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THE PHANTOM BAIT STEALER

 

                                        

 

NOW THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW ME, BE IT THROUGH MY STORIES OR IN PERSON, KNOW THAT I HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME ON CADDO LAKE.  I’M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL YEARS AGO ON A FISHING TRIP TO CADDO.  THE REASON THAT I HAVEN’T TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE IS THAT I DIDN’T THINK YOU WOULD BELIEVE ME.  I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES AND I STILL HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING IT.  BUT BE THAT AS IT MAY, HERE IS MY STORY.

 

JOHNNIE AND I WERE AT TUCKER’S CAMP FOR THE MONTH OF MAY AND I HAD A BUNCH OF LIMB LINES SET OUT FOR CATFISH.  I WAS USING MY USUAL BAIT OF WEENIES.  I WOULD CUT A WEENIE INTO LITTLE PIECES ABOUT ½ INCH LONG.  I COULD GET 10 BAITS OUT OF ONE WEENIE THAT WAY.  BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

 

I WAS CATCHING CATFISH EACH TIME I RAN MY LINES.  THEN I DECIDED TO TIE SOME LINES AT A NEW PLACE.  I TIED OUT 12 LINES ON 12 DIFFERENT TREES IN A LITTLE CIRCLE.  I HAD THE HOOK ABOUT 6 INCHES UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.  IN THE CLEAR WATER YOU COULD SEE THE WEENIE ON THE HOOK. 

 

I BAITED THESE LINES FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE SUNDOWN.  THEN I WENT ON TO OTHER LINES AND BAITED THEM.  ON THE WAY BACK TO CAMP I WENT BY THE NEW SET TO SEE IF I HAD A FISH YET.  WHEN I GOT THERE I FOUND EVERY HOOK EMPTY.  NO BAIT, NO FISH.

 

I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THIS BUT I REBAITED ALL 12 LINES AND WENT BACK TO CAMP. 

 

IN THE MORNING WHEN I WENT OUT TO CHECK MY LINES, I STARTED WITH THE NEW SET.  AGAIN EVERY HOOK WAS EMPTY, NO FISH NO BAIT.  I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.  I WENT ON TO MY OTHER LINES AND HAD SEVERAL FISH AT EACH SET.  I EVEN HAD A FEW HOOKS THAT STILL HAD A BAIT ON THEM.

 

I WENT BACK TO CAMP AND CLEANED MY FISH AND PUT THEM IN THE DEEP FREEZE.  THEN I WORKED AROUND THE CAMP THE REST OF THE MORNING.  BUT I COULDN’T GET THE IDEA OUT OF MY HEAD THAT I COULD HAVE 12 HOOKS  WITH ALL THE BAIT GONE AND NO FISH.  THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME.  I’VE BEEN FISHING CADDO FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND I’VE NEVER SEEN ANY THING LIKE THIS.

 

WELL, THAT EVENING ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE SUN SET, I WENT BACK OUT TO BAIT MY LINES FOR THE NIGHT.  I STARTED WITH THAT NEW SET AND BAITED ALL 12 HOOKS.  THEN I WENT ON AND BAITED OTHER LINES.  WHEN I FINISHED I CAME BACK BY THE NEW SET TO CHECK ON THEM BEFORE I WENT BACK TO CAMP.

 

AND WHAT DID I FIND?  EVERY HOOK WAS EMPTY AGAIN.  NOT A PIECE OF WEENIE WAS LEFT.  I JUST SET THERE IN MY BOAT AND SHOOK MY HEAD.  I WAS IN SHOCK.  NO, I THOUGHT, THIS JUST CAN’T BE HAPPENING.  IT WAS AN INSULT TO MY ABILITY TO CATCH FISH.  WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

 

I MADE THE ROUND AND REBAITED EACH HOOK.  THEN INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO CAMP, I MOTORED OFF A LITTLE WAYS AND STOPPED TO WATCH MY LINES FOR A WHILE.  IT HAD ENTERED MY MIND THAT SOME ONE WAS PLAYING A JOKE ON MY BY TAKING THE BAIT OFF MY LINES.  WELL THAT WAS JUST WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT YOUR NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHO IT WAS.

 

AS I SAT THERE I SAW THIS GREAT BLUE HERON FLY DOWN TO ONE OF THE TREES THAT HAD A LINE TIED TO IT.  HE POKED HIS HEAD INTO THE WATER AND TOOK THE WEENIE OFF MY HOOK WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE AT ALL.  THEN HE FLEW TO THE NEXT TREE AND DID THE SAME THING.  HE WENT AROUND THE CIRCLE AND ATE THE WEENIE OFF EACH HOOK!

 

I JUST SAT THERE WITH MY FACE HANGING OUT.  I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.  I WAS LOOKING AT IT HAPPENING AND I STILL COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.

 

NOW YOU KNOW WAY I HAVEN’T TOLD YOU THIS STORY BEFORE.  I DIDN’T THINK YOU WOULD BELIEVE ME.  BUT IT IS 100 % TRUE.  IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME I DON’T BLAME YOU.  I TOLD YOU TO START WITH YOU WOULDN’T.

 

 

  BY LOREN MOORE

COPYRIGHT 2003

 

LOREN

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