Nomad News-Vol.4-No.96

TALES FROM MY TACKLE BOX. No.2
    In poking through the remnants of my old fishing tackle box, I came across an Epperman lure, made in Atlantic City NJ.  The lure is a round piece of lead about 3/16" thick, tapered and rounded of near the edge.  A large hook is embedded near the top, and it is painted red and white.
It actually is a jig, dropped over the side of a boat and moved up and down to attract the fish.  We used them for casting from the "Sneaky Pete", Jules "Pete" Verga's 26' Carl Adams sea skiff, for striped bass in and around the Barnegat Light inlet, New Jersey.  I had my friend, Bill Priggemeier, a tool and die maker who had a machine shop in his garage, make a mold for a half-size Epperman.  I would then attach a clump of bucktail to the hook's shaft.  I used to make a lot of my own lures, taking all the material with me on Canadian trips so I would have something to do If the weather was too inclement to fish.  I had considerable luck with this modified Epperman while trolling for Smallmouth Bass on Baptiste Lake, near Bancroft, Ontario.
     I forget how I became acquainted with Rangers Lodge on Baptiste Lake.  I don't believe it was on one of my nomad wanderings; maybe I will recall later on.  Baptiste is about 5000 acres with a median depth of 17-feet, deep, but has plenty of shallow bays along the shoreline where we trolled for Smallmouth Bass that ran around two-pounds each.  Deeper areas were great for Walleyes which ran around two to three pounds, also.  Both fish are great eating at that weight.  The lake also contains great Catfish,  The site consisted of a Main Lodge and a series of small log cabins.
     I always rented a small cabin. I visited Rangers, a week at a time, for seven or eight years.  On my first visit, the cabin next to mine was occupied by two men from New Jersey; Hap Mills, an insurance agent, and Bill Forget His Name.  Two men, from Olean, New York, who had been guests for years were called "Mr. Back to Back.  They fished mid-boat back to back.  Early each morning they were on the lake fishing for catfish.  Meals were family-style and Mr. Back to Back insisted on a bowl of fried catfish, three meals a day.  That is, along with the regular menu.  You could eat them or  leave them.  I was never strong on catfish, but I ate some three times a day.
     Getting back to Hap Millls and Bill, we all fished every morning, came in for lunch, ate it and then fished to around 4 o'clock.  Then it was Happy Hour with Hap and Bill.  I had my ever-present Labatt 50 Ale.  Hap and Bill sipped Scotch along with those little red-skinned peanuts.  I joined in the peanuts which they had an unlimited supply of.  One day a chipmunk showed up and Hap threw him a peanut which he put in one jaw, waited for another peanut for the other jaw, then took off for his lair.  This process was repeated until he had enough stored peanuts.  It was a daily ritual.  On the third day, Hap said:  "I wonder if we could get him drunk."  He then dipped a peanut in his Scotch which the chipmunk placed in his jaw.  After the next peanut, he took off as usual.  I forgot to mention, there were two low steps up to the porch.  On the third trip back he was walking slightly sideways.  He picked up his cargo and left.  On the next trip, he was definitely walking sideways.    He jumped off the second step to the first, and then rolled off to the ground and staggered off.  We didn't see him  the couple days remaining.  Before you say we were cruel, maybe we were but we knew you could recover from a hangover.  And, he was there the following year but we didn't give him any spiked peanuts.  (Copyright 2014- Andrew M. Dolan)