Fishing With Kenny

SECRETS AND A FEW OTHER THINGS

article by KENNY COVINGTON

Let me give you a few examples of what I am talking about. When was the last time you fished with a Model A bomber crankbait? Or what about a Heddon Baby Torpedo? Seen anyone using a straight tailed Crème worm lately? What about a Lil George? All the lures I have listed, I can honestly tell you I have used with success over the past few years. One of the reasons for these lures’ effectiveness is because they aren’t popular choices anymore and the fish haven’t seen them. Let’s take a closer look.

The Model 6A Bomber was once the crankbait to throw. No matter where you went, you had one tied on your rod, especially on the Ouachita River and Darbonne Bayou. When the Bandit series of crankbaits was introduced, the Bomber series was pushed to the side. This was a mistake. A few years ago, I did very well in early springtime tournaments throwing a Firetiger colored Bomber 4A crankbait. Knowing the fish hadn’t seen one, I felt I had an advantage over my competition. Another Bomber crankbait I am quite sure no one throws, but is a staple in my fall fishing arsenal, is a Tennesee Shad colored 5A Bomber. It is a fish catcher!

Now that we are coming out of the spawn and are headed towards the post-spawn part of spring, topwater fishing has become a popular way to catch bass. A lot of fish will still be shallow and a topwater presentation can catch them as big as they grow. For

My Uncle Junior knew Tom Mann, the founder of Mann’s bait company, personally. He would call Tom and order the “Lil George” by the card full, and Tom would bill him for his purchase. That is saying a lot when you can call a tackle company and make an order directly from the owner. My, how times have changed.

At one time, the “Lil George” was arguably the best wintertime bass lure ever thrown on Darbonne Lake. I can remember sitting and listening to my father and Junior talk about the fish catches the George caught and from November through February, neither of them went to Darbonne or Claiborne without having one tied on. One of the reasons a lot of angler’s don’t throw the George or lures like it is because there is a touch or feel for fishing one. To the anglers who mastered the art of fishing the lure, it paid off handsomely. Sadly, it’s another example of a lure that has been replaced by newer techniques.

Ever throw a Rebel Floating Minnow? What about a Shad Rap or the original floating Rapala? I can go on and on about the lures I once considered to be my A List lures that I am now starting to bring back to life. These lures never lost their fish catching appeal, they simply lost an audience of anglers who still choose to throw them.

Well, it looks like we have run out of time and space again. Time and space sure flies when you are having a good time talking about something you love! Summer is right around the corner and more people are or will be using our waterways, please be safe and respectful to each other and remember, catch one for me!

See you next month!

Afew months ago, I received an interesting request - to be a contact family for two exchange students from Tunisia. Having avidly played Globle over the course of the year, I knew Tunisia was in the northern part of Africa, though I knew little to nothing else about it. As the woman on the phone told me about the scholarship program that funded the students’ time in America, I Googled Tunisia and immediately beautiful beaches and old structures appeared, along with women covered in hijabs and bright white and red flags. Situated on the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Libya, and only a few miles from Sicily, Tunisia houses about 12 million people, and the predominant language is French, followed closely by Arabic. The woman explained that as a contact family, we would host the two women for dinner and could have as much interaction with them as we were willing to engage. My first thought was “YES!” What a magnificent opportunity for my girls to see and know someone from another culture. And we would play a part in their image of America. I felt it was such an honor to be asked, and I couldn’t wait to reach out to them.

I first met the women in my office, as they were taking classes at the University. They were overwhelmingly polite and excited to be in America. Having taught international students for years, I am always