Every once in a while everyone stumbles upon the chance to do something unique. My opportunity is to bring back the “Checking the Shoreline” column after a long sabbatical. Thanks to LakeExpo.com, I now have the opportunity to share a story or two, a laugh or two, and hopefully we will all learn a lesson or two in the end. My mission in this column will be to help you find the path to good decisions when fishing here at the lake. I will use stories from my youth, stories that I hear in my store, and I am sure many of you will be giving me your feedback.
I have had help with these articles over the years. Some of the best stories I have shared, and lessons learned, were passed down from my personal fishing heroes and legends. Some of them can still pull a crazy story out of their tackle box… other stories are retold by friends close to anglers now gone. I want to share with you, my new readers and old, the lessons these great fishermen have shared with me. So, like in the live well of a boat, these stories may be kept alive to be released to other anglers wanting to unlock the trophy angler trapped inside themsleves.
I am so fortunate to be given this opportunity and I promise that you will want to check back weekly to see what kind of tall tale, secret tip, or lake lore I will pull from the basement of the greatest fishing stories ever told. I will even from time to time pull out a story from the past to remind us all that fishing isn’t rocket science and great fishing can happen without the latest in modern technology.
I have always been intrigued by what makes a fish bite what, when, how and why.
Let’s all remember one important point to get started filling our limits when we hit the water. A fish swims sideways, they eat, and they make babies. They do this from coast to coast, no matter where they live. If you have found a way to catch fish on a day-to-day basis, keep doing it. If I ever give you a tip or fishing method that you may not agree with, that doesn’t mean that my method is better. So dance with who brought you and you will have a lot of success in your quest for fishing perfection.
Check back next week for a great story -- and good fishing!
(James Bryant co-owns and operates Byant's Osage Outdoors, Highway 5, Laurie, Mo.)
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