Sorry Commies, You Lose

Yesterday was Labor Day and the fish were staging a "go-slow" in solidarity with their Marxist comrades, the Dove. But one battle lost doesn't mean a war over, far from it.

Today we turned the tables on aquatic bolshevism, luring the scaly soviets out of their revolutionary committees with live worms, spinners and topwater lures.

That's right, a Heddon Tiny Torpedo which the voracious little bass couldn't resist. It'd been a while since I used one and they demand a bit of patience, the temptation being to try and set the hook as soon as the fish strikes. Big mistake, you'll snatch the lure out of the piscine communist's mouth.

Instead, let the aggressive revolutionary surge onto the lure, take it down into the proletarian depths, apply pressure and then reel the little commie in. Easy to say, hard to do because it goes against the quick and sudden hookset mentality that goes with a subsurface strike.

Still, I got in the way of it, casting off, letting the lure rest and then twitching it in to various rhythms. Speaking of which, fishing wisdom recommends you do your best to keep the lure as stationary as possible as you twitch it about. This apparently enrages the predatory nihilist bass who then launch themselves at their bourgeois oppressor.

Well it takes a lot of patience, so I emulated the method while changing it up with more aggressive retrieves and caught a lot of fish. They weren't huge but a fish is a fish and even a small bass striking topwater's a lot of fun. Great result.

Market-driven capitalism restored and the Red Menace put back in its box, I blessed a herd of horses and a barn. Then headed back to the Compound.

God bless,

LSP

Get Out And Fish

The international readership of this popular mind blog aren't slow when it comes to editorial advice. "Hey, LSP," they say, "Less God and more fishin'!" It's a very good thing, then, that I was able to swing by the lake today on the way back from visiting the sick.

I set up on the bank opposite my usual spot because I was looking for adventure and sure enough, there were plenty of fish cruising the submerged limestone bank. Hopes up, it was time to cast off with the tried and true weightless worm rig (WWR), but the fish were slow to bite, perhaps because it was pushing 100* in the shade. Still, a few took the bait and before long I'd tallied up a decent little catch of Bluegill.

But what I really wanted was a school of leaping, blitzing Bass to come into the shore, and the chance to get on them with topwater lures. Good action when you can get it and the backup rod was ready for just that, rigged for the surface with a Heddon Tiny Torpedo. True to form, the fish were jumping about 100 feet off the bank, would they get any closer?

Looking Over Yonder at the Usual Spot

The question was called by a couple of young Lakesters, "Y'all caught 'nyfish?" and I  told them I had. "You bet, Bluegill, but look at that, jumping Bass. Set up for topwater." Right at that moment the line bent low and something fierce took the worm and started to run, I love that feeling, fish on! And it was, another Bluegill, but a good one. I reeled him in. "Nice Perch," said my new fishing friend and walked down the bank with his pal to try their luck.

That didn't happen for them and before long they were doing backflips off the bluff and "singing" country rap. I scorn country rap and moved away in search of a better spot. A few casts later, something hit my worm like a miniature freight train, and lo and behold, out came a baby Bass. A ferocious little thing, and that's put me in mind to go after his larger cousins.

With apologies to the "Less God Brigade," I thank Him for the opportunity to get out to the glassy waters of the lake and the chance to fish under the big Texan sky. There's peace in that and excitement, too, when the fish are on.

Tight lines,

LSP

Threeper Bass Blitz

Don't get me wrong, Bluegill fishing is pretty fun, a lot of fun, even, and they're good for the fry up. But when you've caught a relaxing cooler full you start to wonder if there's more adventure to be had in Seaworld, well, Lakeworld. And there is, Bass Blitz!

There you are, reeling in the ferocious panfish from the limestone bank when off to your left, maybe 100 yards away, there's a sound like frying bacon. But it's not bacon, or the warming noise of a crackling fire, it's fish, leaping up out of the water in a blitzing feeding frenzy.

Look Out! Blitz Starting! Come on You Fish!

If only they were closer! you think as you hoist up another piranalike fighter and, just in case, you rig up a topwater lure on your backup rod. I chose a large Heddon Super Spook, why? Because I wanted the lure to be weighty enough for a long cast.

Ah Ha!

