Fishing: Roger’s Remarks for Sept. 8

I’ve decided that one of the joys of life, especially of fishing, is having a good buddy unintentionally screw up and then having the opportunity to properly harass the poor conflicted soul. It doesn’t happen very often, but if you’re like me, I believe it’s important not to waste these opportunities to get “one up” while you have the chance! I look at it as ensuring I have ammo next time I pull one of my stupid stunts.

Last week, my longtime coastal fishing buddy Andy Bedell drove over to meet me at San Luis for a striper outing. Getting out early, we trolled for two nonproductive hours before I saw this weird red colored plug in my box. I remembered a buddy telling me about a similar colored plug working recently, so I tied it on and let it out.

Within five minutes we had a hit, landing an average size striper, plus several other fish, in the next hour. Nothing else was working. I made real sure my line was OK each time we got a fish because we only had this one lure. Here I was carrying hundreds of all kinds of plugs and this was the only one working! Guess that’s why I bring the kitchen sink along.

At this point, Andy yells that there are some small stripers on top chasing minnows right behind us. I cast the hot lure to the boil and one little 16-incher hits like a truck! I give the pole to Andy and tell him to cast it while I go look for anything like our hot lure for me to tie on.

I had my head down searching for another lure when I felt the boat rock and heard a loud whack on the side! Not good! I looked up to see Andy sheepishly lift up our special plastic lure that now had a huge quarter-inch hole! Andy had seen a fish that needed a long cast, but being excited and really loading up to punch the lure out there had forgotten to open the bail! He’s actually a good caster, but as I’ve done many times myself, he was loaded for bear on the cast and that’s when a closed bail can really hurt you. All that power has to go somewhere!

I had hoped it had just taken off the paint, but this lure wasn’t going anywhere as I desperately tried swimming it anyway. Our only effective plug, with no backup, and it gets destroyed in a way I’ve never had happen! I had Andy now! I tried to be serious for about five minutes as he dejectedly tried to live down the incident. “Andy, that was quite a cast!” I deadpanned. I could see he felt he had ruined our trip. It made me think back to some massive casts I made if front of people when the top of my two-piece rod came apart midcast and went farther than my lure, but I wisely didn’t share that.

Seizing my golden opportunity, I tried to make him feel better (guilty) by calmly (trying not to laugh) explaining what it all meant. (As if he didn’t know!) “You realize of course that was the only lure we have like that, and it was the only one that was working! In addition, we may not catch another fish today, and yes, I know you didn’t mean to do that, however you’re the only one who has ever destroyed a key lure like that in this boat before. Impressive! All firsts Andy!”

Poor guy. I got him bad, but he’s always a good sport! He looked a little peaked, but I knew he would appreciate it a lot more later – much later! He eventually laughed – a little – as I gave him my halfhearted apology afterward …!

Yeah, great fishing buddies are like a good punching bag: They can usually take a big hit and absorb the blow! I try to avoid bad karma, but sometimes it’s worth it. Ha! Bet you’re glad you don’t fish with me. Never give up!

This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Fishing: Roger’s Remarks for Sept. 8."