Always learning
31
Mar 08
2:01 PMA true angler, like a participant in any other sport, always should be learning.
31
Mar 08
2:01 PMA true angler, like a participant in any other sport, always should be learning.
Be it a new way to bottom bounce or a different way to rig a plastic bait, there always are new bits of information available to the angler who wants to improve.
Toss in trying to learn a new body of water and the educational thing takes on a whole new meaning.
Rivers and creeks with moving water are uncharted territory for this angler. But with northeastern North Carolina's Pasquatank River just a few miles away from the homestead, I've made a point to stay away from other waters until more about this deep, structure-filled, coffee-colored place is learned. The Pasquatank is tidal water. Wind tide, mostly, but moving water just the same.
It is surrounded by marsh and swamp, and filled with wildlife. All types of herrons and egrets, eagles, hawks, geese snakes, otters, beavers, muskrats and oodles of turtles - it's all there for the taking.
The entire stretch is quite beautiful. And catching fish from it is all foreign.
I've read, researched and asked questions. And members of the Fishers of Men Christian bass fishing club in the area have been extremely generous with information. But nothing compares to experience. So. . .slowly but surely, I'm gaining some of that.
Adding to the enjoyment of the learning process as that there have been some relatively quick successes.
Crappie are my first love and I was bound and determined to find them in the Pasquatank. I've developed a good pattern and can now find speckled perch of mostly the small variety with relative ease. But it wasn't easy. Minnows under corks can be a pain on movin water, when even the slightest current runs the bait into fish-holding structure. Hang-ups were many. Casting small plastics on lead-heads has proven more effective and less stressful.
So that's been a lesson learned.
White and yellow perch have been relatively easy to pattern. They school around creek mouths, and a variety of small spinners and jigs will take them.
Another lesson learned.
From there it was on to the king of the freshwater species, the largemouth bass.
Information from a few locals and tournament guys has been extremely helpful. But I've found my best success with a confidence lure - you know, that one you love to throw that you just seem to do better with?
For me, that's a small- to medium-sized spinnerbait. It's easy to work and runs through structure very well. It's versatile in that it can be fished fast, slow and in between. And it catches fish.
But more importantly, I have confidence in it.
And because of that and a few quick lessons learned, I'm gaining confidence in the Pasquatank and my ability to bass fish in tidal waters.
Because I learn something new every time I go.
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Fishing reduces stress and gives you a break from our modern world where everything is going a million miles per hour
73
Check & Clear 6
LOC: 38-54-14.60N / 097-14-09.07W
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