How to Cure a Slice and Catch a Fish at the Same Time! 

By Doug Painter - painter.doug@yahoo.com 
CCA 

A friend of mine has a terrible slice, a real banana ball off the tee. His intuitive fix was to set up more and more to the left figuring that, at some point, he could get his right arcing ball to land in the middle of the fairway. The more he opened his stance, however, the more open his clubface was at impact, and his slice only became worse. Aaargh! 

Our intuitive thinking is far better suited to understanding the world of fishing than of golf. Ever watch one of our saltwater lagoons come to life on a rising tide? Sure, you guessed right. An incoming tide brings with it the small fish and other bait that the bigger fish naturally follow. Now you know the best time to go fishing in one of our island’s many saltwater lagoons. 

Why cast your lure or bait underneath a tree branch that overhangs the water? Again, your instinct is correct. Smaller fish use a branch (or reeds or other floating vegetation) as a protective cover, a way to hide from, let’s say, an eagle-eyed osprey circling above. It’s the same reason a mouse scampers along the edge of a wall, and not out in the middle of a room. 

Prey species have their eyes on the sides of their head. This gives them a panoramic view of oncoming danger. Predator species, on the other hand, have forward facing eyes. This helps them zero-in on their prey as they attack. 

Let’s not forget where our eyes are located. We no longer have to be successful predators in order to survive, but getting out to fish is a great way to reconnect with the natural world, our common ancestral home. These days, fishing is also one of the ways all of us on the island can get outdoors in a safe and responsible manner. We have 151 lagoons (about half saltwater and the other half freshwater) in The Landings, so there’s plenty of room for appropriate social distancing. 

If you’re new to the island, you may not know that we have a special Kids Fishing Lagoon, chockablock full of stocked bluegill. The Kids Fishing Lagoon is located behind the Oakridge Fire Station near the intersection of Westcross and Log Landing roads. Through the Skidaway Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), we hold an annual Kids’ Fishing Derby at this lagoon. We had postponed the event to a later fall date, but have, in the interest of safety, decided to reschedule for a date in May of 2021. 

Speaking of cancellations, under the “Aw Shucks” headline, we also have canceled our CCA December Oyster Roast and will reschedule for a December date next year. Those oysters will only get plumper! 

Our Landings Lagoon Guide, which is prepared by the Skidaway Chapter of the CCA, has all the info you need to know about fishing on our island. It’s available for a $10 donation to our chapter. Contact Hal Evans (912-777-6937 or hevans@comcast.net) to purchase your copy. As a bonus, we have a good supply of fishing knot booklets from the nice folks at Ande Monofilament.  Shoot me an email (painter.doug@yahoo.com) with your address, and I’ll put a copy in your tube at no charge. I might slip in a CCA membership form as well. 

Fall is the perfect time to for fishing in The Landings. You can head out with your family, a few friends, or go alone and enjoy a Walden Pond type moment of quiet contemplation and consideration, especially on how that new $599 driver will undoubtedly transform your game. 

I don’t mean to get too philosophical here, but we all should remember one more thing: It sure as heck is easier to learn to cast a rod than it is to cure a slice. 

 

Mike McGough caught this black drum recently in lagoon 68 by Palmetto 5. He chopped up a blue crab for bait. 

 



This article was originally published by The Landings Association on their website.

Visit landings.org to read the original article.
https://landings.org/news/2020/10/22/how-cure-slice-and-catch-fish-same-time%C2%A0