by Michelle Reed

Created on: June 22, 2008   Last Updated: June 30, 2008

When selecting bait, be sure to pick one that isn't evil. My last fishing trip with my dad was a complete disaster, and it was the bait's fault. It wasn't my choice to use earthworms; I liked to use minnows, or even a good lure. My day was ruined with the arrival of a cup of demons.

Every weekend my dad and I would go fishing for bass. We would start on the lake in a boat during the day time and end up fishing on the bank at night. This particular weekend, dad decided to fish in a different spot he had heard about. When we stopped at the bait store located near the fishing spot, the selection of minnows were mostly dead. I was thinking about the lures I could possibly use when my dad told the man he would take some worms. I hated worms. Okay, I admit it, I am a squeamish girl. It is in the rule book, we hate them.

When we got to the river I was ill at the thought of using worms for bait. My dad gave me my fishing pole and used a paper cup to pour some of the worms and dirt out for me. He wanted to go further up the bank and told me I would be fine fishing near the truck. After retrieving his equipment he left. I wandered down to the bank and put my pole down to stare into the cup. How bad could it be to hook a worm? You have no idea.

I worked up the courage to get one of them out of the cup, and it was huge. An Arnold size worm if I ever saw one. I wasn't about to stick my fingers further into the cup to hunt for a smaller one, so I took hold of it and set the cup down. It seemed pretty docile lying across my hand, at least it seemed that way. I released the hook and made an attempt to put the worm on it. Attempt is a good word to use here, because as soon as the hook touched the worm, it went nuts. I did what every normal girl would do, I dropped it.

This seemed like a better strategy with it on the ground so I used it to my advantage. I didn't want to hold it, and proceeded to try and stab it on the ground. Every time I tried to get the hook in, it would rear back at me, and at that time I didn't know they couldn't bite, so I wasn't chancing it. A few minutes into this dirt dance, by dad walks up behind me. He asked what I was doing, and since it wasn't so obvious I told him rocket science. I was then put through the lecture about how the worm was going to enjoy being fish bait after what I put it through. He baited my hook and told me he would be back in a while.

Now I was ready to drown this obnoxious worm. I brought the pole back for an overhead cast and when I released, nothing happened. I looked up to see my line hooked in a tree above me. Worms apparently have arms you can't see, I swear it grabbed that branch in a death grip just for spite. I tugged and pulled at the line for a while and figured I had better get it loose before dad came back. It came loose finally, and the hook was empty. The little demon got free.

I knew I was not about to pull another one of those evil things out of the cup, so I sat down and chucked the rest of them into the water. I was hoping the little escapee would become bird poop and the rest would drown. Dad decided not to take me fishing with him at this new spot again. He told me I was getting to 'girly' to be his fishing buddy. To this day I still prefer minnows, I think worms should be listed in the Bible under parts about Satan.

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