Outdoor writer/broadcaster Wade Bourne has covered sportfishing for more than 30 years in national magazines, radio and TV.

Sometimes the hand is quicker than they eye, and the hookset is faster than the bass!

This is especially true with topwater lures. One major mistake many anglers make with topwaters is jerking the instant a bass swirls on a surface lure. Sometimes the fish misses the lure, and by jerking too soon, the angler yanks the bait away from a fish that might come back and strike again.

Outdoor writer/broadcaster Wade Bourne has covered sportfishing for more than 30 years in national magazines, radio and TV.

Streams are great places to introduce kids to fishing, for two main reasons. The first is that many streams support large populations of fish that don’t get much fishing pressure, hence, they bite eagerly and the catching is easy. Kids need a lot of bites on their first trips to keep their interest level up.

The second reason is that streamfishing is an adventure. There is always a new bend to round and abundant wildlife to view. Kids can get in the water. They can picnic on a sandbar. They can enjoy the pleasures and the discoveries of being in a wild, natural environment.