The Best Kept Secret:
Learning to Be the Best
Bruce Callis Jr
I have spent well over 50 years searching for that perfect fishing catching method. And I have tried a lot of different baits, lines, reels, fish finders, and boats. I have dedicated untold hours on the water and on the bank. I have watched countless podcasts and videos in my search. And I think I have found the answer to the burning question of what to use.
Without a doubt, the human mind is the most important tool we have. There was a funny saying years ago, and while it was meant to help keeps kids off drugs, it is the same thing about bass fishing. “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste!” And its still true about everything in life.
When I started on my life as an angler, I soaked up all the information I could. But unlike today, we didn’t have the internet to help us. I listened to professional anglers at fishing shows, I listened to local anglers who had been fishing for years, and I soaked up the magazines content. Bassmaster, Outdoor Life, and anything else I could find. As a Boy Scout, we started a Youth BASS Club. We had speakers come talk to us. I soaked it all up.
And today, I still soak up all the information I can. I want to be the best I can be. This doesn’t make me smarter than anyone else. This just means I am always trying to get better. Do I think I can outfish anyone, heck yeah. I believe in what information I have stored in my mind. Does it mean I can beat everyone? Heck no. On any given day, anybody can catch them. Why else does the best lose!
But the best thing to use to catch bass is your mind. Learn everything you can, put into play what you have learned, and never stop wanting to learn more. I go fishing with many other anglers and I always learn something on every outing. They don’t have to that Elite Pro for me to learn from. I have been with a few beginners who have taught me something. They did something I would never do, but they didn’t know better and caught bass.
One thing I have really learned took me years to figure out, and some people just don’t understand it. We can always improve what we do. And when we realize that fishing is all about having fun, and that winning isn’t the goal. Yes, I love to win. I believe I can win any tournament I enter. I believe I can beat anyone, head-to-head. If I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t be doing it. But if I don’t have fun, I am missing out on everything.
I fished an online tournament, and the first day I had great luck while others struggled and had nothing. I knew I could keep my mouth shut and run away with the win, but, I also love to share my knowledge. I shared some information that helped others make some catches. Yes, I lost by a 1/4 inch on big bass. But I knew I had won because I helped teach others.
The greatest tool for catching bass is you and your mind. Soak in everything. Learn something every time you go fishing. Listen to others, soak it up, and don’t try to be them, make the information fit you and your style. Learning new techniques will help you become a more rounded angler, but each of us have something we really love to do. Refine that skill, but don’t skip learning. You just may find a special way to do something are already doing. Use your mind to soak up everything and make it work for you. A mind should never be wasted!
