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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Shazzam
August 24, 2008
Magic is watching a magician pull a quarter from behind someone's ear or correctly guessing which card is missing from the deck. When the act is completed, the audience is astounded and wonders how the trick was accomplished. Some might even fantasize about one day becoming a magician. Fishing and acts of magic are similar.
The angler uses his skills to fetch an unseen fish from the water, while the magician employs slight of hand to perhaps pull a rabbit from a silk hat. Both use props that complement the act. The magician waves a wand, and the angler uses a rod and reel. One says, "Presto”, and the other yells, "Fish on"!
At times, objects might appear, disappear, or become transformed from one thing to another. The experienced wizard can easily transform a dove into an elephant; the fisherman turns a plastic lure into a large fish.
Wizards and fishermen talk in strange tongues, using words like “shazzam” and “holy mackerel.” Both boast of previous feats and predict bigger and better results for the future. Magicians use smoke and mirrors to add mystery and intrigue to their act. The fisherman’s stage is a body of water,
”Bigger is better” for the magician. Elephants, skyscrapers and army tanks make excellent props. Likewise, the fisherman allows a colorful bobber to be pulled below the water’s surface, only to reappear with a fish attached to the hook. He, too, is applauded , particularly when the fish is a big one.
Fishing, as magical as it may seem, is not as difficult to master as are acts of magic. Better yet, the fish could care less what you wear. It doesn’t take a tuxedo or a black silk hat to make them bite. A pair of shorts or jeans and a tee shirt and cap will do just fine.
The next time you want to feel a little magic, take a group of children fishing. There’s nothing more magical and rewarding than to see a youngster’s eyes light up and to watch the smile on his face when he catches a fish.
Capture the magic. Take a kid fishing!
Upcoming Events:
A Safe Boating Class is scheduled at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC, Saturday, September 6, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The fee for this session is $49.95. Call Lighthouse Marine Services (704 587 0325) for additional information and to pre-register.
A course entitled “How to Safely Navigate Lake Norman”, is scheduled at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC, Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Topics will include, “Understanding Lake Norman’s Marker & Buoy System”, “The Ten Most Dangerous Places to Navigate”, “ Points of interest”, “How to Navigate with the Aid of a GPS”, “Sonar”, and “Lake Maps”. The fee for instructions and materials is $25.00. For more information or to pre-register, contact Capt. Scott Spivey – 704 587 0325 or visit Lighthouse Marine Services at www.lmservice.org.
A Free Fishing Seminar conducted by Capt. Gus Gustafson - “Fall Striped Bass Fishing on LKN - How to Find, Catch & Cook this Popular Gamefish”. Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC, Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Call 704 658 0822 for additional information.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
Regardless of where a youngster is fishing, he should be made to wear a personal floatation device. In a moving boat, it is a requirement by law for all under the age of thirteen.
Hot Spot of the Week:
Bass are surface feeding at daylight in marina basins and in the backs of narrow coves. Good schooling activity is also occurring at the south hot water discharge. Stripers are holding along the main river channel drop-offs. The best action is from Marker 7, south to the dam. White perch are hitting cut baits, spoons and Sabiki rigs in water from fifteen to forty feet.
The water level is currently 3.5' below full pond and dropping. Water surface temperature is in the high eighties and low nineties
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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