You want the gills, we got the skills (Dick Dauphinias, Marc Busboom, Greg Olson, and Joe Busick). (Photo by Scott Baker)
Scott Baker
Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs. Batman and Robin. Some things just go well together, and another is fishing and golfing. Summer’s here, with golf courses greening up and lakes stocked with sport fish. Hard choices need to be made—cast a fishing line on a serene lake or swing a club on a beautiful golf course?
Granted, not all golfers fish and not all fishermen golf. Yet, for those who do both, imagine the perfect sporting day—catch your fish limit in the morning and shoot even par that afternoon! With a bit of planning, the Fishing Club did both in a single location at Oklahoma’s Lake Murray State Park.
The 18-hole, par 72 golf course is an old, beautiful course with towering oak trees, tree-lined fairways, strategically placed water hazards, and a breathtaking natural waterfall. It’s well-manicured and challenging enough for a good time. The crystal-clear blue waters of 5,700-acre Lake Murray boast a better smallmouth fishery than any lake in the state. Smallies range in the two- to three-pound class, and even up to five pounds. What they lack in size, they more than make up for in numbers.
When you think about it, fishing and golfing have a lot in common. For example, both activities are a reason to get outside and enjoy a tiny hook or a tiny white ball. They involve patience and a steady hand, and all it takes is one great shot or one great catch to make the entire day, well, great. When things don’t go as hoped, anglers and golfers have a host of explanations. The wind shifted. The sun was in my eyes. Too many clouds. Wrong ball. Wrong bait. A bad hook. Lost my ball in the drink. Lost my lure in the lake. Sand trap. Sand bar. Lousy swing. Lousy cast. Lousy weather.
But the greatest similarity is recapping at day’s end. With golfers, the scores amazingly inch lower, the shots become better, the mulligans are somehow forgotten, and they mysteriously become semi-pro golfers who can beat anyone on the course. With anglers, the fish miraculously become bigger, missed fish and fish that broke off all become larger than life, and, all of a sudden, fishermen become such good anglers they need their own reality TV show.
Golf may happen on the greens, and fishing may transpire on the waters, but both pose challenges and obstacles that can be overcome with self-discipline and practice. Yet, despite all the comparisons, there is one difference that cannot be overlooked—no matter how hard you try, you can’t eat golf balls for dinner.
Interested in dropping a line? Plans are always in the works to area fishing (and golfing) destinations. The RR Fishing Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Wildhorse Grill Boardroom at 4 p.m. For any inquiries, comments, or suggestions, contact [email protected] or Scott Baker at 214-334-7664.