A Common Bond Between Halloween and Fishing

Let's face it: Halloween is all about superstitions, whether it be bats, black cats, ghosts, goblins, witches, or otherwise.

Incidentally, if you'd like to meet a witch on Halloween night, the commonly held belief is that all you have to do is put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards. Or maybe you want to ward off evil spirits. In that case, you should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween.

As outdoor editor Charles Johnson once wrote in The Anniston Star, in Anniston, AL, "Many people believe in some kind of superstitions... . However, anglers probably have more superstitions, myths or rituals for fish-catching, at least in the attempt to catch fish, than anyone else."

He went on to say that some of these superstitions may hold merit, citing specifically B.A.S.S. pro Gerald Swindle, who doesn't pump gas into his truck or boat on the morning of a tournament. "He feels this task can be bad luck over the course of the day's fishing," explained Johnson. "The reasoning is that any lingering odors will be transferred to the lures, and the smell will be repulsive to the fish, causing them not to bite. The same can be said when using sunscreen. Always wash your hands before handling any lures or bait."

Another commonly held superstition among tournament bass anglers is that it's bad luck to catch a fish on the first cast of the day. As a result, some will make a short cast or cast in an opposite direction to avoid catching anything on the first cast.

Some anglers believe it's bad luck to fill your livewell with water before you catch a fish. Others carry good-luck charms or objects with them during tournaments. Pro angler Keith Poche, for example, carries a Buckeye (see photo above) in his pocket--one that a friend gave him. "It gives me some confidence, but I know God is the one in charge," said Poche.

As Johnson continued, "A lot of fishing superstitions involve some type of clothing. A lucky hat, shirt, or even underwear are worn specifically on fishing days, in hopes many fish will be caught."

I read about one angler who had worn the same ballcap for so long--never washed, mind you--that he had to wrap it with duct tape just to keep it from falling apart at the seams. As for me, I wear a ballcap for one season, then toss it in the trash.

"Another superstition," wrote Johnson, "that probably originated with commercial fishermen years ago and has carried over even to today's bass tournament is not having bananas onboard the boat. The origin of this old superstition goes back to when the faster cargo ships carried bananas from the tropic regions to ports in the United States before the bananas could spoil. Since the banana boats were so fast, the sailors trolling for fish never caught anything.

"Swindle is adamant about not having any bananas in his boat. There is a rumor he once threatened to eject an outdoor writer for bringing a banana aboard in a sack lunch... .

"One of my favorite fishing superstitions from when I was a lad," noted Johnson, "was when driving to the lake, if cows in the pastures were lying down, the fish would not bite. If the cows were standing and grazing, it would be a good fishing day. I always wanted to fish the same side of the lake where the cows were standing."

Probably the most common superstition about fishing involves the weather--more precisely, wind direction. Who, among us, hasn't heard the saying: "Wind from the east, fish bite the least; wind from the west, fish bite the best"?

"While this little rhyme may sound like an old tale or myth about fish-catching," said Johnson, "there could be some truth in it. After a cold front passes through, the wind usually blows from the north. High barometric pressure settles in, the sky clears, and the temperature drops. This sudden weather change causes the fish to move deeper and hold tight to cover--conditions that are not favorable for the angler. However, during most major bass tournaments, fish are caught in every weather condition and wind direction. So one has to wonder:  Is the superstition for real, or is it just an excuse thought up by old fishermen years ago to cover up their bad day on the water?"

I personally have only one standing "rule," or I suppose it could be called a "superstition," and that is: I never quit a day's fishing after just having had any kind of backlash. I will fish on until I have completed at least a couple of clean casts without any problem whatsoever. Otherwise, I feel that I will be plagued with nothing but one backlash after another my entire next trip. A sense of "doom" also settles around me if I lose the first fish I get hooked up with on any given trip. When that happens, I notoriously have to fish for hours before getting another strike.

Fishermen, as a species, are a superstitious lot. Traditions and folklore are passed down between generations on the banks of rivers and lakes, while a fire gently crackles and Coleman lanterns hiss their lives away. Over gentle conversations between grandparents and grandkids, the lore of decades is imparted in the minds of eager young kids. Some becomes vital in later years in the pursuit of fish, while some are the even more vital scripts of superstition.

We all see superstitions for what they are: beliefs based on irrational assumptions. Within a sport or hobby, though, these superstitions help to link generations that have few, if any, other connections.

For many families, it is the superstitions that are the best remembered and the last forgotten. In any family that fishes, the superstitions of fishing often play a central role in the connection of family members, even if the lore is not readily remembered.

Dad's favorite fishing hat, ratty as it may be, brings about nostalgia for the carefree days of a youth spent at the family cabin. It may not be remembered immediately that the reason the hat was favored was because Dad was wearing it the day he caught the biggest bass of his lifetime and has considered it lucky forever after. In that way, superstitions also play a role in capturing a moment, preserving it forever, without the need for camera or words.