Man Returns From Fishing Trip With No Fish and $600 in New Gear, Calls Trip 'Productive'

Local angler Kevin Snap returned from a three-day fishing trip to Lake Cumberland on Monday with zero fish, zero photographs of fish, and $612 in new equipment purchased from a Bass Pro Shops he passed on the way to the lake, the way home from the lake, and — during an especially unproductive afternoon — during the trip itself. 'It was an incredibly productive trip,' Snap told his wife, Linda, while unloading bags from his truck. 'I identified several key areas that are going to produce big fish next time. The fact that they didn't produce this time is actually useful information.' The purchases include a $189 medium-heavy casting rod ('the old one was fine but this one has a faster tip'), a $74 braided line in two colors ('you need options'), a $92 tackle bag ('my current one is organized wrong'), a $47 headlamp ('the mornings were darker than expected'), and $210 in assorted soft plastics, jigs, and terminal tackle that Snap categorizes as 'restocking.' 'He left with more gear than some people own,' said Linda. 'He came back with more gear than he left with and fewer fish than he left with, which was already zero.' Snap's fishing log for the trip, which Linda was not permitted to see but which this reporter obtained through his fishing buddy, reads: 'Day 1: Scouted structure. No bites. Stopped at Bass Pro on way back. Day 2: Fished new gear. No bites. Switched spots three times. Day 3: Rain. Went to Bass Pro.' Snap has already booked a return trip for next month. He describes his gear situation as 'now fully optimized,' a phrase Linda noted he used before the previous trip as well. 'At some point,' Linda said, 'I'd like to eat a fish.'