Just the Way I Planned it!

Oh, how I love to bass fish! I love the preparing, the anticipation of the coming day, I love the rush of adrenaline I get when the boat slides off the trailer and rocks gently on the water's surface. To race across the water with the wind in my face and a destination in mind is a thrill. The first cast of the day is important because I plan to catch a fish on the very first cast. That's the way I like to do it. Get straight to the point. Recently, on a fishing trip, I caught one of the biggest smallmouth bass I have ever caught and I caught it on the first cast. I planned to do so and it happened. On a trip the next day, I didn't catch a fish until the second cast. The fish was a very good Kentucky or spotted bass and it nailed the crankbait as it gyrated up the rocky point, bouncing off the rocks and digging through the gravel. Love at first bite...or first strike.


I am the same way about deer hunting. I love the hunt, love the anticipation, the sighting in, the shooting new loads in my rifle or muzzleloader, a new batch of carbon arrows tipped with scalpel sharp broadheads, the months of shooting deer targets from unknown distances, the long range surveillance in the summer months, finding new scrapes, rubs and licking branches that betray a buck's presence, finding the faint trails that tie the pattern all together. I have never been able to sleep the night before opening day of bow, muzzleloader, or gun season. Ditto for turkey season or a fishing trip. I just cannot turn my mind off because of the anticipation of the hunt, going over everything that should have been done versus that which has been done. I made myself a promise to never enter a hunt without being mentally prepared, having my equipment all in order and ready to function flawlessly. Nor will I allow myself to enter a hunting or fishing trip without me having done all the pre-season scouting and the necessary homework that must be done to have a productive trip as far as seeing game and catching fish. I love it all and it is hard for me to enjoy my outings if I have not done all of these things. The drive to succeed is strong and the need to be prepared is almost overpowering at times.


Then, one of the children will come and say "Dad, can we go fishing today?" the way my daughter Kristi would do on those rare occasions when she would ask. "Okay, maybe we can go catch some bream this afternoon," I would reply. At times like this, I have to get into a completely different mode or mindset. I have to leave the fierce, take-no-prisoners attitude somewhere in my subconscious and remember that for a child to enjoy their outdoor adventure, they must have fun and most of the time that means catching fish...any kind of fish. Let's face it. A child does not care if a goggle eye gulps down their nightcrawler that they were drifting through a great looking catfish hole in pursuit of a channel cat. They don't care that it was a bluegill that whacked their stick bait instead of a four-pound largemouth. They must have some action and catch some fish. Every fish caught is a good one, every deer seem is an experience and every outing a time of learning and enjoyment. The outings with children must be fun experiences and when the child gets bored or disinterested, it is time to do something else.


Many adults that I know want to take a child on a serious bass fishing trip and impose adult attitudes and restrictions upon their tender emotions, thus taking the fun out of the experience. This is a very good way to tear down any desire that they may have to fish later in life. Casey, now 13 years old is a very good fisherman, but I recall times when he was ready to quit fishing because the fish were not biting and he got bored easily. I would take him fishing when and where the fish were biting and do more watching, listening and answering questions than I did trying to catch fish. One such fishing trip, I would come to him when he caught a fish, take the fish off his line, walk back to where the stringer was tied out and invariably before I got back, he would have another fish on his line. This went on until there were maybe twenty hefty goggle eye and a three pound bass on the stringer, all caught by Casey except for a couple of the goggle eye. When the fish quit biting and we pulled the fish laden stringer from the water, Casey said "I smoked you today, huh, Dad!" I just smiled and thought "That's the way I planned it."