Woody’s Southern Hoe Cake

2 cups       self-rising flour

1/2 cup      shortening

1 cup         milk

• Note: In the absence of self-rising flour, you can add 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt for every cup of flour. Just measure the baking powder and the salt in the bottom of the measuring cup, and spoon flour over it until you get one cup.

Preheat the oven to 425. Pour a thin layer of oil into an 8- or 9-inch cake pan (or you can get traditional and use a nice big cast iron skillet). Place pan into preheating oven so oil (I’ve tried butter and it was great… but don’t let it burn) will be hot when you’re ready to pour in the batter.

Measure flour into mixing bowl and cut in shortening with pastry cutter or a fork until it’s the consistency of crumbs. Stir in milk. It should be a nice wet biscuit-like batter. If it’s too dry, add up to 1/4 cup more milk.

Remove pan or skillet from oven and pour in the batter. It should sizzle because the oil or butter is nice and hot. Spread the batter in evenly, and return to the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven. Invert hoe cake onto a plate. The bottom is now the top and should be deliciously golden and crispy.

Serve with any meal with or without extra butter. It’s also great as breakfast bread served with eggs, grits, bacon or sausage and your favorite jam. You’ll absolutely love this dish… its light and fluffy like a biscuit, with a crispy bottom, top and sides.

Instead of purchasing a new spinning reel sometimes opting for a good cleaning makes the old one look and feel like new.

Serious anglers use their equipment often which means it frequently takes a beating, especially around saltwater. And you can be assured sooner or later its getting dunked. With the increasing price of fishing tackle particularly rods and reels people tend to take exceptional care of their equipment by washing and properly storing it after each trip. But regardless of how careful it’s treated for some reason and at exactly the wrong time the reel handle begins sticking and the gears sound like they are full of sand. Right away you’re thinking about a shinny new reel but the thought of convincing the wife why you need a new one makes you shudder.

A good cleaning and some maintenance is a solution that usually takes care of those dirty fishing reel blues, which by the way sounds like an old jazz song. And a cold winter day is a great time to do it.

If you lack the basic mechanical abilities or are not the “Do it yourself” type there are plenty of reputable repair facilities willing to do it for you. However, if you prefer doing it yourself, read on.

Here’s a quick tip I often give… Practically everyone today, has a digital camera so why not take advantage of it. If you’re not sure you’ll remember how things go back together, take a few close-up digital photographs before and during disassembly, print them and use during reassembly.

Over the years, fishing reel lubricants have evolved from barely refined motor oils to technologically advanced lubricants containing superior adhesion and bonding properties. This new generation of oils and greases greatly reduces friction and dispels water. Although cost is appreciably higher these added performance lubricants are worth the investment, so keep some on hand and in the tackle box.

Alright let’s get started, it’s going to take about an hour or two depending on how many reels you’re cleaning. Find a clean hard surface preferably in the garage with good lighting. Next gather a few old rags, an old white hand towel, and a chair. Get a couple of small straight blade and Phillips head screwdrivers, a small pair of needle nose pliers, an old toothbrush or thick artist brush and some alcohol or mineral sprits. You’ll also need a couple of small containers for securing small parts removed from the reel. This is important and I suggest working over a small white hand towel because those miniature washers and screws are virtually impossible to find if dropped on the floor.

Begin by removing the spool and reel handle, clean them and set aside. Remove the rotor nut retaining screw, nut and remove the rotor. On the rotor, loosen the line roller assembly located on the bail, lubricate bearing and roller and retighten. Also oil the opposite end of the bail where it connects to the rotor housing and set aside.

From this point and using the small brushes and cleaning solutions you’re going to remove and clean parts and housings as necessary.

Next remove the side plate taking care not to loose the small, usually plastic washers located on the screws. When possible, remove and clean the main gear and its two bearings, clean each one and set aside. Now remove and clean only the remaining readily accessible parts and gear case. You’re ready to put it back together.

