The line was dead, and so was my patience.
I was about to quit when an old-timer handed me a tiny trinket. I almost laughed—then my rod tip started jerking like crazy while everyone else sat still.
Those little glass rattles didn’t make me a pro, but they changed how I see “dead” water. Instead of blaming the lake, the moon, or bad luck, I had a subtle way to wake the fish up—a tiny vibration hidden in a plastic worm.
Now, when frustration hits, I just add a rattle, cast again, and wait for that hopeful tap.