A day in the life on one of New Jersey's small lakes (home)

[desertsun41]

I got the idea to post this after our own local sligogirl member posted memories about Sandy Hook, NJ this week. This is a true story. It happened to me. I wrote this about 20 years ago about my favorite lake, Lake Assumpink down in Mercer County. I shortened it slightly for the sake of space and changed a few fishing terms into understandable words for the non fishermen.

Enjoy !

It was just another one of those days, no sign of life in the water. Probably the result of a cold front that passed the other day. My 8" black plastic worm was dragged through every lunker spot I discovered over the years. Dropping down to a 6" worm soaked in fish formula I caught a small 15" Black Bass. Hours passed without another hit. To speed up the fishing if not the catching, a spinner bait was thrown toward every likely bit of shore line cover. Not even a tap. Nothing. Bored I felt ready to pack it in. But it was still early and the thought of going grocery shopping seemed deadly.

Reaching for the motor pull cord to try just one more spot, I noticed the tackle box sitting there. No wonder I was bored, I had fallen into a rut. I must have a hundred different lures in that box all laid out like a precious coin collection. A couple more lures and the boat would sink yet the last time any of them got wet was when it rained.

I picked out a classy black and silver Rapala Fat Rap floating lure. Top water lures dont always produce but they are fun to play with. You can do all kinds of tricks with them. I casted to just past the edge of a patch of Lilly pads, stopped, then twitched again. Still no takers. Oh well it was not my day I figured. That's it. Fish ain't biting today.

Then just as the rings dispursed, I was completely unprepared, the Lilly pads parted and the huge jaws of a big hawg Bass slammed shut on the lure. A quick tail flip and a few surface somersaults propelled the big Brut deep into the Lilly pads that he calls home. He skillfully threaded the line around the Lilly stems and a tug of war was on. The Lillys shook violently and some were pulled under as the line slid up the stems. Soon the Lilly pads only moved in response to my fishing pole. The big brute Bass was free.

Now certain it was not my day I paddled through the jungle of weeds to fetch my lure which was snagged firmly on the Lilly stems. Reclaiming my lure, I headed home. While driving I concluded that catching one Bass on with a surface lure was worth catching 10 on a fake worm. A new love of surface fishing was born that day.

I skipped school that day. It would be the first of many as I explored the small backwoods ponds and lakes through the years that NJ is blessed with. I got the boat back home before Dad noticed it missing. Never forget this: A bad day of fishing is better then a good day at work.....any day any time.

This was the most memorable day in my life but more would follow.

[mike0421]

The Arbogast hula popper is your friend!