Evening star., 1963-05-12
BUT IHEYIL NEVER FORGET The RIVER /.
Pocomoke Strikes Out Invading Anglers
BY WHEELER JOHNSON
Outdoor Editor

OutuOOE EuAtu
"This is q challenge river"
Miss Norma Truitt said to me
as we sat discussing the POGO
moke in the restaurant side Of
her all-purpose business place
at Snow Hill, Md. was moan
ing that had fished hard from
daylight to lunch time and pro-
duced nothing.
"If a fisherman comes here
looking for o long string Of
fish for one morning or after
moons fishing, he's no going
to find what he's looking for.
But If he wants to take some
really big bass, then the POGO
moke has them for him." Miss
Truitt continued.
But it's possible to draw a
blank. They were biting well
last week." she said.
Later events proved her cor
rect. The Pocomoke is a chal-
lenge river. / faced its chal-
lenge and struck out. OF course.
when the river struck me out
1t was sending q puny .l86
swinger to the bench.
But this time 1t also struck
out some Of the fishing worlds
800 hitters some of whom were
playing on their home grounds.
Wen Never Forget II
I had come to Snow Hill in
company withTom Colfield, out
door editor Of the Baltimore
News-Post; Maury Delman,
managing editor Of Fishing
World, and Nick Karas, Of the
Sportsmen's Service Bureau,
both from New York.
The idea was to show the
New Yorkers some Of the best
bass water in Maryland and
Cofield assured that "the Po-
comoke Is q river you'll never
forget" They probably won't
either.
Our schedule called for US tol
fish the river for three days.
We were positive In that time
we would have at least three
or four 5 Founders and maybe
we would have one Of the
tackle smashing 10 pound
lunkers that are reputed to
hide around the cypress knees
along the shores Of this dark
river.
On arrival at Snow Hill we
checked In at Truitt's, as most
fishermen In this area do. 1t
becomes headquarters because
George Truitt and daughter
Norma have In stock about ev-
erything the angler needs from
lee, to food, to fishing tackle
and boat rentals. Also It is
open "A hours q day and be-
comes q center Of information
about fishing conditions.
Whenever she gets q spare mo-
nnent Norma, herself, Is out
with Q spinning rod trying to
scare up q fish or two.
=. Perfect Fishing Rig
-Cofield and Delman had
brought along o handy little
aluminium, square-nosed boat
that Travelled well on top Of
Delman's side-entrance station
wagon. It made q perfect rig
for fishing the Pocomoke be-
cause 1t was stable despite its
low freeboard, and could be
easily lifted down from the sta
ton wagon and launched by
two men. A 51a horsepower
outboard made the craft q
speedy outfit for covering the
wide territory one must cover
on the Pocomoke.
Karas and I were fortunate
in getting q larger boat, for
with 1t came its owner, Jim
Wilson, introduced to US as
"Mr. Bass" Wilson is o long
time pursuer Of bass and
knows every hole between Snow
Hill and the mouth Of the Po-
comoke where q big fish Jerks.
With him along. we Just
knew we couldn't miss. The
only thing was that we did.
We hit everyone Of Jim's fav-
orite spots and some he wasn't
so keen on. We tried every
thing from fly rods and
popping bugs welded by
Cofield and Delman on through
the various spinning lures s
both surface and deep running
used by Karas and me. Jim.
our ace in the hole. is an ex-
pert with a casting rod. He
was partial to a big white lure {
with q red head he got from !
a mail order house. q
But even his pet killer"
wasn't doing him any good =
this afternoon and he was
muttering.
Never saw anything like It," {