I grew up in a fishing family in which both parents enjoyed fishing. And, needless to say, my siblings and I heard a lot of instructions when it came to fishing. My mother was especially vocal when it came to instructing us on the finer points of how to catch a fish.
She was constantly telling us, "Be quiet! You're going to scare the fish!" "Take the slack out of your line!" "Stop pulling your line in; just let it alone!" "You're getting a bite, Pull in your line!"
I used to believe that Mother watched our poles more than she did her own.
The words we heard the most often were: "Watch out! You're going to fall in!"
I reckon it was understandable that, having lost a brother to drowning, Mother was a bit paranoid when it came to water. On the other hand, that never seemed to dampen her enthusiasm for fishing.
Oftentimes I would head on down the bayou in order to distance myself from her relentless instructions. Now, as I look back on my childhood days, I have to marvel at how well I assimilated those instructions into my own thinking. Nowadays, I find myself giving those same instructions to whoever happens to be fishing with me.
My folks were cane-pole fishers, which is what most everybody was back then -- at least in our neck of the woods, anyway. And, it's not that we didn't have rods and reels; it's just that when it came to panfish, it was naturally assumed that a cane pole was the best way to catch them.
Time and experience have proven that to be true. Fishing with a pole and line gives you a lot more maneuverability in how you cast your line out than with a rod and reel. And it is way more fun to pull a fish in with a pole than it is to reel one in with a rod.
The one limiting factor with cane poles is the length of the pole and line compared to how far you can cast out with a store-bought rig. Nevertheless, most of the good fishing is closer to shore where fish nest or can be reached from a boat and does not require long casts.
There is a "coolness factor" associated with the use of a store-bought rig that you don't get with a cane pole. But if you can swallow your pride, there is a blessing in submitting to the use of the most effective panfish-catching system ever devised by man. And that, my friends, is the humble cane pole.
But it doesn't end with the pole. In fact, it only begins there. In order to be successful with a cane pole, there are a number of other rules that have to be observed before you can bring that big stringer of panfish home with you.
Take, for instance, the line. Unless you are also hoping to catch an occasional catfish while pan fishing you need to go light on the fishing line. I would not recommend using anything heavier than 6-pound test and I personally prefer 4-pound. The lighter the better in most cases.
And how you tie your hook on to the line is important. I never use a swivel to attach my hooks because I am trying to minimize anything that looks unnatural to the fish. I tie the hook directly to the line and have always enjoyed great success using that method.
Then, too, how you hook your bait is just as important. You want the bait to look natural in the water just like it would if it didn't have a hook in it. You see, all kinds of insects and worms fall into the water, so the fish are accustomed to seeing bugs in the water. But the rate that they fall through the water is important as well as how they look. Presentation is everything! Because of this, I use the smallest piece of lead on my line that I can get away with and the smallest hook and the lightest line. Those are the basics. And when I see someone fishing for bream or any type of panfish, using a crappie hook or a big bobber or a heavy line, I have to smile to myself. These were all big "no-no's" growing up in our family.
Why no big bobber? Well, when the fish decides to try your worm or cricket and takes the bait into its mouth the resistance it meets by trying to pull a large bobber underwater is unnatural and spooks the fish. He'll end up spitting the bait out before the hook is set.
A small bobber works best because it offers less resistance in the water. And the more your bobber is shaped like a stick the more natural it looks and the easier it is pulled through the water when a fish pulls on your line. That's why I use porcupine quills for bobbers. They are light and sit upright in the water and offer almost no resistance to the unsuspecting fish on the business end of your line. Plus, any little nibble moves the quill so, if you're paying attention, you can respond faster to bites on your line.
Not to mention that porcupine quills are simply fun to watch in the water. In color, they are a mix of white and dark brown so they show up in the water, but they are not such bright colors that they frighten the fish. And, you know when the bait has settled directly under the bobber when the quill stands upright in the water. That is if you are not fishing too deep. If the bait is actually resting on the bottom the quill will not stand up in the water, but will merely lay on its side. You do want the quill to stand up.
I use only African porcupine quills that have been harvested from farm-raised animals expressly for their quills. They can be found on eBay or Amazon or, if you know me well enough to ask, I may have an extra one or two.
But, if you happen to go fishing with me, make sure you don't make too much noise. You might scare the fish. And keep the slack out of your line! And, pull up! You're getting a bite! And, be careful! Don't fall in! See what I mean? Happy fishing!
Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
General News on 02/21/2018