Oh what a feeling. It’s well known around my hometown that fishing is one of my favorite pastimes. Not just any fishing, but bass fishing in particular. Like most bass fisherman, other species can be caught, but they don’t represent the object of our fishing endeavors.
Oh What a Feeling
Living here on the coast, many anglers fish salt water and can catch a wide variety of fish along with some real whoppers. The usual mode of catching in this area is the use of live bait. Although I do fish this way on rare occasions, it certainly is not my preference.
Oh What A Feeling
For me, there is nothing better than being on a freshwater estuary with a casting rod in my hand and presenting a wide variety of artificial baits into likely habitats for the sometimes elusive bass. The fact is it’s just exciting. The excitement ranges from getting the tackle ready, to launching the boat and making a run to one of our favorite fish catching locations.
It is not uncommon for one of my neighbors to ask about the fish we catch and usually followed by a question about eating the fish. Years of indoctrination about catch and release makes this sort of question almost blasphemous. I have to explain that I don’t particularly like to eat fish. They usually question my motives for fishing if I am not going to eat what we catch.
Many times I have tried to describe the exhilaration bass anglers feel but have found it difficult to describe. I will tell people about the feeling of peace found on the water, and the thrill of the hunt. I also try to describe the feeling when a fish strikes the lure you have so skillfully launched into their habitat. Then I realize the thrill is hard to formulate into words.
How do you explain feeling a bass pick up a senko and swim away only to be hooked by an eye crossing sweep of the rod? How do you explain the feeling of a bass making a lateral run for cover with the lure in tow? The power and speed of the fish is just amazing. The adrenaline rush crushes your heart while playing the fish and bringing it to the boat. How would you explain a bass crashing a frog presentation from the grass? The heart-stopping splash followed by feeling the weight of the fish heading for cover with the frog. The battle in the grass, testing your rod, reel, and line as you winch the bass towards the landing net, just can’t be forgotten. I guess you have to experience the situation to fully understand the thrill.
I guess the strike of a fish is hard to describe. I just can’t seem to find the right words that would fully communicate the feeling. Folks having spent time in the country might understand the following parallel. The closest I can come to the thrill of a fish striking your lure is akin to peeing on an electric fence. While this is a somewhat crude explanation, I do believe it captures the sensation that zaps all bass anglers.
FISH ON !
Bud Kennedy
