One thing I know for sure, bass fishing is something I love to do! Whether it is just out for fun or in a tournament, I am just at home on the water. I’ve fished a lot in my life too and have no plans on stopping. I have found that the only way to make sure that we perserve what we have is by working with groups to accomplish those goals and to pass on what I love to others through education and encouragement. Be it with my kids, my grandkids, or through other things like Free Kids Fishing Days, its all about getting kids off the couch and outdoors.
And something I have learned is that you have to challenge yourself all the time when fishing. My fun days fishing are also learning days. It doesn’t matter if I am out fishing with Snookie Risch, Jacob Stephens, my brother Bill or my grandson Bentley Forbes for fun, I take what I find and learn from it. And I never stop learning from others as well. I don’t have all the answers, but that’s okay too. No one has it, bass fishing, all figured out. Even the elite pros who fish for a living are learning all the time. Being the best is difficult.
And I love to challenge myself when I fish too. Be it against someone I am fishing with or in a bigger setting, like a tournament.
One way to challenge yourself and to learn is by fishing as a CoAngler in a tournament. I have done that a few times. There is a set of rules about it that you will need to learn, like how much gear to bring, what you need to do prior to hopping on someone else’s boat, and also, how to fish behind someone else. That is another world. You can’t be throwing the same thing all the time. If they are fishing slow, picking apart laydowns, you can’t throw the same bait and expect to catch big bass. You have to learn how to figure all of this out. And what you learn will only work to make you a better angler. And don’t forget to watch the boater so you can learn from what they are doing.
And then there is the club level tournaments. This can be a small group of guys and gals who just get out together and compete against each other. I’ve fished in a small jonboat club that only uses electric motors, and it is very competetive indeed. They have big setups to power the boat, like all others, to beat you to the spot they want to start. Sometimes it’s about making a long run to a spot as well. It is fun, and you make some great friends, but it is also about learning and challenging yourself. I’ve done good, and I have layed a big goose egg a few times. But I learned from every single day!
My biggest challenge, besides writing, has been fishing in a month long kayak tournament. This wasn’t just a bunch of anglers on the same body of water, this was a nationwide tournament. This meant I was competing against anglers from Texas, Florida, Alabama, or even here in Virginia. The first event was held in August and as hard as I tried, I never found the bass I was looking for, the big girls. I fished as much as I could but the best I could do was finishing in 6th place. But I used every day on the water to learn more so I could do better.
September rolled around and a new chance with a new tournament. I started off stronger than I had finished August. I managed in my first two outings to take a lead that I knew would not last. And I kept trying to upgrade. What I learned each day I was on the water helped with the next day. I managed to upgrade a little bit at a time, but missed too many and just couldn’t find the bigger ones. Then the rains came and forced me to miss too many opportunities in the middle of the month. But I didn’t stop trying and learning. Finally I managed to upgrade a little, but while I sat out because of the rain, one competitor did get out and knocked me from first place. From leading to being almost 2 inches down is huge. It can make you disappointed or it can drive you. I knew I wasn’t going to give up without a fight to the end. I went out and upgraded my smallest bass by 1/2 inch, to bring it under 2 inches behind. And on the last day of the tournament, I went out one last time to the same public pond I had started the month fishing. I caught one, but it just wasn’t big enough to give me an upgrade. The bite was slow and the wind was blowing good, but I put my head down and continued to search, hitting the most productive spots I saw.
I got down to one area and not having any hits, I decided to make a change. I cut off my bait and pulled out my box to find the crankbait I was thinking would be the perfect choice. But somebody said put this on. I was like, that won’t work today, but the voice said again, tie it on! Sometimes you just have to believe, so I listened and tied on a SPRO Aruku Shad, which I knew was going to get hung up where I was. I made a couple casts, starting to my right and working across to my left, not getting hung up at all. I made another cast to my left and when I engaged my reel, I just knew it, I was hung. But suddenly I felt the pull, and I was sure I had something big, or was I just hoping? I was reeling it and it just didn’t want to budge it seemed. And then the nightmare of all nightmares happens. My line snapped back near the reel. I have never had it happen before like this, but there laid my line on the top of the water!
What happened next seems like a dream. Suddenly, a huge bass busts the surface, shaking it’s head and swims back out of sight. My heart dropped, as I knew victory had just swam away. I paddled over to my line and started to pull it in. Hand lining just seems to take forever, but I was getting close to the end, just hoping my bait wasn’t hung on any log. I got the line tighter and suddenly it was going in the opposite direction. I’m going, ‘no way!” as I pulled more line in and then suddenly it pulled back. Not a hung pull, but a bass pull. Having pulled it closer, I saw the bass as it came up beside me and then down again. Now panic took over as I tried to hold the line and get the net out. I’m sure I looked mighty funny out there, but I got it straight and then worked on bringing the bass back up so I could attempt to net him. It took two tries, but I finally scooped her into the net and then screamed. The next thing was to thank God for everything. For without him I would have never gotten the opportunity.
This was the most nervous I have ever been trying to get a picture of her on the measuring board. I knew roughly how big she was, as I had checked with her in my hand. I got my board set up, card in position, and got her on the board. She kicked twice, trying to get free, but I managed to secure her enough to finally get a picture. I slipped her back into my net so I could check the picture to make sure everything looked good and then took a deep breath finally. I took a couple pictures before I released her to be caught another day. And then submitted it, waiting for it to upload, and then checking the standings to see where I stood. Nothing like seeing your name in the lead on the last day and having a 2 inch lead seems small. I had to wait, wait to see if the person in 2nd place was fishing and also managed to land a big bass. Not knowing where they live also doesn’t help. They could have been in California as far as I knew.
We have to challenge ourselves every time we are on the water or on the bank. To try new baits, new techniques, or to try something we just aren’t great at. We have to think outside the box a lot more often, or at least step out of our comfort zone to try something new, something different. And when we accept the challenge, we are given the opportunity to grow and learn. A lot of times we get to learn about ourselves along with improving our fishing. What challenge are you willing to accept?
