Making Sense Of Our Senses

Fortunately for us humanoids, we come equipped with a variety of things that help us navigate the world, especially when you like to hunt and fish. It’s our senses; those inborn things that give us the ability to see, to hear, to feel.

Take squirrel hunting for example. You’re sitting in the woods on a cool fall morning and you hear a variety of sounds, like birds singing, leaves falling, the rustle of trees when there is a breeze. Then you detect something different. You hear the sound of tiny claws on bark or the soft “whack….whack” of something eating a hickory nut. You don’t need to see it; you already know it’s a squirrel.

Fishing for an unseen quarry lurking beneath the surface calls into play most of our senses. We hear surface feeding fish, we see our line twitch when a fish takes the lure.
It’s the sense of touch, the ability to feel what’s going on down there out of sight that may be of utmost importance. Fishing rods made of graphite and boron used by most anglers today are super-sensitive scientific marvels allowing the angler to feel the gentle pick-up when a bass inhales a plastic worm. Even with these sensitive fibers working on the side of the angler, though, sensitivity to touch is of utmost importance.

Some fishermen have a sense of touch that is more acute than other anglers. Mike Lowrance, a Murfreesboro, TN angler, is one of those. He has become a nationally-known specialist at catching fish by “feel”. He competes in national tournaments matching his skills, cast-for-cast, with the best in the business and he is able to hold his own with any of them.

Lowrance’s secret is that he has perfected the fine art of super-sensitivity more so than most anglers.

“I am of the opinion,” says Lowrance, “that my senses are no better than anybody else’s. The big difference is that when I’m fishing, I don’t let anything distract me. My attention is on what I’m doing while others may be distracted by something else. They only feel about 40 percent of what they should because they’re not paying attention.”

“I cannot use a closed face reel….it has no feel. I prefer a revolving spool reel and I’ve learned you have to keep your finger in contact with the line at all times. When you use your line as the sensitivity device, you’re feeling it all, right down to the vibration of the lure. You know what your lure is doing. You can feel if you’re running it properly. I feel I have a quicker response with the line than the rod. As a matter of fact,” he added, “I know I do.”

One of Lowrance’s secrets is that he uses a line that has a smooth finish and that lays down smooth and flat on the spool. While he uses graphite rods because of their quickness and fast response, the line is of more importance to Lowrance.

“The rod is the casting equipment. I feel the fish with the line,” he said.

Hearing about Mike Lowrance and his ability to fish by feel, I couldn’t help but speculate that most anglers would do a better job at what they do if they forced themselves to concentrate more on feel.

Try to imagine how it would be to spend a day anchored at a favorite worm hole wearing a blindfold. After a period of adjustment where you cast out into blackness and felt the lure settle to the bottom, it is logical to imagine that your sensitivity would begin to improve as you are forced to rely strictly on the message the line is conveying to you as you slowly work the plastic worm over structure.

Mike Lowrance developed his sensitivity in this manner, after a fashion. He did it, however, out of necessity rather than choice.

Mike Lowrance is totally blind.

FISHING REPORT

CANEY LAKE – Bass fishing has been good early mornings fishing topwater lures around the grass. Some are also being caught at night on Ole Monster plastic worms and deep diving crank baits with some big fish reportedly caught. During the day, deep diving crank baits and soft plastics fished on underwater humps is best. Bream fishing has slowed as the fish are scattered. Crappie are best fishing jigs or shiners around submerged tops. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU – Crappie are fair around the trees. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Hot weather has slowed things a bit. Bass best early mornings on topwaters and big plastic worms later in the day. Crappie fishing has been fair fishing around deep brush. Bream fishing has slowed. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER – Crappie fishing has improved around deep brush in the river. Bass fishing has improved fishing shad imitation lures in the cuts. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE –. Bass have been best early morning on topwaters. swim baits and square billed crank baits fished around the edge of the grass. Soft plastics and crank baits working best later. When lake begins drawdown, moving water should turn them on. Crappie are good on the flats in 12-14 foot water and along the edges of the channels and hitting shiners and jigs. Bream are off the beds and scattered. Catfishing is good fishing cold worms off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE –Bass fishing is best at night fishing soft plastics and dark spinners and crank baits around lighted piers. Some have been caught early mornings on topwater lures fished along the edges of grass. Crappie are in deep water and are best around submerged brush on shiners and jigs. Bream are scattered and fair on crickets and worms. Stripers should be schooling. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good while others are slow. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is at a standstill with slow fall expected. Fishing overall is quite slow. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.