Start by air drying the parts or using very low air pressure. With the newest lubricants apply a light coating of reel grease to the main and worm gear teeth. Oil the main gear, anti reverse and main shaft bearings and reassemble into the gear case. Remember, grease gets sticky so use oil whenever possible. Install the gear case cover and oil the main shaft before installing rotor. If necessary, re-spool with new line and reset the drag tension. Finally, test everything making certain its operating correctly.

Now all that’s left is getting out on the water for that next great fishing adventure; with a reel that probably feels and looks like new.

This article is owned by Capt. Woody Gore and is copyright protected. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by Capt. Gore. wgore@ix.netcom.com

Not just another pretty face, a pretty fish…

Spotted Sea Trout… Speckled Trout as us crackers call them are on fire along the west coast of Florida. The Southern Region opened January 1^st and high numbers including some really large fish are being caught daily.

It’s not often I get a chance to fun fish, but recently my son Capt. Mike and I took a morning to toss some artificial lures around a few inter-coastal docks. Starting early we pitched jigs under and around some promising looking docks in hopes of hooking a couple of redfish.

The wind was light and except for the gin clear water it was a good time to fish docks. Moving along the outside edges, Mike kept saying, “Look at the size of that trout.” Finally I moved up to bow and he was absolutely right. Big trout after big trout would scoot out of potholes then bury into the grass. When I say big, what I really mean is huge I estimated many upwards of five to seven pounds.

As expected these shallow water fish were weary of any noise or motion but we started fishing away from the docks toward the broken bottom grass flats. We did manage to land several fish on a Gulp Shad. Of course dad landed the big one and it took some convincing before Mike took the picture. Every father knows how competitive a son can be, but after years of fishing with dad, he’s getting used to it. Although I will admit, he occasionally gets lucky and whips the old man good.

If you’re interested in this marvelous fish here are a few thoughts on catching one of the most beautiful fish in our waters.

Looking for gators: Many anglers’ fish over deep water grass, but here’s secret most giant hunters won’t tell you? If you’re looking really big gator’s… the ones with bright big yellow mouths the size of a coffee can – “go shallow” and fish broken bottom potholes. Keep in mind, shallow water fish get real spooky to noise and commotion which sends them running. Depending on the time of year and water conditions sometimes it’s better to just get out and wade.

Light to medium weight tackle: A 7 or 7 ½ foot light to medium action spinning combination spooled with 10 to 15 lb braid is the preferred choice of most inshore anglers. You get good casting distance and the braid is very sensitive to strikes. It’s also a good idea to use a leader. Not the store bought wire variety with swivels and weights but a single length of 20 to 30 lb. monofilament about 18 inches long and tied to your braid using a Double-Uni or Triple Surgeons knot.

Live shrimp, small pinfish or greenbacks free lined or under a popping cork constantly produce fish. On the other hand, at times they are not actively feeding or seem restless, so switch to dead bait, a little slower fishing but it usually produces.

For some “reel” excitement: Learn to use artificial lures. Fished correctly artificial’s on average out fish live baits. Here’s the premise behind that statement. By continually casting lures you cover a larger area thus exposing it to more fish. In theory you end up taking the bait to the fish, rather than waiting for a fish to find the bait.

Check an artificial angler tackle box and you’ll find lures of various shapes, sizes and colors. Topwater, suspending, and diving plugs, and spoons are all time favorites but soft plastics are essential for trout. Whether you rig them on a jighead or weedless they require a twitch and retrieve action that triggers the strike, between twitches as the lure falls. We usually get a first-class trout bite during the winter months, so keep in mind as water temperatures drop so should your presentation. To maximize cold water presentations slow it down often working it along the bottom.

Larger fish in our future: The past years of Red Tide certainly took its toll on trout killing thousands in Tampa Bay alone. In fact it wasn’t until a couple of years ago we where lucky to even see a trout let alone catch one.

Hopefully, over the next few years provided we can avoid any serious bouts of Red Tide. It could be possible to see some our west coast sea trout equaling their east coast cousins.

