George, the amazing sight fisherman

I shared this in one of the first blogs I ever wrote several years ago. But it’s that time of year again and worth sharing… Do you know someone like my fishing buddy George?

I’ll have to admit. On this particular trip, George was putting a whipping on me.

On occasion, the two of us will just find a good fishing spot and cast off the bank. It’s a good way to put in a quick, low-effort fishing trip and we often do pretty good. On one of these adventures not too long ago, George caught a bass on his first cast. I got anxious to cast my bait into his fishing spot and caught my plastic worm on an overhanging tree limb behind me as I cast as hard as I could. I cannot type the sound my reel made. For those of you familiar with open face reels, you probably have a pretty good idea of what 150 yards of 12-pound Clear Blue Stren looks like when it has completely spun off the reel into a bird’s nest the size of a softball.  I mean, this was a good one. I believe the official term is backlash. Little George often gets these.

While I was hustling back to the truck to get a spare, George landed five bass in a row. It is one of those times I can only compare to once in a blue moon, the Saints winning the Super Bowl or Hillary Clinton telling the truth. Anyway, back to George. We were just about to wrap up our trip when I noticed George come to point like a good bird dog. Things were about to get worse for me. There, not 10 feet off the bank, was a huge sow bass on the bed. She was behind some bushes and we couldn’t cast to her. Not one to miss an opportunity no matter what the challenge, George took off his boots, grabbed his rod and waded sock-footed ever so quietly out into the shallow, 40-degree water.

As he approached the bass, I can only say, I was amazed. It was a sight fishing technique I had never witnessed before. George eased up to the bed, grabbed the line by hand and dropped the worm right in front of the fish. Then while she was watching the worm, he started to try and grab her. Fortunately, I saw what was happening and yelled at him, “Don’t do it, George. That isn’t legal”.  So he grabbed the line, wiggled the worm right on her nose, she bit it and he hauled her up out of the water like Jase Robertson snatching up a two pound bullfrog. He grinned a grin that I’ll never be able to erase from my memory.

Don’t believe me?  I’ve got pictures. Three of them. But please, don’t tell this story to young fisherman. It could turn them to a life of bowling or table tennis.