Teaching and Reading

No fishing reports for the past two weeks. We did have fall break this past week and the weather was incredible, but we took the time to make a fast run to OKC to see our son and then back to Denton to preach again this morning. Not sure when I'll be on the water again.

Meanwhile, on Friday morning I picked up Frank McCourt's latest book, Teacher Man, and immediately proceeded to inhale it. I've read McCourt's earlier books (Angela's Ashes and Tis), but this volume is by far the best book of his three. I suspect my valuation is due to the subject (teaching, teachers, and students) and the timing (I had two days completely away from the office and work). But in any event - all you teacher friends out there - you ought to check out this book:

From the end of "Teacher Man," his reflections on thirty years as a High School English teacher:

A young substitute teacher sat beside me in the teacher's cafeteria. She was to start her regular teaching career in September and could I offer her any advice?

Find what you love and do it. That's what it boils down to. I admit I didn't always love teaching. I was out of my depth. You're on your own in the classroom, one man or woman facing five classes every day, five classes of teenagers. One unit of energy against one hundred and seventy-five units of energy, one hundred and seventy-five ticking bombs, and you have to find ways of saving your own life. They may like you, they may even love you, but they are young and it is the business of the young to push the old off the planet. I know I'm exaggerating but it's like a boxer going into the ring or a bullfighter into the arena. You can be knocked out or gored and that's the end of your teaching career. But if you hang on you learn the tricks. It's hard but you have to make yourself comfortable in the classroom. You have to be selfish. The airlines tell you if oxygen fails you are to put on your mask first, even if your instinct is to save the child.

Lake Coleman in the Wind

Out early this morning to fish a little before the strong winds took hold. I made the drive down to Lake Coleman and got on the water by sun up at 7:15 (clear sky, water temp at 76 degrees, lightly stained, and breezy when I got started). I had caught seven one pounders by 10:00, most on a chrome blue bleeding shad rattle trap (the larger size) and a couple on the red shad worm. I didn't get any hits on the yellow-green crank bait, the smaller size rattle trap, a spinner bait, or my pitiful efforts to learn how to fish a jig & pig (almost as bad as my spinner bait work - no confidence at all). I tried a couple of places, but all the hits came in the larger south cove from all the way back to 25 yards around the west point. The wind really picked up by 10:00 and I couldn't get another bite; I was off the lake by 12:30.

Question of the day: Almost all of the fish I caught with the rattle trap were just barely hooked on the back treble. I tried slowing down the retrieve but no change - still just barely hooked (I was amazed I got them all to the boat; just good I guess :) ). Any ideas for when this is happening?

Second question: What's your best color for a jig & best trailer bait? I wonder if a red shad worm seems to be somewhat on, should I use the same color jig & trailer?

And... I'll be headed to Oklahoma for fall break (one whole Friday off, Oct 26). I won't be pulling the boat because of the distance and my return trip through Denton to preach. Sure would be nice if one of my Oklahoma fishing buddies found a boat for that Friday...

Fort Mud Hole

For a variety of causes the last two weeks have been insanely busy - busier and more stressed than I can recall in some time. By Saturday morning I was so tired I didn't want to do anything, but made myself get up and go to the lake - I needed to fish for a few hours, even if I didn't feel like it. So, deciding for an extra hour of sleep, I chose Fort Phantom Lake.

Let me say that I am glad Fort Phantom Lake is only a few miles down the road. But let me also add that the Lake has few attractive features. The water is deeply stained to down right muddy after a rain. The shore line features numerous run-down houses and abandoned, rotting docks. And normally the lake is low. Just a year ago it was 10-14 feet below the spillway with boat ramps that no longer worked. For the past couple of months the lake has been seeping over the spillway.

I got on the water just after sun-up (7:30 am). The sky was clear, water temps between 76-78 degrees, breezy (10-15 mph), and the water stained to deeply stained (depending on the part of the lake). Within 20 minutes I caught three little black bass on a fire tiger rattle-trap (medium size) on the same rocky point into which the wind was pushing the waves (west two fingers - note to self). I hit some other likely spots where the lake channel swings close to Lake View Heights on the east side and had one bite on a worm (no other hits on the worm today). I then worked the point around the yacht club (yes, on Fort Phantom) with no luck for Blacks. This area, however, merits a close watch for schooling sand bass and a rod at the ready. Sure enough, a school emerge around the boat! I tossed a 1/4 spoon into them and didn't get anything!?! The school went back down so I turned back to the Fire Tiger rattle-trap - and sure enough, picked up three decent size sandies.

A final note to self: At the boat ramp when I left another fellow who was leaving mentioned to me tossing a pig-n-jig into a bush area in the boat ramp area (over on the point) and catching a 3 1/2 pounder. I had noticed he was working the entire West shore with the bait. Might give this a try next time.