fishing, one cannot measure success merely in economic terms. One also must take into account aesthetics. Then there is the intangible, namely, the "it" factor, i.e., one could be full of "it."
Comments:
- First of all, one would not expect northern pike to hit on a hula popper. On my 1st or 2nd cast of the day on Sunday, one did, & the last one I caught on Tuesday also did. Stupid fish.
- Secondly, if you would have told me at the beginning of the trip that I was going to catch 4 X as many northern as sunfish, I would have scoffed, nay, openly derided & mocked you.
- Finally, are these daily summaries not the work of someone w/OCD? I wonder.
Lures (Mostly), Bait & the Possible Reasons Fish Will Go After Them
I fished briefly w/live bait on Wednesday afternoon while David took Lois out in the boat, so she could see the eagles nesting on the island. (Yes, there is a reason it is called "Little Island Lake.") I fished about 45 minutes. Let's just say I was successful in feeding the (presumably) panfish in the local vicinity (one leech & parts of two night crawlers) w/o upsetting the balance of nature by actually catching any of them. Lois was more successful in her eagle-watching odyssey. The following observations are mostly based on casting & retrieving a variety of artificial lures, which I used while fishing & once-in-awhile catching @ Little Island Lake.
FISH WILL ATTACK YOUR LURE WHEN . . .
- They are hungry. One would assume that hungry fish would hit just about anything that they see in the water. One would assume wrongly. First of all, there are problems with the word "think," which I shall address shortly. Secondly, fish are not hungry all the time. Unlike you & me (well, me at least) I'm not sure they'll decide to stop "hanging out," or whatever it is they do, & suddenly decide to go after something that vaguely resembles food, just for the heck of it. [Rational side of my brain: "I'm not at all hungry, but a cup of 2-month old Fruity Pebbles might really hit the spot." Emotional side of my brain: "Go for it."] Thirdly, they will be more likely to go after something that resembles the food they normally seek, i.e., familiar to them in their environment. Therefore, I stuck with lures that resembled minnows, frogs, & worms. I left home my lures that resemble penguins & baby seals.
- They are bored & decide to have some fun. If fish "thought" like you & me, they might occasionally get bored & take a strike at any object that looks out of the ordinary. (More on fish "thinking" later.) However, many fish have to spend considerable time looking over their shoulders(?), staying alert for any signs of predators. The concept of "boredom" may be foreign to them. Besides, what to you may look like an outstandingly, fascinating lure might look like an incredibly boring lure to a fish, because they do not "think" the way we do! (Conversation in my head, as I choose a lure from my tackle box: ME: 'This combination fluorescent green worm w/a spinner & skirt on it, well, there's no way a fish won't find this attractive & worth checking out." FISH, AFTER SEEING LURE COMING AT IT IN WATER: "Whatever that is, it's pretty lame. Also just plain weird. I'm going nowhere near it."
- They are angry. Imagine you are at a water park, floating in the tide pool, happy, contented, sipping on a pina colada . . . and suddenly a bowling ball lands within inches of your inner tube. Yes, I suspect, like me, your first impulse would be fright, quickly followed by anger. Or maybe you're waiting in the express lane (12 items or less) @ Hy-Vee, when suddenly, by surprise, another shopper cuts in front of you w/only 6 items. You would agree with me, I think, that in either case, you might very well strike out in anger. So, one might "assume" that a fish would strike out in anger, if it is minding its own business when suddenly a honkin' big lure landed within inches of it. Or they might instinctively strike out in anger if another fish suddenly invaded their territory. However, once again, you may assume wrongly, because fish do NOT assume like you & I do. IF (& it's a big IF) fish brains are subject to a "fight or flight" instinct (like frequently happens when I see a picture in the media of "she who shall not be name"), the loud intervention of a lure in close proximity might just as easily frighten them off, along with any other fish within miles. Also, if you practice "catch & release," like other Christians besides me, consider this. You throw out a lure. It makes a fish mad (for whatever reason). He strikes. You set the hook & successfully reel him in. Then you release him. Assuming he swims back to the same neighborhood, & assuming he has learned a lesson (assuming fish can "learn"), the next time that lure lands anywhere close, he not only will avoid it, he will also warn every other fish in the following manner. "Wow, dude, I don't care if that thing makes you angry. Leave it alone! It fights back!"
- They are being defensive. This motive is somewhat related to the previous one. I know from experience (& I'm not saying I'm proud to admit it) that a fish in a spawning bed will quickly attack any kind of lure or bait. I assume this is an instinctive defense mechanism--the result of millions of years of evolution--to defend one's offspring. [Did I just say "millions of years of evolution? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.) Is fishing this way an ethical practice? I may have to blog about this in a Theological Thursday entry, but I digress. Besides, if a fish can reason (open to debate), he may have seen the fish on either side of him go missing after attempting to chase away a similar object that now suddenly appears in his territory. Or she could be a coward & desert (dessert? *) the nest rather than confront the object. It's also possible that your lure may be cast in the vicinity of a "progressive" fish who is more than happy to co-exist. * As an English major, I am usually more careful to check out spelling in advance, but I am feeling unmotivated.
- They are playing mind games with you. By far this is the most controversial aspect of fishing. Can fish think or reason like you or me? Do their brains function at the same level as our brain stems but not much higher? Can you use psychology on fish? I swear (I don't really. It's just a figure of speech.) that no one can make a hula popper "talk" like I can, making it completely irresistible to fish, but it brings me naught but grief. (Sample conversation: HULA POPPER: "Spash. Pop. Galoop. Pop. Gloomp." ME TO DAVID: "No fish can find that resistible." FISH: "Yes, we can.") I can place my casts in the best locations at the right time of day under the best or worse circumstances, & it seems to make no difference. Maybe "mind" isn't the right word for it, but in some strange way, I think fish do play mind games on us. Like they hit your 1st or 2nd offering of the day, lulling you into a false sense of potential success, which is short-lived, yet you are seduced into fishing an extra hour with that same lure w/o success. Maybe they play mind games with each other. like encouraging less popular fish to go after certain bait & lures, get caught, & improve the gene pool. Who can say?
In summary:
I have just enough fun, find it just barely relaxing enough, and/or experience just enough success on occasion to keep fishing. If nothing else, I am supporting the sports' fishing tackle & bait industries, and stand in solidarity alongside other fishing people, which I am positive are conservative-voting blocs, & I practice "catch (although who am I kidding?) & release," which is a pretty good conservation practice, even if I don't get to practice as much releasing as I'd like.
No comments:
Post a Comment