Back in the 70s, my LI, NY fishing buddies & I started a "Superstition List" and some of the superstitions involved rodents. For example, if we saw a rabbit on the way out to Orient for striper fishing, we had better run it over because a live rabbit meant a horrible skunking. HOWEVER, if we were out to catch flounder (they did exist then), one had to swerve to avoid hitting it, because a live rabbit guaranteed a bountiful catch.
About 8 years ago, during an 03:00 drive to my first @Old Mud bluefin tuna trip, I was presented with a skunk crossing the road and had to make split second decision, HIT IT or AVOID IT??? Since I had no previous live skunk experience because a virus in the early 20th century killed them all on LI, I was tempted to "kill the skunk", but I left Pepe alone, just to avoid the stench. However, I was scared chitless. Turns out I caught my first BFT that day, so it was the right move, Avoid The Skunk went on the superstition list!!
This morning I had another very Maine rodent encounter, a porcupine leading me down the path down to the boat. Normally I shoot these on sight, but it was way too early and dark for legal shooting, 04:15, so I just let him show me the way to the boat. Once again, my mind was abuzz with angst wondering if I did the right thing.
As the "backyard" fishing has been frustrating as of late, I decided to try an historically productive mid-July spot up the bay. When I got to "the spot", my first cast was violently struck with no hookup. Good old superstitious me was a bit nervous that the damn porcupine evoked the "First Cast Curse" and I was doomed, especially since my next 5 casts were totally ignore. The water was absolute glass, so calm that if a fish came within 3 feet of my popper, there would be some changes in the popper's wake, and nothing was showing. Finally the 6th cast showed signs of interest and I was able to go Full Joe Cocker on the next cast to entice an interesting 25" fish to hit the plug. I kept at it and landed a 22", followed by a 29" and a 28" as a coda on a very nice morning's fishing.
As expected at this spot, all action ended at 06:00, the historic "last call" at this location, so I was able to get home early and go back to sleep. Later today, I consulted with my Superstition List Colleagues and "Don't Shoot The Porcupine" was added to the official Superstition List!!
A New Superstition: Porcupine Paying It Forward!!
InshoreMaineBoat
369 views·2 replies·by Roccus7
Back in the 70s, my LI, NY fishing buddies & I started a "Superstition List" and some of the superstitions involved rodents. For example, if we saw a rabbit on the way out to Orient for striper fishing, we had better run it over because a live rabbit meant a horrible skunking. HOWEVER, if we were out to catch flounder (they did exist then), one had to swerve to avoid hitting it, because a live rabbit guaranteed a bountiful catch.
About 8 years ago, during an 03:00 drive to my first @Old Mud bluefin tuna trip, I was presented with a skunk crossing the road and had to make split second decision, HIT IT or AVOID IT??? Since I had no previous live skunk experience because a virus in the early 20th century killed them all on LI, I was tempted to "kill the skunk", but I left Pepe alone, just to avoid the stench. However, I was scared chitless. Turns out I caught my first BFT that day, so it was the right move, Avoid The Skunk went on the superstition list!!
This morning I had another very Maine rodent encounter, a porcupine leading me down the path down to the boat. Normally I shoot these on sight, but it was way too early and dark for legal shooting, 04:15, so I just let him show me the way to the boat. Once again, my mind was abuzz with angst wondering if I did the right thing.
As the "backyard" fishing has been frustrating as of late, I decided to try an historically productive mid-July spot up the bay. When I got to "the spot", my first cast was violently struck with no hookup. Good old superstitious me was a bit nervous that the damn porcupine evoked the "First Cast Curse" and I was doomed, especially since my next 5 casts were totally ignore. The water was absolute glass, so calm that if a fish came within 3 feet of my popper, there would be some changes in the popper's wake, and nothing was showing. Finally the 6th cast showed signs of interest and I was able to go Full Joe Cocker on the next cast to entice an interesting 25" fish to hit the plug. I kept at it and landed a 22", followed by a 29" and a 28" as a coda on a very nice morning's fishing.
As expected at this spot, all action ended at 06:00, the historic "last call" at this location, so I was able to get home early and go back to sleep. Later today, I consulted with my Superstition List Colleagues and "Don't Shoot The Porcupine" was added to the official Superstition List!!
M.H.
AdmiralOriginal Crew25,798 postsSince 2018
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A New Superstition: Porcupine Paying It Forward!!