For some reason I have gotten hung up with ‘n. I'll work on that later. Right now I would like to write briefly about bait.

To keep from either becoming an alcoholic or a terrible burden on my wife I do volunteer work with the National Park Service at Cumberland Island National Seashore...mostly on weekends when I don't fish. Why don't I fish on weekends? Spend 30 minutes observing the action at any boat ramp and you will arrive at the answer. Anyway, a few weekends ago I was out on the island and was approached by a couple of campers holding fishing rods. I asked if they had caught anything. Not only had they not caught anything, they had not even had a bite. They had been fishing with ugly looking plastic devices with treble hooks...make in China.

If you have read any of my previous ramblings you should know by now that I use mostly natural bait...either live bait or fresh dead bait. So, I told these guys that they needed to use natural bait. "Great idea" they said..."except we are out on this island and have no way to get bait". We were standing on a dock on the inland waterway side of the island at low tide. I pointed down at the sand that was crawling with fiddler crabs. I also told them about sand fleas that they could catch on the ocean side. They raced off with a whole new outlook on life and promised that they would write a letter of commendation about me to the park superintendent.

Shortly thereafter I read a story in a newspaper about an "expert" pompano fisherman. He, like me, prefers natural baits. He prefers sand fleas...but also uses blue crab knuckles, clams and shrimp. In fact, he never goes fishing for pompano without have all four fresh baits in his truck. What is that all about? He uses a dropper rig that I wrote about in part 1 of my Bottom Bump'n piece. You may recall that I don't use that rig. Anyway, he uses it with two hooks so that he can put on two different baits to find out which one the pompano prefer at the moment.

At the risk of oversimplification let me explain that I have never encountered a saltwater fish that didn't really love shrimp. Sure, some, like the sheephead, would prefer a fiddler...but they will never turn down a nice fresh shrimp that is properly presented to them. So, why should you feel the need to present fish with a buffet for them to choose from? Beats me. So, if you can get shrimp...just use shrimp.

If you are handy with a cast net you have got it made for the majority of the year. Shrimp are very plentiful in all of the creeks around here. You go out a little early and simply net enough shrimp to get you through the day. I used to be able to do that. Except the only way I know how to throw a net is by grasping part of the net in my teeth to get it to spread out properly as I throw it. If I tried that now I would see a $4,000 set of teeth going out into the creek with the net. I have tried to get my wife to learn how to throw the net, but since she already out-fishes me and cleans all of the fish I catch I think I might be pushing my luck just a bit.

So, unless I am out on a remote island, I buy my shrimp.

We are fortunate here in St. Marys to have several good bait shops. There is one located right next to the downtown boat ramp in Gilman Park. It is run by Tommy Weaver...who not only sells bait, but is also a local guide and very knowledgeable about fishing in this area. Another one, called Buccaneers Bait and Tackle, is located at 815 Osborne Street...sort of between the new elementary school and the road that goes down to the ramp on the North River. It is managed by a delightful young lady by the name of Madison Pittman. Madison sells live and fresh dead shrimp, live mud minnows and fiddlers. Plus, sometimes she has finger mullet. In addition she has a variety of fishing rigs for sale. There is another one that I sometimes use out in Kingsland on Haddock Road. If you go west on Osborne, Haddock Road is left at the stoplight between Lowe's and the Winn Dixie shopping center. It is called Pete's Bait and Tackle. He mostly is into fresh water stuff but also has frozen shrimp.

As you can probably imagine, the bait business is sort of unpredictable. So, it is probably a good idea to give them a call to make sure they have the bait you are looking for. The number for the bait shop at the downtown ramp is 912-552-3690...or e-mail at: seapro17cc@hotmail.com. For Madison's operation on Osborne Street it is 912-882-6277...or e-mail at: bbti@tds.net. And for Pete's Bait it is 912-729-1638. LET'S GO FISH'N!!!