This fishing trip had to be one of the most frustrating yet. We were on a lake that boasted of big walleyes that had been eager to bite; at least up until we got there. We tried different spots, various baits, and all times of the day with absolutely no luck.

In a last ditch attempt my partner decided to switch to a different colored jig. It wasn’t your ordinary run of the mill color either. I think he called it a shade of root beer.

We went back to the first spot we tried and began to cast. It was almost unbelievable.  Immediately he caught a nice walleye, and soon a second. By the time I tied on a root beer jig he had a third. The walleyes just loved that certain colored jig. In the short time we had left to fish we caught eight walleyes that ranged from three to almost ten pounds, the biggest stringer of walleyes I ever got in on.

Now I’ll be the first to agree that fish are not going to be that fussy all the time, but occasionally fish definitely prefer a lure of one color over another. Research has proven that fish have cones and rods in their eyes that enable them to discern one color from another.

Some reputable biologist doubt the validity of new electronic color selectors that are supposed to determine which color the fish want. I don’t have any personal feeling one way or the other, but since the color craze has caught on and tackle manufacturers are turning out lures in every color in the spectrum.

I think that determining which color to use is fairly simple. At least the plan I use has worked for me. First of all, I try to match my lure color to the color of the fish’s natural food found in the lake. This includes brown, gray, black, green, white, and metallic colored lures. If the fish are aggressive, I may use bright colors that will attract fish that might not see a drab colored lure. A good example is using a bright orange or red spoon for northern pike. For some reason walleyes really go for orange, fluorescent green, and yellow.

Another factor to consider is visibility. In stained or murky water bright fluorescent oranges, yellows and greens are good to use because the fish can see them better. For years, walleye fishermen have been using bright colored spinners and lures for walleyes in deep water where plain colored lures lose their identity.

Changing from one colored lure to another does not make up for lack of fishing knowledge or proper techniques, but the right color can sometimes save the day. I know I always carry the root beer jigs anyway!

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Many moons ago, I made a commitment to never go fishing at midnight again. Oh, yeah. I know all about the die hards who drop their their lines at the stroke of midnight on opening night, or day, or whatever the correct definition is. Their line of thinking is to get first crack at naive fish that haven’t seen a real lure since last fall.

Now all that sounds fine and dandy, but I have never done well fishing during the grave yard shift. I guess I’ve caught a few fish, but never enough to make up for the hopelessly tangled lines, chilly temperatures, and debilitating hazards associated with nocturnal angling.

I recall one lusty fellow who insisted I go out with him for the opener. “Those big walleyes are like werewolves. They only turn on after the sun has gone down, and no night is as good as the first night of the year. Just meet me at midnight, Howard, and I’ll show you a thing or two.” I would like to think it was an invitation, but it wasn’t. It had the ring of a challenge, a dare I couldn’t back out from. “You got it, Wally. I’ll meet you down at Headstone Landing at 11:30″  I replied.

I wanted to portray my enthusiasm (of which I had none) so I showed up early. But Wally was already there, along with another guy I didn’t know. Actually I still don’t know the man because I never saw his face, it was dark. All I know is that he answered to the name of Leo.

Quickly I jumped in the boat with my gear and away we went. Wally and Leo were brave like Columbus, I was with the crew headed for the edge of the world.

The darkness was thick and penetrating out on the water. No one made a sound, except Wally who made a grunting sound as he rowed. Across Headstone Bay we went and stopped where a rock point jutted out into the lake.

“Now we need a little light” Wally stated. From his end of the boat I heard a rustling noise and the squeak of lantern being prepared. I was just ready to say what a good idea that was when I heard a crash and a curse. “Anybody with a match on his body must leave the boat immediately. There is kerosene all over the boat.” Wally moaned.

“Forget it, let’s just fish.”  Leo muttered.

“Yeah, well you’re on my tackle box.”  Wally retorted.

“It was that or sit on your lunch up by Jeff!”

I suddenly realized it hadn’t been a soft boat cushion I was sitting on.

