See You on the Lake
Fishing methods usually change but the fun never does
Woody Cooper

Remembering all those days that were spent on or near the water brings back fond memories that will last forever. There may be almost no comparison between those days and now but again there is one thing that remains constant and that is the absolute fun of the great outdoors. We always make a run to the water to catch a mess of fish but there are so many other things to enjoy while out in Gods country that catching fish may turn out to be secondary.

There were no lakes in western Oklahoma where I grew up so we fished rivers, creeks and ponds. We were after catfish, bream and perch in those days. There was no such thing as a bait shop so we caught, dug and hunted for our bait for each trip. We carried an old blanket for our bedroll and built a huge fire to keep warm and cook on. The job of gathering fish bait sometimes took several hours and might be sought days before the actual trip. We dug for our worms, we made our dough bait and stink bait well before the trip ever started, we bought our liver and saved the remains of chickens for catfish bait. Crawfish had to be caught or seined from ponds and small bream were caught the day before for trotline bait for the catfish. Old logs were turned over in search for small frogs and stones were flipped to find helgrimites. If the grasshopper was in season we chased them down and swatted them with a willow limb. When I was a tow headed boy I would spend several days finding bait and keeping it alive until the big event took place. The men folks had to work of course and did not have the free time to secure the bait needed. One thing that the men did bring to the event was plenty of home-brew… that, my friend, is home-made beer. About every adult that I knew when a kid had the knack of brewin' his own brew. There was lots of yelling, singing (off key) and laughing around the roaring campfire. The most agreeable smell on earth would have to be bacon frying and coffee boiling over an open fire in the outdoors.

I am sure that most of the forays were during Spring, Summer and Fall because the warm clothing had not been made for the outdoorsmen as of yet. Later on as a teen I went to the water in all kinds of weather and fished and camped out even during college.

There are still folks who use the trotline method of taking catfish from the water and also use limb lines in both rivers and lakes. A trot line is simply a long strong line that has many baited hooks attached to it with a floating device in the middle and a weight on the end of it. A limb line is a short baited line with a weight tied to the end of it and the line is tied to a tree or bush in the water. Even many Bass men put out a limb line or two on some of their trips to the lake.

There are still folks who use the old tried and true cane pole with a bobber but with the cheap fiber glass poles there is a steadily smaller growing number who use this method. Most are elderly or kiddos.

One thing that was once popular is fast declining and for many reasons. That is the practice of camping out. I still see teens setting up camp on occasion but for the most part I no longer see adults doing so. Some of the reasons are easy to see. Many folks own camper vehicles and stay on the lake in comfort. The trip to the water may be such a short trip it seems easier to run back to the comfort of home and drive back tomorrow if need be. The most important one may be that we have gotten soft and camping out is too much work for us. There are sounds and odors and tastes that get while camping out that stay with you throughout your lifetime. The smell of fried bacon and coffee cooked over an open fire is out of this world. The call of a whippoorwill bird at dusk is the most lonesome yet beautiful sound put on this earth .The hoot owl has a sound that is like no other and is very pleasant to listen to .The loud voice of the bullfrog is also a distinct voice in the night when near river, lake or pond. The hair on your neck may never lay back down after hearing a screech owl scream a high pitch solo that can be heard across the county. The chatter of the little squirrel during early morn and the loud noise made by the crow and it's cousin the Bluejay can be heard most days while in the field. Two other sounds that leave an impression would be the chuckling of the ducks sitting on the water nearby and the bugle sound of the high flying geese during the night. The sight and smell of blooming flowers and vines is an added gift of nature to the outdoorsmen. Seeing wild animals is especially exciting for the youngster such as the raccoon, rabbit, squirrel, possum, and an occasional coyote.

During the years that I have spent as a scout master, teacher, coach, swimming instructor, fisherman, camper I have known hundreds and perhaps thousands of young folks and of the hundreds that I have known as outdoorsmen there has been only ONE who ran afoul of the law. For some reason nature seems to instill good things to people who love to live in the great outdoors. For those of us who fell in love with the outdoors it's enough to keep us happy without the need of anything extra to spice up our life. Give me a campfire, a French harp, a pound of bacon and a pound of coffee and forget that I will ever be trouble.

Buckle Up, Drive With Care, Put On A Life Jacket And I'll See You On The Lake.