I was doing some target shooting the other day, and missing the target is not something we want to have happen. We know what we’re after and what we want to see when target shooting, and surprises are generally not a welcome sight.
However, missing the target can sometimes be a welcomed surprise when it comes to fishing — let me explain.
Most serious fishermen usually have a certain species or group of fish species in mind when they head off on a fishing trip. The equipment, lures, and techniques are all set up and utilized for the fish they are after.
For example, a bunch of buddies and I head off every spring for a few days of fishing for panfish — bluegills, crappies and perch. We use light equipment with 2-4-pound strength line and small lures because these panfish have small mouths and we want them to take the offering with little effort.
So, our gang was targeting panfish recently, and we were all using the typical size presentations for the fish we were after when my fishing partner, Dave Spotts, suddenly alerted me that he had something very large on the line.
It turns out the 9-10-inch crappies that we were targeting was not what Dave was hooked on — but rather what turned out to be a 23-inch toothy walleye. He managed to land that fish with his light line and tiny lure.
When fishing for walleyes, we go with heavier equipment and certainly larger lure presentations, but trust me, nobody was complaining about the results. Not the target species, but what a pleasant surprise.
I remember another occasion when my wife, Sheila, and I were fishing for crappies with the usual light equipment and small jigs. We were doing pretty well catching crappies when my wife suddenly informed me that she had just hooked something huge; the rod was bent over more than usual. It took a while, but she eventually landed a large brown trout over 20 inches.
What a surprise that was — especially since this lake is never stocked with trout to my knowledge; my guess is that it came into the lake from a stream dumping into the lake. She missed the target, but believe me, nobody was complaining.
Fortunately, I’ve even had a “good” miss or two over the years.
Several years back, my wife and I were in our boat fishing in about 15 feet of water on a local lake. As we often do, we were fishing for perch and crappies, so we were equipped with the usual ultralight light spinning outfits, four-pound strength line and tiny one-sixteenth ounce jigs. I often pursue panfish with two small jigs attached to my offering. Suddenly, I had a hit, and I set the hook, but it was quite heavy. I thought I hooked a good old fat carp — not something I wanted.
To my surprise, when I finally got the fighting fish to the surface, it was a largemouth bass of about five plus pounds. Even more surprising was that the upper hook also had a large panfish. When I’m targeting bass, I’m using very different equipment and presentations, but this was a missed target that I will remember for a long time.
I could go on and cite other “missed targets,” but obviously not all missed targets turn out to be a disappointment. Here’s hoping that future missed targets turn out to be pleasant surprises.
