Keeping it simple when overwhelmed, some tips

[JayPea2005]

Keep it Simple

By: Joseph Pepper

Dedicated to James Pepper, 11/9/1927 to 9/10/2005, the greatest teacher, sportsman, and father!

We sometimes seem to over analyze a given situation, causing ourselves to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

I have jumped into the tournament scene head first, and with the pressure to perform, I too get overwhelmed by all of the decisions I have to make, which takes me to the point of this article.

When you were a kid, did you really need 6 tackle boxes, 5 worm satchels, 7 rods, and 8,000 different styles of spinnerbaits? No you did not.

Until I was old enough to mow lawns for my own spending money, I had a choice of 1 rod, and 4 artificial lures. Okay 5 counting the pork trailer.

Those were, a floating Rapala in black/silver, Ditto Gator Tail worms in grape/black with red fire tail, Mann's 12 grape straight tail worm in fire tail, and a Johnson Silver Minnow with a #1 Uncle Josh's Pork Frog Trailer. That was it. That is what dad used, so what dad used I used, and I caught fish!

Ask yourself this question, What was my favorite lure when I started fishing? Did I catch some fish on it?

Recently I have found myself going to those questions, and back to what worked back then in terms of keeping it simple.

I remembered as a kid, watching my dad walk that Johnson Silver Minnow through a lily pad field with such subtlety, and finesse. His wrist cocked to the side, and his rod tip in the other direction just to make that spoon flutter the right way. It was so incredibly simple. I watched him wrestle hundreds of bass from those vast lily pad fields, relying on 4 baits in a single tier Plano tackle box.

My point to all of this is;

Unless you are fishing for a living and absolutely have to have everything under the sun in order to earn a paycheck, keep it simple and remember that so long as your bait is in the water, there is a fish there. Maybe not a congregation of fish, but maybe just that one you need to be a hero in your son or daughters eyes. That one fish that hits your spoon so hard that it darn near rips the rod from your hand.

Good luck, good fishing, and keep the lines tight!

[paparock]

Very true JayPea but some of us (like me) are a sucker for anything dangled in front of us. Rod, reel, or lure I go for it hook, line, and sinker. I'm like a fish that is always getting caught. I can only hope the tackle dealer will practice catch and release, yea right.

I used to fish some small saltwater tournaments and my fishing buddies were always making fun of me for my tackle boxes. Yes, I said boxes. They weighed one once at 67 pounds. They always seemed to run out of something in the middle of the tournament and would "borrow" from my boxes. Those tackle stores are rather few and far between 100 miles offshore you know.  

But for all those starting out JayPea makes a very good point. More time on the water is better than the most expensive equipment when it comes to learning how to catch fish. Learning your equipment in and out is what counts. With all the gear I have stuffed away over close to 40 years I use only a fraction of it consistently. Find what works for you and learn it. Find out when, where, and why it works before going for every new bit of tackle that comes along. It's better to be a master of a few than a novice at them all. Take it form a novice.

I wish you best JayPea in your tournaments.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Jaypea, time to hide, I heard the bait monkey has a contract out on you.   ;D

[Guest avid]

What your saying is very true.  I know that a jig, a plastic worm, a spinnerbait, a popper, and a crankbait will cover 99 out of 100 fishing situations that I will encounter, but I just love trying out new lures.  It's kind of a thing with me.  I am the tackle makers best friend.  Funny that you mentioned  the Johnson spoon.  My lake is way high and the usual weedlines are under water.  I put on the ole Johnson spoon with a grub trailer and nailed a few.  It is still a fun bait to fish.