So what exactly is this Shining were talking about, glad you ask… It's an old family secret that has been taught to the younguns in our family when they were thought to be old enough to handle the powers that is about to be given to them. A way of looking at the world through different eyes, lets say a six sense or Shining.. While still a boy we uses to take all night fishing trips to nearby beaches where my Grandpa would set up his lawn chairs, set his old rod holders in the sand, and fling his baits from those hugmongous pole out upon the dark water of the Gulf. Then under the lights from an old Coleman lantern he could almost magically will those big bulls to grab hold of his baited hooks, one right after another as I watched during the night. And being the inquisitive youngster that I was I would ask him what his secret to catching ice chest full of reds was, and the reply was always "you got to shine them drum boy, to get them to bite"..

He explained that any fishermen worth a hoot can come down to the surf when the drum are running thick as flies and catch one or two a night and go back home feeling good. But those with the Shining can fish the same amount time and catch so many drum that you have to stop cause your back is about to break and your arms feel like there going to fall off.. That's the difference in Shining for Drum and just fishing for drum.. He explained the art of Shining is the ability to get on the same wave length as those Reds you are so intent on catching.. Old salts will say you have to think like a drum to catch one, Grandpa would say you have to talk them into you bait, plant the idea in their heads that the piece of cut mullet on the end of your line is like sirloin to a lion. He would say you have to guide the drum toward your hook and tell him to eat it, then hang on for the ride. After years of practice he had honed his ability to shine to where he could tell where the drum were while driving that old truck at a good clip down any stretch of beach. In fact he got so good at Shining for reds you thought he was fishing with a drum magnet instead of a hook. He could even shine a few reds over toward my hook ever once in awhile..

The art of Shining he explained to me over the years we sat out on the dark beach while under the glow of a hand pumped Coleman, was first and foremost lots of practice. He couldn't remember the countless hours he had spent staring off at the stars while honing his Shining skills that were also past down to him by his Grandfather.. He would say that concentrating on the sounds of the ocean one could almost hear the sounds of the reds drumming under the water, (a fact that I have not only proven first hand but read in many fishing articles).. Soon over time he would say you can almost read their minds on how they go about their daily routine of searching for a nice piece of crab or mullet floating by for a night time snack.. Then you will be able to use your Shining to help convince them that your particular tidbit of fish dangling off your hook is too irresistible to pass up… And before you know it you will be Shining when you don't even realize your Shining. That is when you know you have become a fishermen and not just some Yahoo out there chunkin bait out in the water for distance..