By: Angela Gillaspie © September 2003

"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming." ~John Steinbeck

Fishing today is too complicated. On TV you'll see professional fisher-folks go out in their shiny boats, put shiny lures on their shiny hooks, catch a big shiny fish, and then throw it back into the shiny water. It looks good on TV, but that's not how I fish, which is braving mosquito swarms, dodging cow patties, impaling a cricket or worm on a hook, getting bait juice under my nails, and gazing into a pond as the breeze carries the exquisite scent of dirty cows. This kind of fishing is what I call "Backwater Fishing."

If you've got more time than money and view a fish as dinner - not an opponent, then you'll love Backwater Fishing. The main point is the challenge of using what you have between your ears to catch something to feed your family. (Of course, there's always the hope that you'll get something big so that you can brag about it.)

Backwater Fishing is almost the opposite of professional fishing because professional fisher-folks use expensive bait and electronic fish finders, never eat their catch, own a couple dozen fishing licenses, fish in exotic places like the Chattahoochee River or Resaca Beach, and own a rod and reel that cost over $10.

I've never owned a fishing license because in my parts, you don't need one if you fish in a privately owned fishing hole. All of my favorite spots were on Granny's land; she kept the ponds stocked with catfish, bream, and bass and I knew if I caught a fish smaller than my foot, I had to throw it back or I'd be on the receiving end of a hickory switch. There are four ways I've gone and seen Backwater Fishing: with a cane pole, jug, trotline, and nothing but bravery.

Cane Pole Fishing. This is really simple: tie a fishing line on a cane pole (or whatever stick you can find) and fish for whatever you can catch. For catching catfish or bass, I go bottom fishing - for all other fish, I use a bobber. I've had folks say that using a large duck feather is better than a bobber to tell when a fish is on your line.

You don't have to use a stick or cane pole, but Backwater Fishing is all about making due with whatever you have. Once in a while, a relative may come into some money and buy fancy fishing gear and you might get his hand-me-down reel and you can go Backwater Fishing in style. Just don't go and get a big head, now.

Jug Fishing. Take an old milk jug, tie a baited fishing line to the handle and fling the jug to the middle of the pond. Daddy threw his jugs out late at night and came back early the next morning to gather them. Most all kinds of fish can be caught by jug fishing, just make sure you use a strong fishing line - at least twenty-pound test.

Trotline Fishing. This is similar to jug fishing except you use one big 100-pound test line strung with several baited fishing lines. Daddy tied old coffee cans to the ends, anchored one end to a stump and threw the other end out as far as he could. After a reasonable amount of time (i.e., about the time it took to consume several beers and bologna sandwiches), he'd roll in the line and see what he caught.

Noodling or Grabblin'. You have to be really brave to participate in the art of noodling. It's a fast way to put a lot of meat on the table - it's also a quick way to lose a finger or two if you don't know what you're doing.

You don't need any fishing gear - just excellent swimming skills, a buddy armed with a club or his trusty nine-iron, and a hunger for food and adventure. Strip down to your undies (or your Speedo, if you're an adventure-starved Yankee), wade out into the water (never go deeper than your chest), slip your hand in a hole, and wiggle your fingers.

If things go right, a great big catfish will chomp down on your hand and you'll drag it to the surface where your buddy will whack it over the head with his club. If things go wrong, like if you catch a cottonmouth, beaver, muskrat, or snapping turtle, then your buddy can still whack your catch over the head with his club. It's no wonder that many of the noodling fellows I know have nicknames like Nubster, Four-Fingered Fred, Stubs, and Stumpy.

Whichever kind of Backwater Fishing you choose, with the exception of noodling, you're going to need bait. There are three kinds of bait:

1. whatever you can catch (crawdads, worms, frogs, minnows, and any kind of bugs, leeches, or larva),
2. whatever you can make quick (dough balls, bread balls, cheese balls, and stink bait), and
3. whatever you can find (sweet corn, bologna, dog food, and liver).

There's more to Backwater Fishing! Not only is it a relaxing and fun way to catch supper, you can participate in many other activities, like:

• If you want another white meat to go with your fish, shoot a couple of snapping turtles. These varmints eat all the fish, and according to Uncle Fred, you can cook them just like squirrel or rabbit. If you're not in the mood for turtle, then gig some bullfrogs - they taste just like chicken. Really.
• In between casting your line, you can smooch with your sweetie.
• If it's hot, strip and go swimming - just stay clear of the lines.
• If you're in a pasture, there's always time for a rousing game of Toss the Cow Patty. My sister Sherri always won, she can fling cow pies like nobody's business.
• If you're fishing with someone you don't like, you splatter him or her with bait juice when you cast your line.

Backwater Fishing may not be as showy as today's professional fishing, but it's a lot more fun (and filling).