This morning, I went out fishing and, shocker—I didn’t catch a thing. At this point, it’s becoming more of a personal tradition than a hobby. I’m starting to think the fish are running a secret group chat warning each other when I show up. I’ve tried everything: mornings, evenings, different bait… maybe I am not doing something right. So I decided it was time to do some research and figure out what color bait might actually convince a fish to ruin its day for me.
There I was, standing in the cold like a confused woodsman, wearing my brand-new insulated duck bibs—because nothing says “serious fisherman” like looking like you’re ready to build a cabin. I dug through my bucket and found something bright and colorful, which didn’t seem like the right setup, but at this point, I figured, why not? It’s not like the fish were biting my “serious” rigs anyway.
Fishing around here is more of a community pastime, which is a polite way of saying we all go out to “not catch fish” together. For me, though, it’s about being outdoors—mixing in a little hiking, maybe some bow hunting in the near future, and pretending I know what I’m doing. The snow hasn’t hit yet, so I can’t break out my snowshoes or skis, but it’s still the perfect time to fish from the shore and admire the fall colors… while the fish admire my failure from below.
You’ve got your Kindle, your bobber, and the sound of birds laughing—uh, I mean singing. A light breeze, cold fingers, and a reminder that our ancestors used to do this for survival. At least when they didn’t catch dinner, they had a good excuse: “the mammoths migrated.”. I just go out for about a half at a time just to see if I can catch something before I go to Elmers or another grocery story to buy my fish.
Still, I feel like I’m getting closer. The more I switch spots and mess around with my rigging, the better my odds. One of these days, I’ll actually catch something—and when I do, it’s going to be the most surprised fish in the lake.
(Oh, and if you’re curious about lure colors, I found an article that might help. It probably won’t help me, but hey—maybe it’ll help you.)
Bait Colors
You may also be interested in Michigan Fish Report
No comments:
Post a Comment