“You always screw things up, Leo!” Wally yelled. And away the two cohorts went. For several minutes they fumed about borrowed tackle that had not been returned, who’s mother was ugly and who’s wasn’t, and on and on. During all this I decided to toss out a jig and lay low. I was just ready to vote for an aborted trip when a big fish nailed my jig. Like a wild horse it stripped off line and doubled my rod. Wally and Leo immediately ceased arguing and started yelling encouragement.

By the thumping and head shaking I could tell this was no small fish. After the initial frenzy the fish stayed deep. Around the boat it swam with me and two enraptured men following, jumping from seat to seat.

“How big is it? Feels good, eh? Where’s the net?” Oops, sorry about your rod, Wally. That’s OK. Your new thermos just went overboard, Leo.” After slugging it out deep for ten minutes the fish surfaced. Somewhere in the dark we could hear it thrashing. Like a madman Wally found the net and somehow got the fish entangled in the mesh. Frantically he heaved it aboard.

The big fish hit the bottom of the boat and freaked out. With it’s great tail it scattered stray lures, over turned tackle boxes, hooks, and smashed sandwiches. But undaunted we leaped on the great fish and pinned it to the floor.

“Do I dare light a match to see this baby?” Leo gasped.

“OK, just be ready to head overboard if that spilled kerosene catches.”

There in the pale yellow glow lay a huge, monstrous, unforgettable, 14 pound…………carp.

That did it. Lost tempers, broken gear, and over all mayhem couldn’t deter us. But that old carp took the wind out of our sails. In silence we rowed to shore. At the landing was another boat that had just come in. One of the men waded out to grab our bow and help us in.

“If you gents did as good as we did, we’ll all celebrate.” he crowed. Quickly he waded over to the dock and lifted a stringer of huge marble-eyed walleyes. “I’ll never miss another opening night again!” he laughed.

“Me either, I thought.  Me either.”

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It was a typical opening day of fishing season, cold and miserable. But my brothers and I were young, and the anticipation we felt could not be daunted by near freezing weather. Our fishing spot was to be a neighbor’s dock where we had seen several northerns swimming about earlier that spring. We approached the dock with much stealth and caution as to not alarm any fish. But no fish were to be seen. Neither would any unseen fish bite the spoons and various lures we casted to weeds and deeper water.

Like many young anglers I quickly became bored of fruitless casting. For a change of pace I asked my oldest brother if I could try a few casts with his new spinning outfit. He grudgingly complied with my insistance and handed it over. Excitedly I wound up for long cast and really fired it out there. The lure went a long way alright, but the reel handle popped off at the same time and also went into the drink.

Quickly I was informed I could either undress and wade out to get the reel handle or get thrown in. So in my skivies I slid into the near freezing water and felt around for the handle. I can still feel the intense cold numbing sensitive parts of my body. Perhaps the greatest sensation of my life was when my fingers felt the handle in the silt. But needless to say, my fishing for the day was done, and I have never fished without making sure my equiptment was in good working order. Many fishing trips have been ruined by lack of gear maintenance. And now is the time to groom your tackle, check waders for leaks, and other necessities. Here are a few things you can do.

Clean and straighten your tackle box. If you’re like me, when the fish are biting I don’t take the time to carefully store my lures. It isn’t long before the tackle box is a tangled mess of hooks, leaders, and baits. Sort out lures and make a list of favorites you need to replace. Brighten old spoons and spinners with silver polish, touch up plugs with high-gloss enamel or fingernail polish, and sharpen or replace old hooks.

Check your line guides for wear by running the cotton end of a Q-Tip through each one. The cotton fibers will catch on any grooves or worn spots. Wear will appear first on the tip guide and the guide closest to the reel. A worn guide will fray and weaken your line in no time, so replace it if necessary. Disassemble each reel and clean and lubricate each part. Instructions for reel maintenance come with most reels. Inspect each part for wear and replace if necessary. Particularly pay attention to the drag system. Discs and washers sometimes stick together and lock up during the winter.

The next time you get bored with old fishing magazines or watching other people catch fish on TV, try some tackle tinkering. It is fun and a proven cure for cabin fever.

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