I often get asked “what is the key to being a successful and consistent bass fisherman?”, a lot of guys would say it is the boat, or the fancy tackle, and to a certain degree this is true, for without them, we certainly would find it tough to catch a bass, however, more than anything else, to be a good fisherman, in my opinion, the most important thing is to be bold.
So often as anglers we get stuck in a rut of fishing this style or that bait or even that spot because that is what worked last time, and I am not just talking about competition anglers her, I am talking about all of us. WE find something that works and we flog it until it doesn’t any more, however, we have spent so much time doing the same thing, we have neglected to see what the fish are trying to show us/teach us, and often times a great day out becomes simply mediocre.
I have always been an advocate of being a student of nature and with fishing, to a larger degree, my surroundings, here are a few things to consider the next time you are having a tough day:
. If the fish are no longer on the “spot” it doesn’t mean they have left, they may have just moved a bit shallower or deeper.
. This colour isn’t working! What were the weather conditions like last time it did? Should I go darker or lighter, or totally opposite to what I was using?
. This bait isn’t working anymore! Why, what has changed? What may be a better option?
. The fish simply aren’t feeding! Why, have we had rain, has the water colour changed radically, has the temperature changed radically, has the water level changed?
As fishermen we need to be bold, I want to encourage each and every one of you, when the fishing is tough, stop, evaluate, adapt, BE BOLD!
