Rick Wright is the kind of fisherman who can find a productive fishing spot almost anywhere. Several years ago he was working near St. Cloud, Minnesota, along the Mississippi River. After work he found an excellent place to fish, although he was reluctant to tell me about it even though I would be working in the area the following week.

Eventually he gave in and said, "Find the graveyard in town by the river. Walk through the graveyard toward the river. Find the compost pile where the groundskeeper leaves the grass and leaves. Then head straight down the hill. That's the spot."

I have to admit it felt a little strange unloading my fishing gear while other people were placing flowers on graves. It was a misty afternoon in late October. I had two dozen fathead minnows and about two hours of daylight left. Almost immediately I started catching smallmouth bass, landing four fish that each weighed around four pounds.

The Graveyard

As darkness settled in I began hearing strange noises coming from the hill above me. It felt as though someone was watching. The wind picked up, making the trees sway and produce eerie sounds, so I decided it was time to leave. I only had two minnows left anyway.

I gathered all my gear and started climbing the hill, trying to carry everything in one trip. Just before reaching the top, something suddenly caught my jacket and jerked me backward, nearly sending me tumbling back toward the river. Looking down, I saw what was left of my fishing rod and minnow bucket.

Without stopping to investigate, I charged up that hill like I was climbing Mount Everest. I jumped into my truck and sped away, my headlights illuminating the tombstones as I followed the winding road out of the cemetery.

Later, expecting to find my new work jacket ripped by a tree branch, I switched on the dome light to inspect it. Not a scratch. To this day I still don't know what pulled me backward that night.

Rick must have experienced something similar because he never wanted to fish there after dark again—at least not by himself. I probably caught twenty bass that evening, but in my opinion it's definitely a much better daytime fishing spot... if you know what I mean.