The philosophy of the bait shop owner ~ August 10, 2005
David Heiller I went to buy minnows on Sunday at Tri-State Bait and Tackle in La Crescent. As I was plunking down my $1.60, I asked the owner, Bob Veglahn, how the crappies were biting. “Great if you can find them.” I started to laugh, but stopped just in time. Bob wasn’t joking. The fish were biting fine. You just had to find them. Wow. It was a classic bait shop owner statement. I’m not criticizing Bob, or making fun of him. Bait shop owners have a way with words that rival Socrates, and I have great respect for that. Think about what Bob said. He didn’t say the fish weren’t biting. I have never heard a bait shop owner say that. He didn’t say they were biting great, because that would be a lie, and good bait shop owners don’t lie. They want to maintain their credibility so that that they can sell you more minnows. What he said was the perfect statement. The fish were biting great. Hey that’s good news! You’ve just got to find them. Hey, I can do that. It was a pep talk and an optim...