It’s all about the cast
Like the majority of you I began fishing with with a short Rod and $2 Reel. Somehow my line never got Tangled in that tin cup, and plastic buttoned piece of crap. There’s something to be said about simplicity there. I’d cast that thing about 10 feet max. That’s fine when you are Fishing small ponds, or off a dock. My only bait those days were the worms I found flipping over rocks in the backyard. That was the deal I had with my Dad. Find at least 20 worms, and he would take my brother, and I Fishing.
Most of our little Fishing trips were successful. It was a truly rare occasion that we didn’t catch anything. Which only increased our desire to go Fishing more often. It wasn’t long before I was asking for better equipment for Christmas. A new Rod, and Reel that would allow me to cast way out to where I was sure the Fish must be. I would soon learn that my predictions weren’t necessarily correct about that. I decided on a Spinning Rod & Reel because that’s what I saw the majority of serious Fishermen using locally. Took me a little practice to get used to it. Once I had it figured out you couldn’t keep me from Fishing every decent day.
I was still using worms for bait, and having a lot of success with them. Whenever I fished a popular spot though. I’d see other people Fishing with lures. Watching them expertly work a lure across a lilypad, or through some thick reeds to entice a fish to strike. The urge to try this form of Fishing was just too strong to resist. So the first chance I got. I tagged along with my Dad to Canadian Tire, and bought a miniature tackle box plus lures kit. It included some small Spinners, a couple Spoons, a few Jerkbaits, and of course a selection of rubber worms.
I grew up a short walk from the Credit River so I had the most luck with the Spinners, and Spoons catching Trout. It was mostly dumb luck. I’d cast my line to the opposite side of the River, and simply Reel it back in. My ability to cast to a specific point had become quite impressive. Most of my friends that fished, and even the local kids that were much older were impressed with my casting ability. Even though I had this considerable weapon at the ready. The number of fish I would catch was slowly decreasing. So what was I to do? Switch back to worms, and start landing more fish of course.
Fast forward to today, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually used live bait. It’s lures only for me. Every kind of lure you could think of. My days of simply casting as far as I could, and reeling it straight back are long gone. I can create all kinds of action with each lure. My passion is Shore Fishing, but any Freshwater Fishing is fine by me. I’ve been to so many places, and cast many a line. I’ve had some very memorable days where it felt like every other cast got a monster strike. That moment during a day of Fishing when you figure out which lure is irresistible to your target species. If you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s crazy. It feels like the Fish are practically racing each other to strike your lure.
One of the most successful days of fishing I’ve ever had was on Lake Simcoe. Three of us went really early to a spot we new of. We had fished there many times before, and always landed a few fish. I knew it was going to be a great day when I hooked a twelve inch Perch with my third cast. We were there for almost three hours. In that time we caught 38 Perch including a couple really large ones. I personally caught 25 of the 38. Think about that for a moment. I was landing an average of 8 fish per hour. After I caught the first fish I knew I wasn’t going to change my set up for the rest of the day. I bet you are wondering what the miracle combination was? It was a 7ft two piece rod, with a Spincast Reel, a hook, and a worm.
So why won’t I fish with worms anymore? Honestly it feels like cheating. There’s very little effort involved. If you cast out a worm, and a fish is close by. There’s a very good chance that you’ll get a bite. I treat Fishing like exercise. If my arms aren’t difficult to lift after a day of Fishing then I didn’t try hard enough. Enticing a trophy Bass to strike by deftly working a Hula Popper is far more satisfying then waiting for a Fish to swallow a worm.
Everyone enjoys Fishing their own way, for their own reasons. For me it’s Casting every kind of lure until my arms fall off. For others it’s Casting out a worm, and sitting on the riverbank while reading a book. Whichever way you like to do it one thing remains the same for everyone. It’s always exciting to land that first fish. I caught 25 that day, but the first one was the most satisfying.
