I thought it might be interesting to reflect on some key changes in your overall approach to the sport of fishing as time has ticked by. I remember my beginning some 40 years ago when after school my friends and I would grab our bobbers, worms and hooks and hike down to the local pond to catch some sunnies, crappie, golden shinners and the occassional bass.
After high school & college, sports and girls got old, I found my way back to what was important. I was getting back into the sport about the time the Largemouth Bass tournament craze was starting. A few years out of college and back home for a spell, I found myself back at that same pond, but the gear had changed. I had myself a michell 300, a Diawa rod, some Stren line and something called a plastic worm on the end of my line. Didn't know enough about the how to's or where to's, but I'd read it was the thing to throw for big bass, yet I found myself catching more of something called a skunk than the bass I was after.
Then a young man introduced himself at the pond one day and we got friendly. Turns out he'd actually had some success at this bass fishing game and I was anxious to learn. We fished together at every opportunity and then I started fishing with friends of his that were also accomplished bassers. A natural evolution then took place, from spinning gear to the casting gear (yikes that transition is a book in itself
) and then a mix of gear. Then a rush to buy and fish everything I'd read about in the monthy Bassmaster or Infisherman mag's I'd read from cover to cover the minute they arrived.
About the time I felt confident I could catch bass in any pond, lake or stream, I found myself anxious to try my hand in the competitive arena. I had fished in every craft that could float and suddenly found myself in a Basstracker dealership one day, signing paperwork on a new Tournament V-17. Soon after taking delivery, I was at a monthly meeting of the local bass club I'd recently joined and jotting down the schedule of the years tournaments. That was fun and I won the title 3 out of the 4 years I was in the club, with some success at the federation level as well.
I'd collected a lot of new knowledge, a lot of new toys, a love of making my own plastic jerkbaits and then suddenly the crowds seemed to be closing in on me. It seemed that everywhere I fished, it was crowded and noisy and I felt something was missing. About that time I found myself getting back into saltwater fishing and found it a lot more peacefull on the BIG POND. Luckily for me about the same time there was a resurgence in striped bass stocks and I found myself at home and at peace. I dropped out of competitive bass fishing, and pursued my new love of striped bass fishing. Each year I'd go back to the freshwater each spring, but could hardly wait for the arrival of the fresh striped bass. Once they arrived, my freshwater gear was stowed until the fall run of stripers was over.
I found myself dumping my casting outfits in favor of lighter but powerful graphite spinning outfits. This was a choice made for two reasons, the first being that my plastic jerkbaits fished better on spinning gear and the second that time had taken a toll on my joints and I found the spinning gear less tiring after a long day.
I still get a rush out of catching a big largemouth, or the powerfull run or tailwalks of a big smallie, or seeing a livewell full of yummie crappie, but my priorities have certainly changed over time. Funny how things change and how circumstances mold you over time.
Tight lines.
Threaded Mode