Interesting article.
http://www.fishingclub.com/my-nafc/community-blogs/articletype/articleview/articleid/3281/7-old-timers-fishing-tricks-bet-you-didnt-know
I now realize how lucky I was to grow up riding shotgun in my dad’s old Chevy pickup, criss-crossing Otter Tail County’s backroads, learning how to trap leeches and minnows. Guess I knew it at that time, too, but in these complicated days, I look back wearing rose-colored glasses. I miss the old man, that bait shop and our times together.
Yep, I was one lucky kid.
For starters, I got to hang out with my folks while they were at work. Just imagine what it was like for them to have a snot-nosed kid on their heels from 5 in the morning until I fell asleep each night! But they were patient. Sure, sometimes they’d tell me to “scram," “go play in the street” or “get lost,” but that wasn’t such a bad thing. I’d simply walk the 500 feet to the lake and fish the day away.
One of the great things about growing up in a baitshop is hearing a lot a big fish stories, like the tales of “Ol’ Sawmill Pete” a giant muskie many had hooked but none had landed. Baitshop regulars claimed it was a state record. Why he was called ‘Ol’ Sawmill Pete" is anybody’s guess. Another question I should’ve asked my dad.
And that’s just one example of the countless stories told over the old formica table in the little apartment attached to the bait shop, the early-morning, lunchtime and occasional after-hours meeting place of the town’s diehard fishermen and n’er-do-wells. Also the residence of my dad’s best friend “Pops” Jones, a retired World War I vet (whose teeth were kicked out by horse while serving in the cavalry), the daily gin rummy games and coffee round-tables served as a classroom of sorts for a kid like me.
James “Pops” Jones: WWI vet, leech sorter, expert fisherman (shown w/ James “Jamie” Edlund, circa 1982) The Rainbow Bait Years: Portrait Of The Angler As A Young Man
While growing up I probably heard thousands of old-timers’ fishing tricks. Sure, a lot of them were nothing more than hyperbole mixed with superstition (and very un-PC humor), but some definitely seemed practical.
Recently, while paging through George Herter’s 1965 angling opus Secret Fresh And Salt Water Fishing Tricks Of The World’s Fifty Best Professional Fishermen, I was reminded of some of the tips I heard guys like Pops tell—sage offerings like “never use a stringer—always put your fish in a cooler to keep 'em fresh and the snapping turtles away.”
Keep in mind we’re talking about the late 1970s and early 1980s—most fishermen weren’t yet on the level of conservation and stewardship practiced today. That said, please check with your local and state regulations before considering any of these old-timers’ tips!
-
Chewing tobacco (snoose) spit or Vick’s nose drops rubbed on minnows will catch more crappies.
-
Use a bird’s feather to add more movement to your bait. Simply stick a 5 to 6-inch quill in your cork (or use a rubber band to attach to your modern float) and the breeze will give your bait added coverage and movement.
-
Submerge sheets of aluminum foil or tin just off the side of your boat (or staple them to the bottom of your boat) to attract fish.
-
Pour hot water on fish before you scale them. Scales come off easily and will not fly off.
-
Use a pine cone as a bobber when fishing trout.
-
Prior to still fishing, smear your anchor with fish oil or fish guts to attract fish.
-
Heavy logging chain makes an efficient and affordable river anchor for small fishing boats and canoes.
Do you have any old-timers’ fishing tricks to share? Please leave a comment; I’d love to hear them! — Web Ed. Jim
0123704879
mc_thyran@yahoo.com
**Even a fish could stay out of trouble if it would just learn to keep its mouth shut.