Fish for dinner: Nothing beats a fresh fish dinner especially the day it’s caught. Try taking only what you can eat at one time. Most fish especially trout do not freeze well and not stocking the freezer gives you a good reason to go fishing.

Take a Kid Fishing: One of the most significant things we can do as adults is teach our children about fishing and take them. So with patience, teach in such a way they learn to respect for our resources and comprehend the essentials necessary to understand the future benefits.

Everyone should consider fishing as a privilege not a right and we should never take it for granted… whenever possible practice catch and safe release.

This article is owned by Capt. Woody Gore and is copyright protected. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by Capt. Gore. wgore@ix.netcom.com

Tying knots began before the dawn of history when man tied a stone to a stick. Through the years knots have been associated with primitive religion, folklore, magic, and superstitions. Tying knots have numerous of uses and a biological study found that man is not the only species to use knots. Gorillas use them to hold saplings down in their nests. In one nest two dozen knots were counted, most were granny knots but some were square knots. There is a particular species of bird that ties knots in the construction of its nest. And there are still primitive races that fasten their huts, traps and even clothing with knots.

With the hundreds of knots available today anglers put too much emphasis on knowing how to tie every one. In fact when it comes to fishing whether it’s fresh or saltwater, inshore or offshore the average angler only needs to master four or five knots relating directly to their methods of fishing. Learning to effectively tie a few simple knots enables you to catch whatever species you’re targeting. For example, on inshore charters I only use five knots, a Uni Knot, Double-Uni Knot, Triple Surgeons, Loop Knot and the occasional Spider Hitch.

After you’ve chosen the knots for your particular application and regardless which knot you prefer, tying it correctly is essential for achieving fish catching success. A large proportion of losses can be blamed on poorly tied knots. Therefore, it’s essential that you spend an extra second or two to insure your knots are tied properly. By using the elements listed below your knots should retain their breaking strength.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice… Take a length of fishing line, a hook with the point cut off, and practice until you can tie each knot correctly 25 time.
2. Always lubricate your knots with saliva as you pull them tight. This prevents damage to the line and allows the knot to pull tight.
3. Trim knots closely. A good knot, pulled tight, will not come loose. Close trimming prevents the knot from catching snags or weeds.
4. When you’re learning knots, the “tag end” sometimes called the working end is the end of the line used to tie the knot. The “standing end” is that part of the line coming from your fishing reel.
5. Always leave plenty of the tag end for tying knots so that you can tie them properly.
6. Pull up all ends when tightening the knot cinching them as tight as possible. If it slips in your hand, it will slip when you’re hooked up.
7. Once you find a knot that’s working for your particular type of fishing don’t forget it.

Originally designed to keep hooks attached to fishing line knots soon took on another aspect with the onset of artificial lures. They became more than just means of keeping a hook or lure on the line. They actually made a difference in how baits and lures performed. Fishing fresh or saltwater, with artificial lures your are trying to immolate the actions of a natural food source; so stands to reason that everything we can do to add realistic actions should help us catch fish.

There are many excellent knots in use today, especially when t here is a need to catch fish but one stands out as an intelligent choice. It provides artificial lures and natural baits the most realistic approach and appeal and it’s called a Loop Knot.

Actually loop knots have been use for decades but now with swim baits, top waters, diving and suspending lures along with a variety of soft plastics this knot has emerged as the go-to method of attaching lures to your fishing line.

When properly tied loop knots give lures and natural baits an element of free swimming action. An action you otherwise loose when using knots that secure your lure or hook directly to the line. Because it’s imperative to imitate a natural and lively food source this is an important knot and one you should learn to tie and use.

Perfecting the skill of proper casting and retrieve takes plenty of practice and sometimes years to master however, something as simple as a knot can have a discernible result on your overall success. With so many knots in use today often the slightest difference makes your bait seem more lively or natural… this subtle little different often triggers the strike you’ve waited for all day.

This article is owned by Capt. Woody Gore and is copyright protected. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by Capt. Gore. wgore@ix.netcom.com