Page 26 - Discover Winter 2021

What’s the Secret?
This is the most asked question I receive
about fishing: “What’s the secret to catching
fish?”
There is no one general answer; in fact
there are many. A lot depends on when you are
fishing, what you are fishing for, and where.
When I was young, I fished with my
older brother in near-by streams; unfortunately,
he was killed by a drunk driver when he was 15
yrs old and I was only 9. That was the end of
my fishing for quite a while.
Much later, when I started fishing with
my four young sons, my two daughters, and
my niece (whom I was raising as my own),
we fished in streams, farm ponds and at the
ocean’s shore, in Maryland, Virginia, and the
Carolinas. These times spent fishing with my
children were some of the best times of my life.
Almanac
Fisherman’s
24 Discover Smith Mountain Lake WINTER 2020
Once, my oldest son caught a bluegill that was
as big as a dinner plate. I’m sure it must have
been a trophy or maybe even a record, but we
only cared about the fun and excitement of
these times. These are great memories that I’ll
never forget, and neither will you when you
take your kids fishing.
About 40 years ago, we moved to Roanoke.
I was very busy for a while working my new
position with my new employer. After a while,
I went fishing with one of my customers,
whereupon I got the chance to experience
Smith Mountain Lake on a night fishing trip.
I was surprised to see Striped Bass (Rockfish)
being caught, and did not understand how a
saltwater fish could be in this lake, but I loved
it.
I wanted the answer, so I searched
by Bob King