Sure enough, the Blitz came in, as the leaping Bass tore up the water within 30 or 40 yards. So I got on them with the Spook. Bang! and the lure went down. Big fun, I tell you. But here's the thing, the Spook was too big and I'd have caught more with a Tiny Torpedo, still, hindsight's 20/20.

See The Rain?

Then rain came in, the lake grew choppy and the Blitz subsided into the deep, leaving me with no option but to head to a desk, a computer and a printer. Please don't laugh, it's true.

Threeper

For some reason a Threeper Pie seems appropriate.

Blitz on!

LSP

Torpedo Los!

Here's the thing about the Torpedo. It works. I don't know why, I'm not an expert, but perhaps it's the spitting noise of the propeller, combined with a slow twitch retrieve. 

Tiny Torpedo Topwater Lure

Maybe it's the color of the lure and the way it rolls in the water that triggers the aquatic predator to strike and strike hard. I don't know, perhaps it's all these things and more. But one thing is certain.

The Torpedo Works

The Torpedo works and works well. My Baby Bass variant has caught more fish in a month than I'd usually catch in a year. Granted, because of our enemy, the Weather, I've been fishing more and riding and shooting less.

Random Photo of  Jeffrey John

Still, the Torpedo is a lure to be reckoned with, and they're cheap. Get yours at the local Walmart and catch some fish. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Tight lines,

LSP

Crazy Mental Insane Fishing

There I was at Lake Whitney, casting away without a whole lot of success, and my luck was mirrored by the multi-ethnic band of anglers that make up modern America's fishing community. Good people, no doubt about it, but no one was catching any fish.

Then Shad started schooling in the channel, about 30 yards off of the bank. You could see them flicking out of the water and swirling in ever increasing numbers. I waded out along a submerged ledge to get in the action and send my lure into the Shad in the hope of picking up feeding Bass. 

Random Widemouth

Not much was happening, just more and more of the jolly little Shad messing about in the water. Then it happened. A surging, leaping, exploding wall of Bass broke the water about 30 feet off to the left, blitzing the Shad.

Staring in wonderment at the Bassnado, I cast into the thickest part of the surge and down went the lure. No twitching, no scientific retrieve, just boom. Fish on. Two fish were on in fact, one on each treble, and that became apparent as I reeled them in to the ledge. I held them up for my wading wary Latino pals to see, "Ha! Topwater!" they thought that was pretty cool, "You're on them, man."

No sooner were the Hybrids back in the water to live to fight another day, than another wave of marauding Bass exploded up. Cast! And another catch. This went on for about 30 minutes, as Bass tsunami after tsunami burst on the merry little band of Shad. 

I tell you, it was crazy, mental, insane, fast fishing. Watching the ferocity of the Bass erupting out of the water was excitement enough. Catching them only added.

Then the sun was setting and it was over; time to head back to the compound.

God bless,

LSP

Texas Tranquility

It was peaceful on the lake after Mass but it was also exciting, because the Bass were jumping. Excitingly tranquil, perhaps.

One of the wide-mouthed mariners surged onto my lure, a Tiny Torpedo, and I have to say, well done, Heddon, for making something that actually catches fish. So, what do you do? Set back for an aggressive hookset? 

No, you do not. You follow Fishing Science and allow the fish to take the lure down into the depths as you apply steady pressure. The action of the fish and the twin trebles do the rest. Then you enjoy the fight, and this one was full of it.

Plenty of action and no shortage of the sound every fisherman loves, drag ratcheting out as a fish runs with your hook. But all too soon this one was up on the flooded ledge I was fishing from and I brought him, or was it a she, maybe a zhir?, up to the bank.

A couple of lakeside visitors were impressed by this and took some photos. They were from Fort Worth, looking to get out of the Metrosprawl and into some Texas tranquility. And who can blame them, I hope they found it.

Here's the deal. Take some time out of your busy schedule and fish. It won't do you any harm and might do you a lot of good, unless you hook yourself in the eye, or fall out of your $70k Bass Boat onto an overdraft and break your neck. 

Fish Rising,

LSP

Don't Scorn Bank Fishing

People scorn bank fishing. They say, "Look, loser. Where's your Mercury rig Bass Boat?" and I know what they mean. Having a boat should equal catching more fish, as well as planing about on the lake like the King of Texas. But that's not always the case.

