Having tried to buy a game in golf, I know the gear's not as important as the application, but I can say beyond a reasonable doubt that I caught more fish with a cane pole, bobber, hook, float and crickets or earthworms than I've ever caught with high-tech rods, reels, line and baits. I'm tossing baits that look more realistic than live bait, throw out scent trails like oil slicks from the Exxon Valdez, and I'm still not catching fish.
The doldrums of summer may have something to do with it, but it's sobering to realize that I caught more fish in Las Vegas, Nevada than I did in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It was 114-118 in Las Vegas, but the water was in the upper eighties (or better) in Florida. Neither was conducive to quality time on the water.
OK, so the fishing in Las Vegas wasn't legitimate fishing, it was on the new Wii console. The new Rapala Fishing Frenzy video game was being debuted at ICAST. Like the fish in the game, I was hooked. It's not easy to admit being a middle-aged Wii guy, but I enjoy the darned thing, and the chance to sit inside and have a very lifelike simulation of fishing was great fun. It didn't hurt that I landed a great big fish a couple of times, but I found the game - like all good video games - to be habit forming. At first I was a bit self conscious, but the first hookup with a nice fish had me reeling like a fiend and following the encouragement being given by Shaun Norton of Sandbox Strategies. I can't speak for the Play Station version, but I'm looking forward to getting one of these games for the house. In addition to fake fishing fun, I think anyone playing the game will be a better angler simply because of the knowledge available in the game.
Video fishing includes the information you really need to catch fish Here, just because you will ask me for it otherwise, is a screen shot from the game. You'll see more when we've gotten our test unit in and had some time to play, er, evaluate it more fully.
The Florida fishing, however, didn't produce as many big hookups, but the fishing was enjoyable. And I did get some bites, although I didn't land any bragging sized fish. Local guides told me the bite was slow, and I don't see any reason to have doubted their word.
But it wasn't that I didn't get bites - it was that I just couldn't seem to get the fish landed. I had scouted out what I thought would be a perfect bass lake, deep water, good cover, and lots of activity as the bugs were on the water just before dark the night before.
With those high expectations, I knew the next morning would be a good one for fishing. And I wasn't disappointed. After only a couple of lazy casts and retrieves, the first fish hit my worm (Berkley Gulp! Heavy head) - and hit it hard. I set the hook (like I'd learned on the Wii in Las Vegas) and started cranking my fish toward the bank. Then, with no warning, I nearly fell over backwards as my line went totally dead. No resistance - and as I cranked it in, I realized why - no tackle on the other end of my line.
Figuring I'd had a bit of bad luck and run my fish into some sharp underwater obstacle, I re-tied, re-rigged and cast into approximately the same location. With the same result - a quick, heavy hookup with what felt like a pretty good fish. This time, I took it a little easier, rather than trying the professional tournament method of seeing how quickly I could winch the fish out of the water. When I got to about the same spot, I had the same result - dead line - no fish - no warning.
Call me slow, but something didn't seem quite right about that. Once is bad luck, but twice is more than coincidence. So…I decided to see what was hitting my bait. This time, I used only the worm and a small weight - no hook - just enough to get close to the weight I knew would cast to my "hot spot".
He's looking for another fish- but I was looking for another fishing hole This time, however, no hookup, so I decided to crank my lure back at what I thought might be a provocative pace - just to see if I'd run afoul of a big turtle or something.
It was something - and it wasn't a turtle. And before you can call me a liar, I have a picture of my bait bandit - and it was reason enough for me to step away from the bank and switch from the fishing rod to the camera - with zoom lens.
Like I said, it wasn't a turtle.(it was an alligator)
