A couple of weeks ago someone I know moved close to me. We go way back, mostly working construction, he was an Instrument Journeyman, now retired.

Called me Friday to see what I was up to over the weekend, told him I had planned to go fishing. Asked him if he wanted to go, he said he’d not been fishing in years, thought he might give it another try.

His last comment before hanging up was “Hell, how hard can it be to outsmart something with a brain the size of a pea?”

I chuckled, he obviously was not a fisherman.

I had to work yesterday, so gave him a pass for today. He wasn’t to keen on 4:30 AM for a start time, grumbled and moaned, but showed up on time, unlike so many who wanted to go with me in the past.

I found plenty of bait in three throws of a cast net, off we went. Showed him the rigging, how to handle an Ambasseduer reel, how to bait ETC as I set up for a drifting session. Figured that would be the easiest way to break him in, no casting involved and the Blue Cats have been biting like crazy the last week, with a number of decent Hybrids (mule, Striped bass/White bass cross, someone once told me they were like white bass on steroids, with a bad attitude and a raging case of rabies. I agreed.) thrown in to make it really interesting some as large as 15 Lbs.

He made the comment again about brain size, I didn’t say a word. Told him the starboard rods were his, and if he let one get jerked in he owed me $150 Bucks, in cash, right then.

From my daily log.

S/Canadian arm L Eufaula, w Bridge US69 Drift 15-20/W/D 30-50Ft
W Hazy, Wind S/SE 5-12, AirTemp 70, Water temp 78.
Water Clear.

5:54AM, Blue 12Lbs (Me)K
Partner missed two, lost bait, broke off one.
6:18AM Blue 11Lbs (Me)K
6:32AM Blue 19Lbs (Me)R
Partner missed five in a row. (I haven’t heard invective like that for years)
6:56AM Blue 3Lbs (Partner)K
7:10 AM Blue, big one 40+ estimated, up to boat twice, hook finally pulled out. (Me)
7:24 Am double, partner Blue 16Lbs K, I broke off.
7:25-7:45 Partner m four. (New invective, in fascinating combinations.)
7:48 Am Hybrid 9Lbs Partner BFG R
8:10 L fish Unidentified, st deep, broke off in timber. (Me)

Move 1000 Yds west- new drift

8:45 Am Blue 26Lbs (Partner) RBFG K

Note; drifting r channel, small rock pile old bank, bluff, 36FtD. Hookup BFM. Unable to move off bottom. 18Min on. Chase 100 yds deeper water (60). Broke off. Marked GPS Loc, try night, live Perch, Hvy line(40+).

And so it went till the bite went off about 10 or so.
Admittedly it was an exceptional day, but not that unusual this time of year.

After we pulled the boat out I asked him if he had changed his mind about pea sized brains.

“Ah hell man, they’re just fish, how damned smart can they be.” He changed the subject. But when we were cleaning the boat he was fingering some of my gear with a distant look.

As he was getting ready to leave he casually asked me if I had any fishing catalogues. Damned if he didn’t get off with my Netcraft, Cabela’s and new Bass Pro books.
Called me tonight and worked his way around to asking me about the boats we build.

I wonder if he’s changed his mind?

Pea sized or not, a few million years of evolutionary instinct is damned hard to fool. I wonder if I should take him bass fishing, he’d find out just how effective that pea sized brain is.