As an angler, we are always looking for the best bass fishing lake in the country. It’s our dream to catch ten-pound bass on every cast, but we don’t want anyone else to know about our secret destination. It begs me to wonder, “Where is the holy grail of bass fishing?” Is there really a Bassfield USA and if so, is it a destination all anglers should put on their bucket list?
This topic came up at lunch the other day with my so called “Lunch Bunch” crew. We are a sad group of guys that eat lunch together at least twice a week to discuss everything from LSU Football to the prettiest women of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. It is a group of both Republican and Democratic loyalists with a couple of Independents mixed in who have the answers to most of our country’s political issues. It was during a conversation about a former NSU Demon that someone asked where he was from? Turns out, he was from a town by the name of Bassfield!
After some lengthy discussion, someone finally Googled it to discover that Bassfield is in Mississippi, located in the northeast region of the Magnolia State. Now my peer group of misfits (Lunch Bunch) thought it was funny that “I” did not know where Bassfield was since I am a bass fisherman. While I failed to see the humor in their delinquent accusation, they just could not understand how I could call myself a bass angler and not know the location of Bassfield, Mississippi! They pretended to be disappointed in my lack of knowledge, but I thought they were juvenile!
However, this topic did raise a question with me…are there any other towns called by another species of fish like catfish? Or might there be a town by the name of Sac-a-lait, otherwise known as a white perch to most southerners. How many fish towns are there? Turns out, after extensive research and a waste of my time, there are at least eighty-one towns between Canada and the good ol’ USA that have a name associated with a particular fish species. Some include Catfish Paradise, Arizona; Fish, Georgia; Fishkill, New York (Love that one); Marlin, Texas; King Salmon, Alaska; Sturgeon, Pennsylvania; and one of my favorites…Jack Fish, Ontario, Canada. There’s even a Trout, Louisiana located in North Louisiana’s LaSalle Parish. Did you know there are three other town names with the word Bass in it? They are Bass Harbor, Maine, Bass Lake, Wisconsin and Bass River, New Brunswick, Canada.
So, there you have it! More useless information that no one really cares about! But at least next time when my “Lunch Bunch” asks about a town with a fishy name, I’ll be able to hold my head high by spouting off the location of several. It pains me to waste my valuable time on such trivial information, but when you have friends like the ones I have, you need all the ammunition you can get since these guys are ruthless when you don’t know the things “THEY” think you should know.
Till next time, good luck, good fishing and when you get that bite of a lifetime…don’t forget to set the hook!!!!
Steve Graf Angler’s Perspective
