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Bob took me fishing at several area locations. We fished most often at the farm ponds located on the university farm.  It was here that he taught me how to fish for bass and crappie. We would often fish in the evening and we were fairly successful.

Bob taught me how to slowly fish a surface lure. He used a balsa wood Rapala floating minnow which was popular at that time. I even bought my own lure which I still have to this day. It was with this lure that I have proved the old axiom about fishing equipment. Lures catch many more fisherman than fish.

We fished several local lakes including the lake at Argyle State Park. This park, best known for beer drinking “lakers”, proved to be not much good for fishing. We caught a few bass and some black crappies, but that was all.

One fishing experience was at a pay-to-fish lake. This was the only time I did this. You pay a small initial fee and the rest of the cost is by the pound of fish caught. No fish are allowed to be thrown back. 

We waited with our rods while a pick-up pulled up the dam forming the lake. An employee banged on a fifty gallon drum and the water began to churn as fish rose to the surface. The employee then threw scoops of fish food pellets into the water and the fish went crazy, hitting the surface repeatedly. We were told to cast. As with Coleta, the fish bit at everything that entered the surface. I caught two fish on two casts and decided this was no fun. I reeled in and gave my two catfish to another person.

Later that same spring, Bob and my friend Jerry W., went fishing without me. I had a final exam, they were graduating seniors and finished early. I saw Jerry in the hallway late that afternoon. He told me to come into the restroom. In the deep restroom sink used for rinsing clothes, there were six huge largemouth bass. Jerry said the smallest weighed four pounds.

I was so jealous. I asked where they had caught the fish. He said they sneaked into the back side of the pay-to-fish lake and caught them there. He said the bass were so active the one hit his bobber while he was reeling in another fish. Now that would have been a sight to see.