1. Obtain a fishing rod, spinning reel, braided fishing line, a plastic egg floater, plastic grub lures, AZ hooks, 10lb test monofilament leader, a two-way swivel and red plastic beads. The plastic egg floater will keep the lure at the surface of the water, the grub lure’s swimming motion will act like a bait fish, and the red beads will further attract the fish due to its bright color. The AZ hooks are shaped in a semi-circular fashion that allow the fish to swallow the hook, which is then lodged in the fish’s mouth as the tension pulls it outwards.
2. Take your main line, pass it through the egg floater that’s 3/4 filled with water and tie it to the swivel with a palomar knot. Take a segment of leader that’s the length of your wingspan and tie it to the other end of the barrel swivel with a clinch knot. Cut the leader off the spool and tie it to a hook with a palomar knot. Take two red beads and push the hook through them, then take a plastic grub and feed the hook through the body so the tip of the hook protrudes from the tail end of the grub’s body.
3. Find a beach or cliff with either large rocks in the water, wide sand flats or a coral reef with a drop off into a channel.
4. Wade as far as you can into the water if the beach has sand flats. If the beach has a reef drop, wade out to the edge of the reef. If you are on a cliff, just stay on the edge of the cliff.
5. Open the spinning reel and cast as far as you can, then close the reel right before the lure hits the water and immediately begin to reel as fast as you can. As you reel in your lure, twitch your rod to the left once every second. This action will make your lure appear as an injured baitfish scrambling to get into shallower water.
6. Continue to reel, the lure’s action should attract the predatory Papio. You may feel nibbles as the Papio tries to bite it, continue to reel quickly so the fish recklessly chases it and chomps it.
7. Once you feel the bite, prepare for the battle. Due to the shape of the AZ hook, it isn’t necessary to set the hook. Maintain tension on the line and allow the fish to tire itself while controlling it so that it doesn’t cut the line on the reef or any rocks.
8. Papio will often try to swim straight down and fight in short, strong bursts. Maintain tension during bursts but do not reel in as it may snap the line. Once you feel the fish take a break and the line slack, reel as fast as you can. Continue to do so until the fish is within five feet of you.
9. If you are on a short cliff, you may want to use a gaff to pull the fish out of the water, but it isn’t necessary. If you are in the water or on the shore, pull the fish close to you and grab the leader with your hands and carefully pull it towards you until you can pickup the fish.
10. Take pictures of the nice Papio that you caught, then unhook and release it so it can continue to grow and produce more Papio for the future.
Haikus and Other Stuff: A Glimpse into the Mind of Aaron 