Just the other day, on Lake Whitney's spillway, there I was, casting off into the current from the bank while a boat full of guys anchored opposite me and started fishing. Who caught more? I did; 8 Bass to their 0 Bass. Mind you, they drank 8 beers to my 0 beers. So they won that part of the contest.

I reflected on that and the message was clear. You can have a perfectly good fishing experience from the bank. In fact, you might even do better than some clowns goofing off in a boat, and that's the way it was this evening.

No boat, but plenty of fishing action from the shore of Lake Whitney as the sun was setting. Was it beautiful? Yes. Was it exciting? For sure, especially when a decent Bass smashed into my lure. Was it expensive? Not nearly so expensive as a boat, or a night out in Dallas.

Still, I'm looking forward to one of my rich socialist pals redistributing part of their great wealth to me in the form of a Skiff. For that matter, I'd be happy with a canoe, maybe one with a motor.

And, let the record show, I've resolved to learn fly fishing. I've heard that can even be done from the bank.

Carry on,

LSP

The Awesome Power of Topwater Fishing

I know what you're thinking, all 5 of you that read this shallow excuse for a mind blog. You're thinking for someone who's always banging on about the awesomness of topwater lures, you sure don't seem to use them much. In fact, you spent the best part of Trinity Sunday afternoon fishing with a spoon, so-called LSP, if that's your real name, which we doubt.

OK, I stand rebuked, but it's a mark of character to be able to take constructive criticism and improve performance. And with that in mind, I set off for an evening of Tiny Torpedo topwater engagement with the aquatic opposition at Lake Whitney.

Lake Whitney at Dusk, Choppy

I won't bore you by saying how still, tranquil and glassy smooth the lake was, and I won't take up your time with the conversation I had with a fellow Angler, a youngish black fellow who proudly announced that he was "a Harris" and that he'd bought his rod at a pawnshop. I liked him; good for you, taking pride in the family name. Anyway, he left for Lake Aquilla and I got on with business.

In a short while Perch were swirling around the Torpedo. That got my hopes and adrenalin up, hey the Torpedo works. But no bites. Bass, on the other hand, were breaking the water off to my right towards the dam. Go where the fish are, says Fishing Wisdom, and that's what I did.

Catch That Bass! On a Torpedo

The Torpedo whipped those Bass into a frenzy and before long one was on the line, leaping and fighting. I brought him in, a decent fish, and for about 20 minutes it was fish on and big action. Exciting, one of the best things out there, as the ferocious predators explode around your lure.

Then it was dark and time to go, the awesomness of topwater fishing vindicated.

Fish On,

LSP

Topwater

Heddon Tiny Torpedo

Fishing with topwater lures can offer explosive action and big fun, no doubt about it. Bass will attack that twitching bit of plastic, hitting the lure like steam train before pulling it down into the depths, and the fight's on. 

The emphasis here is on can; a lot of the time, if you're me, poppers, torpedoes, spooks and the like produce no action at all. Still, the other day at Lake Whitney I had good success with a Torpedo and decided to read up on the subject. I found this article helpful, here's an excerpt:

Wham! When the strike came, I stifled my jerk reflex and waited for the fish to pull the bait down. Then, when I felt tension, I set back, and in short order a surprised three-pounder was flopping in my net.

Heddon Spook

...Most every brushpile harbored bass, and my Tiny Torpedo and that stay-put, irritating retrieve were the keys to catching them. Those fish never hit when the lure first gurgled into range. Instead, it was the twitching that changed their mood from neutral to aggressive. By tantalizing them long enough, the lure triggered their instinct to kill the "helpless prey" even though they weren't hungry.

So this is the object with topwater lures, to present bass with a vulnerable, unaware "creature" that is an easy target, then allowing nature to take its course.

You can read the rest of it here and learn something about the why, where, when and how of topwater lures. For me the why's simple, sheer excitement at the ferocious, leaping, impact of the Bass. 

Lake Aquilla, The Challenge Is On!

Nothing like it and while I'm no expert, the success I have had makes me want more. A lot more.

Fish On,

LSP