I was tricked yesterday. It had been very cold and very miserable on Saturday but it should have been warm. So when I awoke Sunday morning to sunny and clear, I thought " Hey maybe the weatherman got it right this time. It
will be sunny and sixty five today!" So I did what I normally do and threw the kayak in the truck and headed to the lake. No sooner than after having just finished putting the last rod in the rod holder and getting ready to push off did the sun disappear
behind a blanket of dark clouds and the wind started to blow out of the north. It was pretty chilly and I only fished a couple of hours picking up two small fish that might have barely been keepers (I didn't measure them). I was proud for the effort, but the results could have been a little better. It was a typical grey winter day that just sulked around and made you wonder if bears got it right by hibernating and skipping this whole mess.
Truth be told, I would have probably gone fishing no matter what the weather was like. I was particularly excited to go because I wanted to try out some new baits called Hag's Tornado Baits. Basically, these are just regular old plastic worms, seemingly identical to some I already own, but being a lure
junky I just had to try them out. Especially with all the buzz surrounding them this past week. I truly believe that although they may not seem different to us, the fish might be able to distinguish the two- in short, some day on some lake, the differences might actually make a difference and I am just trying to be prepared for that scenario. Another part of the reason I like these Tornados is because they are hard to find- you can't just run out to Academy to pick them up or even buy them online. I found this little tiny tackle shop in the middle of nowhere that had some and ran out to get a few bags.
The store turned out to be a neat place and was owned by a bass fisherman afflicted by the same disease as me- lure
junky. It is the kind of store that you only really hear about if you are in the know or just happen to luckily stumble upon it (fortunately for me, I'm a pretty lucky guy). I could tell when I walked through the door that this is the place where true fisherman live and breathe. It was Friday and a couple of obvious regulars were hanging out telling stories with Jacky, the owner. I imagine a lot of stories get told by people sitting on the stools in front of the register. Surrounding the stories and adorning the walls are lures you just can't find anywhere. Different colors I'd never seen, the latest and greatest, and the older hard to find stuff that has proven its mettle for decades but has disappeared from the shelves for no good reason. And Jacky, he could talk all day if you'd let him. He's one of those good old boys who is a straight up fella that is constantly rattling on about anything and everything that has to do with bass fishing. Seeing that it was my first time in his shop, he took the opportunity to show me some of the true gems on his shelves. In the end I couldn't help myself and left with a couple of extra items. Walking out the door I felt like I somehow just got the opportunity to buy the formula for Coke and I was already counting my riches. It was a trip (literally and figuratively) and I'll be going back for more lures and conversation.
Hopefully the weather will start to warm again in the coming weeks and I can find some of those big fish getting ready to do what they do each spring.
Good luck, God bless, and tight lines,
Atticus
