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My own fishing outings have been neglected lately because it is just too expensive for the amount of fish I eat. This has led me to rethink what I plan to do when I take my next trip to the river. Here are a couple of things I plan on doing:

Don’t take the fishing boat! There was a time when I would hook the boat trailer to the back of the pickup truck and head off to the river without a thought of how much money I would be spending on gas. The last time I took the boat out I was astounded at how much it took to fill up the tank. Now I have decided not to take it to the water until the New Year begins, but that won’t stop my fishing.

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I recall a couple of spots I have seen from my boat that look as if they would be a great place to fish from the bank. I marked the spots on the map of the lake and coordinated it with the county maps and at last I see a way into my own personal fishing spot.

Find your own bait! The cost of any kind of fishing bait is now exorbitant. It’s cheaper to find your own. In the last month we have had no rain, which makes it hard to find earth worms. If you are a bass fisherman and money is no object, bait worms are out of the question.

To solve that problem, I sprinkled a bag of cornmeal over a small section of my garden. Then I emptied a bag of dried leaves over the meal. After about a month I had all the worms I would need each time I looked for bait for pan fish.

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The next stop in this budget fishing experiment would be to the lake or river where I’ve caught a lot bream in the past. Small bream is what I would be looking for because I want to use them as bait for larger fish. Big catfish that live on the bottom of the river gobble up a frenzied small fish on the end of a fishing line. Check the fishing regulations in your state because some make it illegal to use bream as bait for larger fish.

There is a spot on the Tennessee River where the shad go nuts over a small silver spoon. Shad are not good for much except to use them as bait for other fish. These fish, better known as Skipjacks in this part of the country, make ideal bait for catfish when cut in half and tossed out into the water and allowed to sit on the bottom. They can be cut in half and frozen until I need larger bait.

If you are going to use artificial bait, don’t be enticed to go to the tackle store and buy something new. Use what you have in your tackle box. Chances are it is packed tightly with fishing lures you have yet to tie on a line.

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One way to lose the battle of the budget is to wander into a fishing tackle store, especially those mega fishing stores. If you walk through the front door, you can unbutton the flap on the pocket that holds your wallet, take out your money and throw it away. You have just drifted away from your budget.

Bob Alexander is a son of the south. He has gained expert status in eating barbeque, telling fishing stories and leisure living.
Visit his other sites at: www.redfishbob.com and www.homeandgardenbob.com

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For more years than I care to remember, I’ve spent a lot of my Saturday afternoons in autumn, on my boat anchored in the middle of the Tennessee River, just about a mile downstream from the Guntersville Dam where big catfish roam!

With my radio tuned to a station that carried broadcasts of the Crimson Tide and two rods baited with chicken liver, I would spend a leisurely afternoon fishing and cheering for the “Tide”. If I were out of range from a station that carried my team, I would tune to any SEC school that I could receive on my old battery powered radio.

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Saturdays on the Tennessee River in autumn are usually warm and calm but without the stifling heat of summer. Usually only one or two of the turbines at the dam are churning the water to white foam, while making the current downstream gentle and peaceful. The old song, “Up a Lazy River” really applies to this 652 mile long ribbon of water. On peaceful weekends in the fall when the days are cooling down a little, big catfish that hide up and down the river in holes and caves near the banks, come out to find their afternoon snacks.

There have been many huge catfish caught on the Tennessee River. The largest I have ever seen weighed 105 pounds. There have been pictures of even larger catches up and down the river. The largest I’ve caught was 34 pounds and to me it was like trying to reel in a concrete block.

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It really doesn’t matter how many or how large a fish I catch on the idyllic days of autumn. It’s just being there on the river away from everyone that makes those moments memorable, fish or no fish!

The third Saturday in October is always my favorite weekend to spend on the river. That’s the weekend that the University of Alabama and the University of Tennessee hold their annual football rivalry. When the game is being played in Knoxville, you may see boats headed there to the stadium on the banks of the Tennessee River. There are usually pennants flying, announcing the favorite team of the owners of the boats.

In October the leaves are changing colors up and down the river. Nature has arranged a palette with every color imaginable; free for viewing by anyone fortunate enough to be on the water at this time of year! I often see Bald Eagles gliding elegantly over the water looking for dinner and making the day for me just a little more tranquil.

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The serenity of the river and its tree lined banks is often broken by a fish having the nerve to gobble up my bait. When that happens, I hurriedly drag him on board so I can get back to my leisurely afternoon. Other times the spell is broken by cheering coming from the radio. Someone just made a touchdown! If the team that scored is one of state universities, somewhere along the river you’ll hear a cheer coming from someone like me, taking advantage of a beautiful day.

Fall fishing is a balm for the soul. It’s a time to set aside everything that has to do with work and stress. Get out into the river with a boat and either drift or anchor. Then all you have to do is to listen to the leaves falling. Never mind the fish!

Bob Alexander is the author and owner of this article. He is a son of the south and has gained expert status in eating barbecue, telling fish stories and leisure living. Visit his other sites at http://www.redfishbob and http://www. homeandgardenbob.com