What could be better than experiencing the miracle of nature, and what better way to do it than fishing? Thoreau said:
"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after"
but I think that Thoreau underestimated the average angler - hunters and fishermen appreciate the natural world, most of them, with a deep and residing respect. Most of them are the last to litter, and the first to pick up the litter from others.
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| Lake Norman near Marker 3, just south of Governor's Island (or as us old timers call it, Goats Island!) |
No Matter what Thoreau had in mind, though, one of the
things we ARE after is fish, and the fishing has been pretty good on Lake
Norman this spring. The water is now ranging from between 78 to 81 degrees as
the fine month of June rolls in. Soft baits are working well, and Spring time
is always great for crank baits – this striper, which John Thompson caught
while towing a rattle crank off of a shoal was a great catch, right at the end
of the day when the sunset above was taken.
Oddly enough, that was it for that day – we got not a bite
after that, even with live minnows. A few mornings later they were a bit more
active, but in the spring time, after the spawn they are liable to be all over
the place; I was catching some at 13 – 15 feet of water, like this guy:
Who hit a work which I had allowed to sink straight down at
the end of this dock – when I went to pull it off the bottom, the fish was
already on my line. The technique has worked for me often enough that I try to
let at least one worm sink straight down at the end of every dock I pass, and
this spring has been no exception.
The bass are also holding shallow, though – perhaps trying
to catch little guys like this!
This largemouth hit my softbait several times, and this one
is a lesson in persistence. I could tell it was a decent sized fish, and when
you don’t hook a fish it does not always spook them. He hit the worm I was
using twice, and tore the back half of the worm off; I then switched to a shad
rap crank bait, and this time he hit it and did not get away; at least, not
until I took a few photos and threw him back in. He was perched in very shallow
water, right where the dock joined the land.
Don’t let these beautiful days of spring pass you by – get out
there, and whether you catch fish or not, enjoy your friends, and the amazing
beauty of the place that we live in!
