02-21-2008, 07:58 PM
[cool][#0000ff]In a rare moment of lucidity, after my meds kicked in, I remembered an "interesting" catch on Pena Blanca Lake in southern Arizona. I was float tubing early one morning, casting small jigs along the shoreline for the occasional crappie and bluegill. Coming towards me, down the bank, was a skunk...digging in the shoreline debris for anything edible. They eat all kinds of stuff...live, dead or semi extinct.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Thinking to have some fun with the nearsighted little beast, I pitched a short cast to drop the jig just in front of it, on the bank. When the skunk got close, I twitched it a little and the skunk pounced on it before I could jerk it away. In fact, my jerk reaction hooked the stinky striped kitty in one of its paws and the force tumbled it forward. Not good. Mr. smelly bounced up and began spraying in all directions. I was out far enough in the water that I did not get any direct hits, but the smell was enough to gag me. Then the skunk detected my motion of trying to kick my way back out into deeper water to try to get away. I gave a hard jerk on the rod and popped the light leader. Tumbled the skunk on his face again. Now he was really upset and jumped into the water and started heading right for me.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I don't know what that skunk had in mind, but I knew that there was the potential for rabies...besides a blast of perfume. You should have seen me get that float tube up on plane and throw a rooster tail getting out of there. The skunk continued to swim around out in the area I had been when I hooked him but eventually swam back to shore. I fished the rest of the day on the other side of that little lake, watching for any black and white critters along the bank.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Thinking to have some fun with the nearsighted little beast, I pitched a short cast to drop the jig just in front of it, on the bank. When the skunk got close, I twitched it a little and the skunk pounced on it before I could jerk it away. In fact, my jerk reaction hooked the stinky striped kitty in one of its paws and the force tumbled it forward. Not good. Mr. smelly bounced up and began spraying in all directions. I was out far enough in the water that I did not get any direct hits, but the smell was enough to gag me. Then the skunk detected my motion of trying to kick my way back out into deeper water to try to get away. I gave a hard jerk on the rod and popped the light leader. Tumbled the skunk on his face again. Now he was really upset and jumped into the water and started heading right for me.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I don't know what that skunk had in mind, but I knew that there was the potential for rabies...besides a blast of perfume. You should have seen me get that float tube up on plane and throw a rooster tail getting out of there. The skunk continued to swim around out in the area I had been when I hooked him but eventually swam back to shore. I fished the rest of the day on the other side of that little lake, watching for any black and white critters along the bank.[/#0000ff]
[signature]