Welcome, as we launch the “Fishing Lines” Top 40 countdown for the week beginning August 2, 2021. The following hits were compiled by yours truly and reflect the best I could do to create this multi-part blog series. Apart from one tune (#36), I stuck with the criteria that I had to be familiar with each song and not simply surf the internet in search of “fishing songs” to make the list. It was a bit of chore, but I did manage to reach my goal of 40 although I am sure there are many that I missed or have never heard. Therefore, feel free to chime in with any selections of your own as I’m always up for exploring some new jams.
40. “If I could make a nickel off a turning ‘em bass, never worry about the price of gas, I’d be wheelin’ and dealin’ and sittin’ there reelin’ ‘em in.”
Huntin’, Fishin; and Lovin’ Every Day – Luke Bryan (2015)
39. “Betty’s got a bass boat, Betty’s got a truck, all of a sudden things are looking up.”
Betty’s Got A Bass Boat – Pam Tillis (1995)
38. “Oh, Tennessee River and a mountain man, we get together anytime we can.”
Tennessee River – Alabama (1979)
37. “Settle down far from town get me a pirogue and I’ll catch all the fish in the bayou.”
Jambalaya – Hank Williams (1952)
36. “Everybody caught the limit yesterday; I think I’ll just haul off and go fishing yesterday.”
Fishin’ Song – Stringbean (????)
35. “It’s too hot to fish, and too hot for golf, and too cold at home.”
Too Cold at Home – Mark Chesnutt (1990)
34. “On the dock the fish were stinkin’, I simply didn’t have a care.”
He Forgot That It Was Sunday – John Prine (1995)
33. “I can almost see the bobber dancin’, but I just dream, keep on bein’ the way I am.”
The Way I Am – Merle Haggard (1980)
32. “Skippin’ rocks across the water, fishin’ on an old trotline.”
Red River – Alabama (1983)
31. “When I’d skip school, he’d take me fishin’, sittin’ on the creek bank talkin’ and a wishin’.”
Shoestring – Mel McDaniel (1986)
Heavy on the country tunes to kick off our countdown but I suppose fishing goes a bit more hand in hand with that genre. It is also interestin’ how many words in the lyrics drop the “g”. And we’ve only just begun, as the countdown continues with another ten hits tomorrow. Talk to you later. Troy