I know we’ve all fished with one of these guys; every club or tournament has one. You’ll recognize the guy as soon as I give you this description.
That One Angler We All Love to Hate
It’s been a brutal day for everyone, well, almost everyone. The whole group is hanging around the ramp exchanging ways that they failed miserably while fishing. Mr. Joe Basspro comes walking over. When asked how his day went he explains that it started out “challenging,” but he realized that with a falling barometer and a gentle breeze coming out of the NNW and with a water temperature of 69 degrees, the bigger bass should be on the SSE edges of any pine trees downed on the east side of the lake in about 17 inches of water in sunlight.
He further explains that since it’s a quarter moon the bass would be targeting soft plastic worms that are 3.25 inches long in black with chartreuse flake. He had to bite three-quarters of an inch off each four-inch worm. Joe B. proceeds to show us the photos of his limit of bass, all beauties! No one else even had a sniff from a bass that day!
I have always had the ability to remember little things that will never make me a dime. I’ve been fishing with Mr. Basspro for many years and I’m in the habit of paying attention to what he claims to catch bass with. I remembered fishing under these exact conditions just 2 years before and I happened to fish this day with the exact 3.25-inch black with chartreuse worm in 17 inches of water off the SSE edges of fallen pine trees along the east side of this lake.
Clapping Back at a Know-It-All
“I’m calling BS. I fished that exact worm in those exact spots all day and couldn’t manage a single bite…not even a dink,” I challenged. I even said it with calm and coolness!
“What kinda line were you throwing?” Mr. B asked.
“4-lb Far-east fluoro just like you said you used here 2 years ago,” was my answer. I’m good.
“Did you use any scent?” I was asked.
“I rubbed craw scent on the bottom and bloodworm scent on the top, just like you said you did here 2 years ago,” was my snippy answer.
“Can I see the lure you were throwing?” I’m detecting a little trepidation now, maybe I have him! He sniffs my lure and states, “I think you’ve got it rigged up-side-down.” REALLY?
“What size hook did you use?” More questions!
“2/0, your go-to size.” I had him now.
“I upped my hook size to a 3/0 today. With Mars rising wanted a slightly faster fall rate. I also used a Rapala Loop knot. That Improved Clinch knot you always use is so 2013.” That’s what he said. Are you kidding me?
Just before a grabbed his neck with the rest of the club, I realized that he had a five bass limit and I had a great big, smelly skunk. I think I’ll just have to buy more hook sizes before our next tourney. It would be cheaper than legal fees!
Some anglers just have it, while others…have something else entirely. | Feature photo: Tom “SIC Yakker” Philippi
