Probably as long as there has been water man has dangled a hook in it,
trying in some kind of way, shape, or fashion to catch a fish.
One fisherman will fish with success,
feeling that magical tug at the end of a line
while another will go squirreling,
even though he uses identical equipment and bait.
We know a lot of people like to go fishing,
and we also know quite a few of them aren't too successful.
Maybe those who always seem to come home
with a stringer full of fish know something the others don't.
That's what this film is all about.
Whenever a star athlete gets in a slump,
when he just can't operate at peak performance,
he always goes back to basics.
We're going to talk about basics.
Now a fisherman can have a mountain of gear,
one of everything on the market and still not catch fish.
Or he can go simply and cheaply, have a heck of a good time
and string a dinner of mighty fine eating.
Many times it's not what kind of fishing gear you use,
it's how you use it.
When taking sunfish out of a farm pond,
there's not a better rig than a cane pole
and the right kind of bait.
Yes, sir, the old earthworm is still
one of the best baits around for fish catching.
When it's put on the hook correctly and quietly dropped in the water,
there's not a bluegill around that can resist it.
There's no reason to try and get fancy when baiting up with a worm,
just lace him back and forth with the hook.
Sometimes you might have to use a couple of worms
because you want to offer a wrinkling ball of bluegill dinner,
and you don't even have to set the table,
just drop him ever so gently into the water.
You can catch channel catfish the same way,
and we'll talk about that later.
A cane pole can be used with other types of bait,
like minnows, and it can be used with grasshoppers.
During the summer season grasshoppers are readily available
and they make a good bait for latching onto sunfish.
Hook the grasshopper lightly, just under the collar,
so his movement won't be hampered.
Remove the cork and sinker
and let the hopper rest on the water's surface.
After a few kicks he's going to be spotted by a sunfish
and well you know what's going to happen.
But even the best plans don't always work.
Now if you want more sophisticated equipment
you're probably looking at spinning or casting gear.
This fellow is using a closed-faced reel,
good beginner equipment.
With any spin gear you let the wrist do the work.
You don't need to swing the whole arm,
a flick of the wrist does it.
The rod tip is brought back overheard and flicked forward,
the thumb pressure is released,
and the weight of the lure carries the line from the reel.
Then you change hands with the rod and start the retrieve.
When a fish strikes you set the hook
with a sharp wrist movement and a backwards sweep of the rod tip
so that the hook will be firmly set in the fish's mouth.
The best advice on rod and reels is to get a good matched set.
A cheap rod is often too stiff for casting ultra-light lures
and the stiffness takes a lot of the enjoyment out of playing the catch.
As in any sport, practice brings you closer to perfection
and a near perfect cast is many times required
to get a bait back into a shady spot under bankside brush,
but that's where bluegill hang out.
Isn't he a beauty?
Bluegill are great little fish.
Bluegill also can be caught
by a fisherman who quietly walks the bank.
Stay in the shadows where possible and sometimes
it helps to crouch down a bit so you aren't as easily seen.
Cast toward fish using the shallows and watch the cork.
A bouncing cork will signal a nibble.
When the cork takes off it's time to set the hook.
It's a good thing bluegill don't grow to 20 pounds,
you'd never land one of them.
An ultra-light spin rod and a matched open faced reel
is the ultimate in communication between fisherman and fish.
It requires a real ability to land a big fish on such a rig,
but man, that's where the fun is.
Light spinning gear really works well with the many styles of small lures.
Such baits are excellent for bluegill fishing.
Of course, you'll sometimes latch onto a largemouth bass
and with this light gear you'll really have your hands full.
It could well be that you'll wind up with
a broken line and a lost lure, but well that's part of fishing.
Bass lures are of many kinds, some look like fish
and some would get stomped on
if seen crawling across the kitchen floor.
Some run deep, some float on the surface,
and some work at middle depth.
What have you to remember
is to offer the bait as it would naturally appear.
But if you really want to catch bass you'd probably be better off
using a casting rod that's stronger down toward the handle.
Such a rod is called a bass rod
and it's built to really horse an old bass around,
one who's determined he's headed for the weeds and brush.
Surface baits like this one should be worked slowly,
like a frog or a wounded minnow.
Take it easy, fishing shouldn't be a race.
But a fisherman should remember that a small lake or pond
has a small bass population and the population balance
between predators and prey can be easily upset
if too many bass are removed.
Take out a lot of bluegill for each bass that you creel.
Release the small bass to fight another day.
This may be elementary fish management,
but it can assure good future fishing.
We've talked about bass and bluegill,
but there's ordinarily a third fish inhabitant
of the watery world of ponds and small lakes,
that's the channel catfish.
Like the bass, the channel is a predator,
but he's not a very efficient one and therefore
he does most of his feeding off the lake's bottom.
He can be caught on about any type of gear,
and while fishermen will defend their individual technique,
a good rig would consist of a stout rod,
a six or eight pound test line on a closed or open faced reel,
a sliding sinker, a small split shot,
and a number 1 or 2 sized hook.
First the sliding sinker is put on the line
making sure that it slides freely.
Next a small split shot
is clamped about six inches from the line's end.
The shot simply prevents the sliding sinker
from following the hook while allowing the fish
to freely take out line without dragging the weight along.
There are several good knots you could use for tying on hooks,
but the clinch knot is one of the best
and about the easiest to tie.
It's also a good idea to trim any excess line from the knot.
Once he's rigged up, a fisherman has to search out the best fishing location.
One of the best spots for channel catfish
is an a long point of land running into the main lake.
A wind blowing toward the fisherman is preferred
because the wave action stirs small particles of food from the bottom
and thereby setting the table for old whiskers.
Catfish are not gourmets;
they will eat anything from baloney to tomatoes.
Chicken livers, aged shrimp, and stink baits are good, but probably
one of the best baits is the heart, liver, and lungs from
winter killed game like rabbits, quail, dove, and water fowl.
Such baits can be saved from hunting trips and frozen for later use.
Or you could use the dependable old earthworm.
One of the best things about cat fishing is that it's so relaxing.
There's nothing strenuous about it.
Bait up the hook and cast the bait as far as possible.
Let the bait settle to the bottom.
Reel the line in until it is snug, then release the line tension.
Prop the rod up with an old tree limb or stick
and sit back and relax.
Some fishermen prefer to pull a few feet of line off the reel
so the biting fish will not feel the line.
Let the biting fish nibble away and pull out a few feet of line,
then pick up the rod and set the hook with a hefty swing of the rod tip.
Don't rush your strike.
Although channel catfish can reproduce in farm ponds,
their young are usually eaten by the bass and bluegills,
so generally speaking there will only be a few channels
in each small impoundment.
Handle the fish by their mouths so they won't be injured,
and you won't get a painful puncture from the horned pectoral fins.
If you want to stretch your future fishing pleasure,
keep the larger fish and release the smaller ones.
Don't keep any unless you intend to eat them.
Well we've talked a bit about methods of catching bass,
bluegill, and channel catfish.
We've made experts of no one; that wasn't intended.
Besides, we're not experts ourselves when it comes to fish catching.
But one of the nice things about fishing is
that there's always more to be learned
and there's a lot of enjoyment to be had in doing it.
A guy never solved world problems while he's fishing,
but he's not contributing to them either.
And crazy as it is, there's something very magical
about the tug on the end of a fishing line.
So if you need any excuse,
tell them you're heading out to a learning situation
and let's go fishing!